Even if your business is known simply as Joe’s Home Inspections, you need a logo. It’s the identifier that makes your business immediately recognizable no matter where it’s seen.
Since you probably aren’t an artist or graphic designer, you might be tempted to skip the logo or wait until you can hire a pro. Don’t fall into that trap. Many designers offer logo services on the side of their day job and they might charge less than you think. If that’s still out of your price range, you can find inexpensive basic logos through several online services.
Here’s what you need to know about logo design and why such a small thing is so important for your business.
A Logo Supports Your Branding Efforts
Branding sets your home inspection business apart from all of the others in your market. Without a logo, your brand is about as memorable as a plain bologna sandwich.
Branding Beat says a good logo becomes part of the business identity. When people see it, they instantly think about you. For that reason, a logo needs careful thought and a professional appearance, even if it’s a cartoon character.
The more professional the design, the more professional your home inspection business brand comes across to the public. The more professional the design, the more professional your home inspection business brand comes across to the public.
Great Logos Have a Few Common Characteristics
As different as one logo is from the next, all great logos are similar in a few ways. U.K.-based PN Design says good design is “more than just displaying your name in an appealing font.”
Good design has these characteristics:
- Different enough to recognize at a glance
- Visuals and font that complement the type of business that they represent
- Imagery and font style that work with the business name
- Legibility
- Clear and clean in black and white and also in color, if you use color in the design
For some designers, logo design is a side business.
Graphic Designers Might Not Be as Expensive as You Think
You’re designing a logo, not putting a graphic designer’s kids through college. A designer’s skill has definite value, but that doesn’t mean logo design is exorbitant. A quick Google search will show you a range of prices between free and about $200. The higher the demand for the designer’s services and the more complicated the logo, the more you’ll pay.
If you decide to hire a designer, check out their portfolio before you take another step. If you like what you see, reach out and ask about design services. Often, there’s a process that involves designing a few options for you to choose from, fine-tuning your choice and one or two design tweaks after the design is complete. You’ll want to know what’s included in the price.
Don’t Forget About Inexpensive DIY Logo Design
You might be artistically challenged, but you can still probably design a professional-looking logo using downloadable images online. Image files like this one from Bigstock are available for a reasonable, one-time fee:
A few things to remember:
- Assume all images online are copyright protected. Just because you can right-click and save an image doesn’t mean it’s legal to do so.
- Download your image from a reputable image source that licenses images for commercial use.
- Go with a high-resolution file for a clearer, sharper image.
- If you don’t want to invest in Photoshop, check out a free program such as GNU Imagine Manipulation Program (Gimp), which gives you a lot of design freedom.
If that’s still too advanced for you, there’s another option. Free and low-cost logo design is also available through sites such as FreeLogoServices and Custom Logo Design. They have hundreds of pre-made logos and font choices. Find the one you like, type in the name of your company and the site automatically formats the logo for you. You’ll get a downloadable file to use for free or a low fee.
You can certainly run a successful home inspection business without a logo, but why would you want to? Your logo is part of your business personality. Whether it’s nothing but the company name in an eye-catching font or it’s got memorable imagery, your logo is a business tool that raises awareness and helps support all of your marketing efforts.
You can use your logo anywhere you like, including on your home inspection reports. With Report Form Pro, it’s as simple as uploading the logo. If you’re ready for professional software that makes your business look great, download the home inspection app for Android or get it for Apple products at the App Store.