What makes your business memorable? Is it your catchy slogan or witty business name? How about your logo?

What’s that, you say? You don’t have a logo?! Not having a logo is detrimental to your business. Now that you have a domain name and website it’s essential you design a logo.

Stop and think about some of the biggest businesses you know: Starbucks, Walmart, Nike. They all take great care in their logos. At a glance, these logos bring the business top of mind; if golden arches against a red background make you salivate, you’re not alone.

Memorable logos aren’t strictly the purview of big business — your small business or side hustle can create one too! Let’s take a look at three things to keep in mind when designing your logo.

Online success starts with a great domain. Find one for your side hustle at Domain.com.

Color influences perception

Choosing the correct colors for your logo is imperative. Various colors evoke different emotions, and you can leverage those to your advantage. What are some common connotations that different colors have? Yellow is associated with happiness, green with health and nature, and purple with royalty.

Not all colors work with all types of businesses. If you’ve been stressed and want a soothing, relaxing spa to while away an afternoon, which one will you visit: the spa whose logo is composed of calming greens and blues, or one whose electric, neon-colored logo looks like Rainbow Brite got sick all over it?

It helps to ask your friends or family for input on your logo’s colors. How do the colors make them feel? What do they think of when seeing those colors? Use their feedback to refine your choices. You can also refer to this handy infographic courtesy of FastCompany.

Size matters in logo design

Your logo should always be featured on your website, marketing communications, and other advertising. Be mindful of your logo size and complexity, as not all of your advertising takes place on a giant billboard. If all your advertisements were that size it’d make sense to create an intricate, hyper-detailed logo, but that likely isn’t the case. Your logo should be distinctive and maintain clarity when displayed on small phone screens, business cards, pamphlets, or wherever else you may advertise.

Choose your typography carefully

Just as with color, different fonts are associated with different emotions and business types. Think about a soft, rounded, swooping script. Would you expect to find that sort of typography used by an edgy, street-wise graphic designer? Probably not.

In fact, Wichita State University did a study to determine if different fonts were associated with emotions or personalities, and scripted fonts were perceived as being feminine and casual.

Before you decide on a font, consider doing some sleuthing. Are your competitors all using a similar font type? It may be a good idea to choose a like font, as your audience may have already created an association between that font type and your industry.

Creating a good logo takes more than a cute design

When creating a logo for your new website and business, keep these tips in mind. Color, size, and type are three indispensable components of logo design. Don’t get discouraged if it takes you a little while to come up with the perfect logo! After all, it’s one of the first things people think of when they think of your business, so it’s important to take the time to iterate and create something special.

Online success starts with a great domain. Find one for your side hustle at Domain.com.