July 31, 2005 - (HOSTSEARCH.COM) - In the last decade, the Internet industry has grown exponentially. In just a few years, the Internet has become a powerful global network that has changed the way we do business and the way we communicate. The Internet is our universal source of information.
Of all the mass media, the Internet is the most convenient and successful method of reaching the world market. With a very low investment, anyone can create a web page. Every field of business has taken advantage of this global marketing resource with much success. One such field is the logo design industry, which is considered to be one of the fastest growing businesses in the world. These days a logo can easily be ordered from the comfort of your home or office. However, because there are thousands of logo design companies offering similar services, it is difficult to select the one that is best suited for your company and your needs, not to mention the possibility that the company you select may not deliver the results you want—or any results at all.
Phony CompaniesMany of the logo design companies on the Internet contain extensive online samples and portfolios of their work, but how do you know if a site is legitimate or not? The best resources to use when searching for a legitimate company are search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. While using a popular search engine can certainly lessen the risk of being taken for a ride by a fraudulent company, there are still some customers who fall victim to phony companies or poor quality service.
Here’s how you can avoid becoming a victim of fraudulent companies:
• Check the contact information of the company. Some sites may appear without proper contact information. You should definitely red flag these sites. Companies without proper contact information (phone, address, e-mail) may be hiding their real address because they want customers to think they are a local company, or they may not have an address at all because they are a scam operation.
• Be sure to ask the companies you contact whether they have on-site developers or they outsource their work. Companies that outsource the design work can be a gamble. They only act as the middle man between you and the real designer. With these outsourcing companies, you don’t know who is really designing your logo, nor do you know if the design is original or stolen from another company. You may also be paying a higher price for these designs as the company you are dealing with needs to make a profit as well. However, a logo design company that has in-house designers actually create original, customized logos. There is no third party involved and you have the ability to talk directly with the designers in order to customize your logo.
• Only conduct business with companies that use a secure form for private information (credit card info). To verify that a page is secure, look for ‘https’ instead of ‘http’ in the URL address. As well, there should be a padlock icon on your browser’s status bar.
• If you do happen to come across a fraudulent company, it is very important that you file a report with the Better Business Bureau so other customers don’t fall victim as well.
Eni Meani Mini Mo: To Which Logo Design Company Should I Go?Once you have verified that you are not dealing with a suspicious or phony company, there are some important factors to considering in selecting a company suited to your needs.
Two types of logo design companies exist on the Internet. The first type of company sells pre-designed logos. They design a group of logos related to a particular field of business. If you discover one you like, you can then purchase it. These logos are mostly iconic logos, or have a special font in it. There is usually very little work done on these logos and they are the cheapest deals that you will find. However, there are disadvantages to ordering this type of logo. You have to be very cautious about copywriting—as these are pre-designed logos, they are usually sold to many different clients simultaneously which means you may not be the only company that owns your logo design.
The second type of company is one that does custom work. These logos are created from scratch and are designed specifically for your company, to fit your needs. They are 100% original – meaning that you can register the logo once it is completed and use it as your trademark.
Comparing PackagesWhen ordering a customized logo, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Most companies who customize logos offer various packages. When selecting the best package suited for your business’ needs, here are some points to consider:
• Packages usually vary from 2 to 9 different logo samples. Of course, the less samples, the cheaper it is. Going with the least expensive package is not always the answer, because you are limited in your choice of samples and the amount of variations you can make.
• The next thing to look for is a turn around time--the duration of time it takes from the date of payment to the receipt of the initial samples. This varies from company to company and it can be anywhere from 24 hrs to 2 weeks before the initial samples are ready. It is also important to know what is involved in the creation of your company logo. Within 24 hours of placing your order, information is gathered and initial sketch work is done. A good logo design company will spend 5 business days on average, working on the initial samples. This time is spent collecting information from the client, conducting appropriate market research, and designing the logo itself.
• The number of designers working on each project is an important detail that is often overlooked. You don't want one designer working on all of your samples. No matter how talented the designer is, he/she will have a unique style. It is always important for a project to be viewed from a number of different creative angles.
• After your initial samples have been completed, you may want to tweak some designs and change colors and fonts. It is important to know how many changes you are entitled to before you get stuck paying an extra fee for each change. Some companies offer unlimited changes and will change and modify your logo free of charge until you are 100% satisfied.
• Price is definitely one of the most important features of a logo design package. You should look at all of the packages offered and decide which one has the most value for your money.
• Additional services may be included in the package, such as business card and stationery design, website design, printing services and lifetime file support.
• When your company logo is finalized, you will need different file formats in order to use it (logo design kit). You will need bitmap files (gif, jpeg) to place your logo on the internet. You will also need a vector file (ai, cdr) for printing, and you may also need a high resolution bitmap file (tiff) for printing in case there isn’t a vector program handy.
• A redraw policy is an important part of a logo design package. If the designers are off the mark on the first batch of samples, it is more than likely that, if given a second opportunity, the designers will be on target.
• A refund policy is another important feature of any package. No matter how good the company is, how talented they are or how much experience they have, the bottom line is that they are creating art and it is subjective. Sometimes it is difficult to get the right image or style - even with 8 different samples. Some companies will offer redraw sessions with completely new design samples, but even that may not be enough. As customer satisfaction should always be a priority, a good logo design company will offer a refund policy.
Your business logo is the face of your organization, so choose your logo design company wisely. When choosing the right logo design company for your business, keep in mind that your satisfaction should be a main priority, and that you want to get both value for your money and a logo that you will be very happy with for years to come.
About the author:
Renee Biancolin is a writer for LogoBee. Logobee is a logo design firm that designs high quality logos and corporate identity for businesses worldwide.
