Your brand is important. The colors you choose, the images, and words will give consumers the first impression of your business.  That is why so many businesses spend time and money in creating a professional, memorable logo that represents their business.

A logo can be complex, like the Helping Hands logo or it can be as simple as the colors and lettering in the name, like Google's famous logo:

 

Here are the characteristics of top brands to keep in mind when having a logo designed to represent your company:

1. Logo color matters. There is an entire science behind the color choice for your logo design, as this infographic illustrates. Red can be stimulating, passionate, exciting "“ inciting action. Orange, while still retaining the energy and excitement of red, is more friendly and inviting. Be sure to carefully consider color choices. What mood do you want your consumers to be in when they think of your company and its products or services?
2. Logo font. The Font in which your logo is created is just as important as color. There is just as much psychology behind font choice as color choice. Not to mention that consumers need to be able to actually read the logo. How can font sway consumer ideas? One study had readers claiming a story was more humorous when written in Times New Roman than readers who read the story in Arial.  Certain fonts have been shown to appeal more to certain demographics. Men are more drawn to rectilinear fonts, while women prefer a curvier font with a more prominent tail. In summary: Choose your fonts carefully. 
   
   
   
3. Keep it simple. The world's top logos are simple and easy to recognize. Think Apple, Google, Pepsi, or McDonald's. Simple, few colors, short names. You want a consumer to immediately recognize your logo and make the connection to your company or what you are selling. 
   
   
   
4. What's your name? Should you include your company name in your logo? Not necessarily. Your company's branding should all follow the same theme "“ colors, fonts, images "“ but let's consider the logo examples above. Of these top influential brands, only Google includes its full name with its logo branding. Apple, Pepsi, and McDonalds all stand alone without the company's name. Nike is another perfect example of a company doing a very good job with just a simple, elegant symbol. No name necessary. 
   
   
   
5. Make the connection. Obviously, just having the world's best logo isn't going to be enough. You need to pair that with great marketing. Help your consumers make the connection between your excellent logo and your even more excellent product. Build your brand by offering a good product, creating a personality for your company through a social media presence and / or blog, and by being obsessed with customer service.

These tips are just the 'tip' of the iceberg. Creating a perfect logo is just the first step in building a memorable brand. Need more logo design ideas? Check out just a few of the logos we have designed for our clients to see how we combined the science and art of custom logo design.