Your logo is often the first thing people notice about your business. It appears on your website, social media, signage, vans, packaging and business cards, and over time it becomes the face your customers recognise.
So when you decide it’s time for a change, it’s worth taking a step back first. A well-planned logo update can make your business look fresher and more professional. A rushed one can confuse your customers and undo years of brand recognition.
Before you make any changes, ask yourself these three questions.
1. How Long Have You Had Your Current Logo?
If you’ve used your current logo for years and your customers recognise you by it, take this into account when making changes. Avoid altering it so drastically that customers no longer connect it with your business. Small, subtle changes can enhance your established identity rather than erase it.
Most companies update and streamline their logos over the years. Google, Mastercard and Starbucks have all simplified their logos, but each one kept the core elements their customers already knew. Successful businesses rarely go overboard. They start with subtle changes and build from there.
Keep this in mind from the start. When it comes to logo changes, less is often more.
2. What Changes Should You Make to Your Logo?
If you’re merging with another company, it’s understandable that your logo might become a combination of the two. Otherwise, sticking with subtle changes is usually the best route.
For example, if you want to modernise your logo, simplifying any fussy details and switching to a clean, legible font are two steps in the right direction. You could also adjust your colours, making them slightly lighter, darker or brighter, to give your logo a fresh look without straying too far from your starting point.
Make sure your updated logo works at every size, too. It should look just as clear as a tiny social media profile picture or website icon as it does on a shopfront sign or the side of a van.
3. Can You Match Your Logo to Your Type of Business?
An Irish gift and souvenir shop might use the colours of the Irish flag, green, white and orange, in its logo, or include a recognisable symbol like a shamrock or a Celtic knot. But depending on your type of business, this isn’t always possible.
What would an architecture firm or an accountancy practice use? A few images may spring to mind, but it goes without saying that not every industry has a simple symbol to match it.
If that’s the case for your business, consider a professionally designed, stylised version of your business name as your logo. Many of the world’s best-known brands use a wordmark logo, and a strong, well-chosen font can say a lot about your business on its own.
Get Your Logo Right
Changing your logo is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be a risky one. Think about how established your current logo is, make thoughtful changes rather than drastic ones, and choose a design that suits your business. That way, you can refresh your brand without losing the recognition you’ve worked hard to build.
If you’re thinking about updating your logo or your wider branding, get in touch with Whelan Web Design. We’re a Waterford-based branding and web design agency helping businesses across Ireland, and we can help with every part of your online presence, including logo design, responsive websites and digital marketing.
