A logo serves as the face of a brand, and it’s usually the first thing that people see. It’s much more than just an image that you stamp on marketing materials and at the beginning of videos. Customers will form an opinion of a business within a few seconds, and they then attach the logo to that opinion. Since a logo can influence that opinion, it must be done correctly. A lot of businesses struggle with the decision of DIY logo design vs. professional logo designer. Is it possible to create a high-quality logo in house, or should this always be outsourced to professionals? That’s the question that this post is going to answer.
The Purpose of a Logo
A brand logo should serve to connect with a target market. It should express the overall values of a business, branding those values into the minds of potential customers. A logo is not just a stamp put on business cards and company vehicles. It’s a visual representation of everything that your business stands for, so it needs to express precise values.
DIY Logo Design Comes with some Major Risks
Since a logo must promote a specific message, you must get it perfect. It takes time to come up with the ideal logo, but once you do, it can last as long as needed. DIY logo design might seem like a more affordable option, but it comes with some significant risks. These risks can hurt your business, especially if you choose the wrong logo. Remember that you only get one chance to make a first impression, so if you make a bad one, then that’s going to damage your brand.
1. DIY Logo Designs Risk Not Getting the Right Message Across
The next topic in our debate of DIY logo design vs. professional logo designer is that most businesses don’t have the same skillset as a graphics designer. Getting the right message across is probably the most crucial part of logo design. If you fail to achieve this goal, your brand risks losing your target market before you even get them to look at your marketing materials.
Inexperienced designers tend to express their personal preferences when designing a logo, so they miss the mark when it comes to their target market. The fact is that a logo is about meeting the demands of a target market and not the individual who is designing the logo.
2. They Risk Communicating the Wrong Values
If you look at the biggest brands in the world, you’ll notice that their logo communicates specific values. It takes the experience to accomplish this goal – an experience that an in-house team might not have. Colors, style, and artwork play a critical role in the values exhibited by a logo. These must be planned carefully.
3. Inexperienced Designers Risk Creating Amateurish Logos
Logos that look like an amateur has created them are not going to convert into customers. It will hinder all of your marketing campaigns and cripple your sales teams. What makes it even worse is that in-house designs come across as amateurish most of the time. The most common mistake is choosing the wrong colors and fonts.
Professional Logo Design is the Most Profitable Route
In the debate of DIY logo design vs. professional logo designer, it’s nearly impossible for a company to design the right logo doing it in-house. So they are going to find more profit in outsourcing to a logo design service. Even though logo design services do have an initial expense, the investment is going to pay dividends! Unless you happen to be a skilled graphics designer, outsourcing is going to be the most profitable route.
Make an Amazing First Impression
Marketing is all about making a lasting first impression, and a well-designed logo puts your brand off to a fantastic start. When a lead is looking at your marketing materials, the first thing they should see is your logo. They make their primary connection with your brand through that logo. Then from that point forward, everything they see is going to be associated directly with that logo in their mind. Professional logo designers have the skillset to ensure that this logo makes the right first impression.
Brand Recognition at its Best
Brand recognition is one of the top goals of any marketing campaign. Businesses are always looking for ways to generate attention, but make sure you’re getting it for the right reasons. A great logo should express a brand’s values so customers know what they should expect from its products and services. Professional designers do this better than anyone.
Amazing Logos Invite Customers to Learn More
People get attracted to things that reach out and grab their interests. Today, buyers are too busy to notice brands that do not stand out. Only top-quality logos will pique their curiosity enough to learn more. The first step is to get leads so that they can look at what your brand has to offer. Professional logo design services understand how to create a design that stands out.
Make your Brand Appear More Professional
We talked about the risk of creating an amateurish logo earlier, but this is an essential point that needs repetition. Professional logo designers have the experience to create designs that come across as more professional, thus attracting more potential customers. A logo should provide a professional visual representation of your brand, and this is achievable only if the designer has adequate skills to understand how potential logo designs are perceived.
Final Thoughts on DIY Logo Design vs. Professional Logo Designer
The bottom line is that a logo must represent everything that sets your brand apart from everyone else. Unless you are a skilled graphics designer, you must outsource a logo design service to make sure that you are correctly translating your brand’s values. In a world where thousands of brands are trying to stand out in every industry, you cannot afford to fall short of the mark.
