Select a Logo for Ecommerce: 8 Examples + Mistakes to avoid
If you're starting your first eCommerce business, or thinking about an overhaul one of the primary aspects of the process is creating the perfect, attractive logo to communicate your brand's message. Before you begin brainstorming concepts, it is important to consider what factors go into an your logo's design, and also what type of logo will be the best fit for both your company's brand as well as your prospective clients.
In this post, we'll explore why logos are important, the different kinds of logos and some practical considerations including the most effective practices to design logos, the various software choices to create them, as well as strategies for outsourcing design.
What's a logo?
We could get nitpicky regarding the concept of "logo", the word is most commonly used for a clear graphic made of imagery, words or a mix of both for a logo or organization.
The importance of logos
The logo you choose to use can allow people to quickly and effortlessly to recognize your brand when seeing your posts and ads on social media platforms, looking through search engine results and comparing different products on the online marketplace, or shopping directly on your website.
If you're looking for your e-commerce company to be noticed by the competition, having an effective logo is essential. There are a lot of online companies competing to attract customers' attention it is essential to have an attractive, distinctive, memorable logo that is a clear image of your business.
A properly designed logo is instrumental in establishing credibility. Consider your most loved reliable brands. Their logos probably immediately come to the forefront. Just looking at a certain color combination or shape might bring back memories of the image of their brand.
The logo you choose to use is an investment in your brand's development, so invest your time and work to create a logo that is representative of your business and communicates directly to the audience you intend to target.
There are eight types of logos
The logos are usually classified into eight types:
- Wordmark, logotype
- Brand mark, logomark, or pictorial
- Combination mark
- Dynamic logo
- Emblems
- Letterforms
- Lettermark, monogram
- Mascots
Wordmark/logotype
"Wordmark" as well as "logotype" are basically the same and both refer to the same style that employs the use of typography - usually the company name or part of the company's name. The logos of these types often employ custom typography, making the logo unique for the particular brand.
The most well-known examples of a logo with a wordmark is Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola logo instantly stands out because of its iconic typography that has barely changed during the last 130 years. L'oreal and eBay's logos are other examples of logotypes and wordmarks.
Brand mark, logomark or image
"Brand mark"," "logomark," and "pictorial" are terms used for describing a visual element in a logo that could also include the letters or words as an combination with imagery, however it does not have the name of the business. These marks can be symbolic, like the apple, bird and the shell marks from Apple, Twitter, and Shell Oil, or they may be more abstract as the Atari and Dropbox marks.
The Atari mark hints at an A-shape without actually being a letter and the Dropbox branding uses the strategically-placed diamonds that create an abstract box appearance.
The combination mark
A combination mark is the company name combined with the image-based brand mark. Most often, a business will employ its combination mark for most situations, but it may also utilize the wordmark of its brand and separately depending on the scenario.
Dynamic logos
Dynamic logos can be flexible contemporary logos with elements that alter depending on what the branding wants to portray for a particular use case. Google is probably the most well-known instance of this with its Google Doodles. Logos that are dynamic can be animated, static or interactive.
Google puts all three types to work in their Google Doodles series. One thing that remains the same in every Doodle is that the logo "Google" appears in some manner. The rest of the design could alter.
The Google strategy could not be the ideal fit - especially ones just seeking to make a name for themselves. It may be difficult for customers who are looking to have multiple variations of your logo's design with completely different designs.
Keep in mind that Google is not able to apply this kind of flexibility in the various uses for its logo. Google Doodle is a trademark that can only be used on the Google Doodle is specifically used to advertise Google's Google Search landing page. Otherwhere else, they adhere to their official wordmark and brand mark.
If you're looking to design an exciting logo, you might be thinking about something more like the style of MTV.
For the most part, in use situations, MTV uses the same shape of logo, but uses distinct color schemes and may even include co-branding with other companies. The logo is easily identifiable as MTV, but the variation in pattern and color can help viewers associate MTV with other concepts, ideology, and brands that evoke different feelings and continually re-engage viewers.
Emblems
The term "emblem" is a reference to the design of a logo that incorporates words and images to make an integrated, singular logo. Emblems often look like badges or emblems. The type of style most frequently in university teams, sports teams and automobile companies However, a lot of firms use emblems to create their logos. Businesses like Starbucks, Warner Bros., as well as Stella Artois all have emblem logos.
Letterforms
Letterforms use the first letter and sometimes the initials of a brand, to form a basic brand name. While letterforms are usually simpler than a monogram logo, they can be monograms, such as the one above. New York Yankees letterform/monogram.
Lettermarks/monograms
Logos with monograms or letters use an acronym or initials for the company for the entire or a portion of the design. Sometimes, the letters are overlapping to create a pattern. They also may be inset onto a background.
Monograms were first used in early Greece as identification marks on coins. They indicated the city the coin was issued by. They later became signatures by those with wealth and power and by craftsmen and artists.
Monogram logos have a long history and are often utilized by beauty and fashion brands to express a sense of elegance and heritage. However, monograms aren't exclusively utilized by these types of industries. Just about every category of industry has made the use of monograms. Monograms are a cost-effective and long-lasting method of creating an identity, and they're ideal for any type of business.
Mascot logos
Mascot logos make use of iconic characters that represent a business. Lacoste's alligator, Cheetos' Chester Cheetah, Reddit's stylized creature Snoo as well as KFC's Colonel Sanders, and Wendy's character, Wendy Thomas, are the most well-known examples of mascots used in a logo for a company.
Mascots will highlight the brand's character, while making the brand more relatable and casual. You can also use them as creative elements in your advertising. However, using a mascot as the form of a logo isn't easy because it is simple to change the persona of your choice (see: Ronald McDonald) however it is hard to eliminate them from the mind of people.
So you'll want to carefully consider your mascot and make sure that it's compatible with the direction you intend in expanding your business.
Seven tips for designing an appealing logo
The logo you choose to use is usually the first interaction a customer experiences with your business. It should be memorable, recognizable as well as represent your brand identity, but there are a few known best practices for designing your logo to think about when deciding on the logo.
If your logo's design is attractive and distinctive, it doesn't always equate to good design. Many of the largest companies have experienced certain doubtful logo launch events that have resulted in negative media attention.
Many businesses adhere to the old saying that "any publicity is good publicity." But, unless your company's name is controversial, you'll want to adhere to a few tried-and-true design tips to avoid ending in a post on the blog on the most sloppy logo designs ever.
Keep it simple
There's a chance you've heard the saying "less can be more" is a term invented by the Minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1947. It is tossed around a lot in corporate jargon and can sometimes be utilized as a justification for minimal effort design. However, the concept of "less can be more" does not mean to keep the design simple and boring.
It's a philosophy that values both aesthetic and function. Ultimately, the goal is to use as few elements as are necessary to convey the intended message and supply the required function, while simultaneously creating an aesthetically-pleasing appearance.
This is an essential aspect when designing logos because the design should be simple for viewers to understand. You should be able to use it with backgrounds using diverse textures and colors. configure it for different spaces and aspect ratios, and use it in many different dimensions, without making it difficult or complicated.
This philosophy doesn't mean that it is necessary to choose simple logo designs also. The concept can be used to any type of logo that is traditional, contemporary and vintage or any style that's trendy or modern.
Use a style that reflects your brand as well as your intended viewers
If your company makes vintage or antique items, you might want to go with design elements that are retro and recalls the past that your company represents.
For instance, Big Chill appliances use the look of a typographic style that evokes vintage appliance emblems that date back to the 1930s and 1960s.
Trader Joe's logo has an edgy 1960s vibe as does Ben and Jerry's. The logo is a playful and fun 1970s vibe that is in line with the brand's style. Altoids' serif font logo that has a gold embossed design around the edges gives it an elegant and timeless look.
Jack Daniels whiskey has not significantly altered their logo since 1947 and it is still like its earlier logo from the time of Prohibition. Unlike brands like Levi Strauss that massively changed their branding identities throughout the years, Jack Daniels has only made small updates to their logo throughout the years, reminding consumers of the brand's long time of existence.
If you're a business that sells software as a service (SaaS), offers technology-based products, or has an identity that is clean easy to read and simple You may want to go with an approach that is more minimal. The following companies all use modern, minimalist designs.
Some of them include logo marks. Others are solely type-based and utilize distinct letterforms in order to communicate their identity, while some have badges or an emblem-like appearance.
If your online store has a focus on niche customers it is important to choose a logo that will resonate with that customer base. If it's food that is organic, toys, comic books and women's clothing, or hunting gear, you can achieve an effective, genre-targeted logo that doesn't stray into the territory of childish and cheesy.
A few examples of niche-specific audience logos are Walt's Comic Shop, Nelson Rare Books, KiwiCo, and Chewy.
Walt's Comic Shop makes use of a cartoon-like design, but makes use of simplified lines as well as two colors, as well as the clean sans serif font. The design is fun and evokes the field, but it's not cartoonish, and the typography and graphic elements can be used together or independently.
Nelson Rare Books uses an intricately illuminated initial within their logo. This is similar to what is found in the first chapter in an old book. As opposed to the decorated serif initial, they use a clean, wide sans-serif font that is used in the uppercase letters of their company name. It provides a visual balance and expresses the nature of the brand's image as an online retailer of unique and antique books, and an online shop that utilizes modern technology and organizational systems.
KiwiCo offers science and arts kits for children as a subscription service. They've picked a modern and simple logo but have they've kept it fun with their kiwi mascot, and the serif font that is chunky. Keeping the logo more generic allows them to grow their business in various directions without having alter the logo whenever they do so.
Chewy is a pet supply delivery service for pet owners. Their logo does not include any image elements and it is purely based on type. They've used a rounded sans-serif type treatment that is jumbled, lending it a playful look that is often associated with pets.
Use clip art only.
If you think that you could simply pick a logo from a clip art free website, you need to think twice. Ok, technically you are able to make use of clip art whenever you'd like. However, chances are lots of other companies have used this technique. People may recognize it and confuse it with another business' logo or it might give an unprofessional impression.
Also, not all clip art works are publicly available. Just because you find it on the web doesn't mean that it's free to download. Don't you want to be the target of an action!
It doesn't mean you shouldn't use a pre-designed graphic as the basis of your branding. You can find royalty-free images available on marketplaces, such as iStock Photo and Creative Market that you can get higher-quality ready-made graphic elements to use to use for logos, or completely-designed logos, where all you have to do is replace the placeholder in the design with the name of your business.
If you are able to use a pre-designed element for your logo, you should keep an eye out for other logos that may be using that exact identical element on their own logos as well. Make sure that you're using the correct license for your intended purpose. Many stock image sites offer several types of licenses you can purchase for different purposes, such as print, online, or editorial usage.
Beware of cliché and overused pictures and fonts
A search of "worst logo typefaces" and "worst logo design" can give you tips on how to avoid. You should take the time to make sure that the elements of your design as well as typography aren't being employed by any other company. In addition to helping keep your brand from being confused, but it also will encourage you to create a more distinctive and innovative design is something you are proud of.
It's not always the wrong choice to use a common symbol or image in your logo's design if it's appropriate to your business. Veterinary logos are a great example of this. Do you know how many vets utilize a combination of either cats or dogs with a paw print an medical + symbol as well as a heart?
Perhaps the majority. However, that doesn't mean that it's impossible to utilize that type of imagery It's simply that it's a lot more challenging to think of an original idea while using the same subjects.
Here are some great examples of common logo image selections that have been well executed:
To design Aurora Veterinary Hospital, the designer employed a limited palette that features an abstract depiction of dogs... or perhaps it's the cat. It's wide enough to be able to convey both animals. It's cute without being cartoonish. It's clean, modern and simple to read, while being an original interpretation of the common theme of dog and cat in the logo of veterinary medicine.
Advanced The logo of Veterinary Care Center is really original, with hints to a tail of a cat as well as using the standard medical + symbol to create the shape of the letter A to indicate "Advanced." It's a more corporate-feeling mark while remaining true to the field they represent. It's a very different interpretation than Aurora the logo of Veterinary Hospital. It's much less abstract and minimal, but nevertheless utilizing typical themes.
Making your own font or modifying the appearance of a font significantly to suit your brand image, is the best way to design an original and powerful logo. If the design of typography and graphic design are not something that you have a background, it is advisable to study fundamental typographic concepts prior to working to create custom fonts or changing existing fonts.
Don't go overboard on color or visual effects
Try to limit yourself to a maximum of four colors. If your logo requires greater than 4 colors, try to limit the colors to only one element of the logo.
In this case, for instance, the NBC logo features an image of a rainbow in their peacock logo, but their font is black. The elements are easy to read independently. The simple colors and the tiniest variety of shapes makes the peacock's element in view even though it has a variety of colors.
If you begin using different colors for each word, your logo starts losing its impression. If you add drop shadows, rainbow gradients as well as glow effects, it becomes chaotic. The effect is certainly original, however it's a bit painful to look at.
Make sure your design can be easily read in all applications
For an ecommerce store it is essential to ensure that your logo looks great and can be accessible on your site, especially on mobile. You'll need to be sure that your logo looks great when printed, is able to translate easily to horizontal as well as vertical layouts, and includes colors that are different for background colors and textures.
Be careful not to distort or squish the aspect ratio of your logo to make it fit into a specific area. The logo can be rearranged elements or make it larger or smaller while maintaining the proportions of its appearance, however expanding or squashing your logo's design will cause it to be less easy to read and less professional.
Use a vector-based design program for creating your logo
There are two different types of images you could create using design software - the raster and vector. Images that are vector-based are created based on mathematical formulas that enable them to scale without losing quality or becoming distorted.
Raster images On the other hand, are made of the same quantity of pixels. Once you scale your image down, you can't scale it back up again without losing image quality or distorting the image in some way.
Since your logo may be used in a variety of contexts and sizes on your marketing material, you'll want to make sure your logo will scale without losing the quality. The use of a vector format lets you edit your logo later easy and allows you to keep the quality of your image regardless of how often you downsize or upsize the logo.
It is recommended to save copies of your logo in a variety of vector (ai pdf, eps, and pdf) file formats, as and export high-resolution raster files (png or tiff), jpg,) and web-optimized lower resolution files such as webp.
Are you interested in knowing more about different logo formats? The Mean Creative has a useful guide.
Logo design software
Looking for the right software to create an awesome logo? There are so many choices out on the market, it's difficult to decide where to start. If you already have some knowledge of graphic design it is possible to utilize a computer or online design software which gives you total freedom in creating your own logo.
If you do not have any design experience it's possible to consider an online program for creating logos. Even if you don't find a solution that's the exact image you're after It could prove to be a good start if you do end up hiring an artist.
If the logo you've created is close to what you're looking for, but still needs a few tweaks, you could get a better price by offering the freelance designer a logo which is 90% of what you want it to be but just needs a few minor modifications.
Online and desktop design software choices
- Pros:Illustrator has become an industry leader in vector design software. Versions for iPad and Desktop are available and it's feature-rich.
- Con:Illustrator uses a subscription-only system, which means you'll have an ongoing monthly cost. The software can come with a significant learning curve, so it's not recommended those who intend to perform a significant amount of graphic design work.
- Advantages:It offers a one-time purchase option as well as an option to subscribe. Additionally, there is a lower-cost version of Corel Vector online software with an initial trial of just 15 days.
- Pros:The one-time purchase price exceeds $500. The online vector software is a subscription only. Like Illustrator it is a learning curve that is a bit daunting for beginners. In addition it is worth noting that the CorelDraw iPad app has an average 1 1/2-star score in the Apple App Store.
- Pros: Canva includes a free account option so you can create a logo and others designs for free. Canva also has a logo generator if you find you're not happy with the design you've created. Canva is an incredibly loved and popular design software that simplifies the process for both non-designers and creative pros, so you can rest assured it's well-supported with ongoing updates and additional innovative features. Additionally, it offers free access to some of the stock images of Getty and other stock content suppliers.
- Cons: Premium content and features are gated for users that have pay-per-use accounts. The software is online-only. The search feature of stock images, particularly it's a bit clunky and may be challenging to pinpoint precisely what you're looking for.
- Pros: Vectr is a easy, no-cost vector design program that's easy to use.
- Pros:It's online only and is perhaps not enough easy, based on what kind of design work you want to accomplish. It also runs ads within the program, which could be annoying.
Online logo creators
In addition to Canva's options for creating logos that we mentioned earlier There's also an online program which is focused on only automatic logo design.
The Looka as well as Smashing Logo Both offer low-cost automatic logo design services. You can create for free as many logos as you'd like. However, should you wish to download the vector files and brand packages then you'll have to pay for one of their premium tiers.
Logo creation software online can be a great option to locate an appropriate logo to do what you want at a low costs, however you're necessarily guaranteed to get exactly the design you're looking for. Because these platforms can be used for free They can at the very least assist you in thinking about the direction of your design, think about what you do and don't prefer, and then present that idea to a graphic designer or an agency for a beginning place.
Outsourcing logo design
Not interested in designing your own logo, or creating iterations with the logo creator program? Sometimes it's just best to hire a professional from the get-go.
Employing a designer who is a freelancer or an agency to design the logo for your business is an investment that will benefit the future of your business. Designers with experience will provide ideas that you would not otherwise have considered. They can handle creating all necessary design versions and file types.
However, it's also important to be aware of the possible risks associated with outsourcing logo design. You want to make sure that you choose a professional with experience designing logos for brands within your field, who has received good reviews from previous clients, and who will stay within the budget you have set.
Some people have good success hiring freelancers through online marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork. Other people prefer to work with someone who is local or who has been recommended through a friend and/or colleague or the the local chamber of commerce. These are all an acceptable option when looking for a designer to work with.
If you're a customer, you'll be required to ensure that you're prepared to collaborate with a professional. It is important to conduct some research on logos you like, think about the goals you'd like to accomplish with your logo, and clearly communicate your needs.
Designers are most effective when they have both clear parameters and some flexible design ideas. If you're not flexible enough in the way you'd like your logo to look like or if your design is too abstract this could result in an unsatisfactory logo. the expectations you have set.
Ultimately, creating your logo together with a graphic designer is a dialogue, and you may go back and forth a few times over sketches before you arrive at a design that's just right.
Put your logo to work
If you've got some logo design tips to look up, it's time to create and putting your logo to use. Look up other logos. Come up with a brand color scheme and general aesthetic idea.
Then, decide whether you would like to design your logo on your own, employ a logo creation software or work with a professional designer. Once you have a logo that you like, ensure that you've got the correct files for both web and printing, and then start to implement it across your website, social media, advertising channels and even products.
It's also recommended to examine your logo thoroughly and pass it by reliable sources before it goes live. Be aware that your logo serves as an image of the company you work for. It's possible that you won't reach a majority of opinion on whether your logo of choice is excellent design, however you can at least prevent any glaring problems that would make it into blog posts on the worst logo designs ever.
Logo design may seem daunting, but through careful planning, thorough research and the best designers or tools for design You can design stunning, memorable logos that represents your brand and inspires trust and loyalty in your customers.