When you’re fabulous, it’s important to look the part. Your small business might be the greatest in the world, but if you can’t catch customers’ attention, chances are good that you’re not going to catch their money, either.
From your small business website to your logo to your marketing correspondence, you need to make your small business look as cool as it is. Not sure how? Read on some tried-and-true tips from the Mischa small business design gurus.
1. Get Your Logo Right
Before you start getting grand ideas about your website or crafting crazy marketing materials, you need to focus on one core design: your logo.
When selecting a logo, you want something that’s reflective of your small business, what it does or sells, and what you stand for. It should be timeless and memorable. (After all, you want people to remember your logo and associate it with your company.) Also, simple is almost always better. A busy logo with a lot of detail can be difficult to view across a variety of digital and print mediums. Color is also important, so don’t neglect its power to excite, sooth, reassure or inspire.
2. Align Your Design with Your Brand
We talk a lot about defining your small business brand and determining who you want to be in this great, big world. Whether you’re designing a logo, website or even your marketing materials for your small business, it’s important to stay true to your brand. Are you fun, funky and fresh, or elegant and refined? Is your target audience young and hip, or older and more mature?
Your brand should be instantly recognizable to your customers. Don’t confuse them with something out of left field. Align your design with your established brand and stay true to your roots!
3. Don’t Neglect Function
A pretty website is great, but people will get frustrated quick when they can’t figure out how to navigate the darn thing. Functionality is just as important as logo and design. Make sure it’s clean and user-friendly. Put your contact information and call to action right out in the open; and don’t make people search for a phone number or a “buy now” button. Keep your content fresh and fluid so your audience has a reason to come back. And always, always, always have a site that’s optimized for mobile devices.
Being creative isn’t for everyone. If you want to hand off your logo or website development to a team of experts, or you just need a nudge in the right direction, the Mischa team is here to help! Just give us a shout.