Choosing a logo is an important step toward good marketing. Your logo is the first thing people will picture when hearing the name of your company. Therefore a successful logo must be easily recognizable and identifiable by your current and potential clients and/or customers.

The first thing to consider when developing a logo is its purpose: a logo being used primarily on a website may differ from one printed on promotional objects.

If you wish to use your logo for multiple applications you must consider one that will look equally as good in small and in large prints. You should also consider whether the colours you use can be easily reproduced for a variety of purposes.

Above all, remember that your logo symbolizes your company. It should represent the image you wish to communicate to your customers and clients, i.e. if you are a lawyer, your logo would normally be professional and conservative, while in a more creative domain, something a bit more fun and light-hearted may be appropriate.

Your logo should be original. If it looks similar to other designs it will be difficult for customers and clients to distinguish it from other companies’. A unique logo will help set you apart from the competition by conveying the idea that you have something new and different to offer to your potential customers and clients.

Your logo must also be appealing to your target audience: Upper middle class business people and teenagers are unlikely to share the same tastes.

Think: Who are you, what do you do, whom for. Does your logo convey the right message?