What's in a Logo? A Mad Matatu Guide

If your serious about your business and you expect to take it to the next level in the future, the decisions you make now when having a logo designed could be much more important than you think!

Consider that your Logo alone is what will identify you to your customers, competitors and suppliers, so getting it right from the beginning is of the utmost importance. As a business it is very important for you to create an identity which is unique to you and easily identifiable by others. You may be thinking short term now, but as your business grows people will start looking for something specific to recognize you by, so that they can continue to enjoy your services.

A logo should consist of your Business Name and a graphic that are both legible and easy on the eyes. Let's look at some examples of  different logos:

See Full sized versions in my Portfolio

These are logos I have created for 2 very different companies, with very different needs. The first one for example is for an African Safari Company, which needed a logo that could be painted on the door of their vehicles in white, so it needed to be simple enough that it would look good as a monotone logo. The second logo is much more intricate, and was for a clothing boutique.

Both these logos are now that companies' "Stamp". They will be used on all print media, on their websites, and other branding merchandise. Their customers will now be able to identify them from their competitors through their logos.

Things to consider when having a logo designed.

Remember that since your logo is what identifies you, it should be the basis of everything you print, publish or post on the web, so make sure you consider these factors when selecting a design:

• Your logo should be in vector format (graphics that can be resized without losing resolution and crispness) or designed on a large scale.
• The logo should be in different formats: .gif, .jpg, .ai and .psd (the last two are adobe illustrator and adobe photoshop, which your printer will need to publish your logo on media.)
• The background of your logo should be Transparent (gif format) or white and should not contain a background pattern.
• The font should be legible and stand out.
• It's always best not to use too many colors, but if you do want color, then select a maximum of three which can be used at different gradations (if you look at the crown logo, you'll notice the only 3 colors used are pink, yellow-gold and turquoise blue.)

This type of Logo is more expensive than your regular ebay store logo (which generally goes from between $4 and $25) so expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 for a professional vector logo design. However it should follow you and your company for life, so make sure you are 100% happy with it.

Consistency, Consistency!

REMEMBER! Consistency in design is VERY important! Once you have a logo, your ebay store and website should both have the same design and feel to them and always use the same LOGO. If you look at all major companies, each of them has a symbol or graphic which is unique to them. We recognize them instantly, even if the name of the company doesn't appear below them. You can change the color of your logo but try not to change the logo itself, unless you're re-designing it and changing everything on a grand scale.

I always recommend to people that their website, ebay store, me page and auction templates match each other so that you have a more unified and professional look to your store. If you look at my own store you'll notice I have the same colors and theme throughout and my logo, which is my name with an African spear, appears on all my pages, my business cards and Print Media.

But I'm a small entity and only need a logo for my ebay store you say....

If you're not looking to expand your business then you can certainly purchase the cheaper and more fun/colorful store logos from designers. These generally match a specific template that the designer has created, or you can get a custom ebay store logo for around $15 to $20 (note that these logos only come in one size, which is 310 x 90, hence the price difference). These are a good idea if you're not yet ready to create a unique identity for your self or not quite ready to shell out the cash for a more professional job.

I hope this guide has given you a more informative idea of what you should look for in a design. You'll be well on your way to creating your own unique look which will be remembered by all who see it! Good luck!!