How to Choose an Online Custom Logo Design Company

There are many things to consider before you go ahead and choose an online custom logo design company to create your business logo. In this article we have set out some of the main criteria that you can use to rate design firms against each other to attempt to find the one that offers the best value and is best suited to your needs.

Reputation

These days it is easy for anyone to pretend to be an established business on the Internet. For this reason you should try to learn something about a company before you deal with them. What country are they operating from? Do they look like a solid web based business or somebody running a short-term scam? Are they endorsed by any reliable sources? They should at least have an address and a phone number on their website for you to contact them.

Trademark Issues for Logo Design

When you are dealing with online custom logo providers you should also take into account the country where they are based due to trademark issues that may arise. Custom logo design firms are obligated to ensure that they provide you with an original work that is not infringing on the trademarks of any other company or individual. In the case that they fail in this obligation and you are sued for copyright infringement then you may be able to in turn sue your logo provider. However, this may not be possible if your logo provider is not based in the same country as you.

Initial Concepts

An initial concept is an initial idea or proposal from your logo designer about how your logo could look. Most companies will offer you more than one initial concept. You should make sure that these concepts are all distinctly different and that ‘three concepts’ doesn’t just mean three versions of the same logo using different colors or fonts.

Some companies offer packages that include more than one designer working on your project and this can be a great way to get different perspectives and some more diverse concepts.

Revision Rounds

Once your designer emails you the initial concepts you can then choose the one that you like the most and request that the designer make changes to it to refine it and improve on the overall look. If you are working with a professional then you should really trust their opinion and only request changes where you feel that they are absolutely necessary.

You should confirm the number of revisions that are allowed under your package. Custom logo companies usually give customers at least one or two chances to comment on the concepts that they have proposed and to have them adjusted.

Logo Re-Draws

You should note that a redraw is different from a revision. A redraw is when a designer completely scraps a concept and starts again from scratch, whereas for a revision the logo concept is kept and only adjusted. Some companies offer to redraw logos if you are not satisfied with their concepts while other companies only offer revisions.

Satisfaction and Money Back Guarantees

Make sure that you confirm exactly what money back and satisfaction guarantees the logo company offers in case you are really unsatisfied with their results. Look for companies with strong guarantees and try to take note of what stages of the design process you are able to claim the guarantee.

Some companies are quite vague with their guarantees or offer a satisfaction guarantee only. Satisfaction guarantees usually mean that they will keep doing revisions until you are satisfied or that they will keep doing redraws until you are satisfied.

Reading the fine print or the terms of service on their websites is sometimes the only way to be sure of a logo design company’s policies.

Delivery Times

Delivery time for the first concepts with most logo design companies is between one and five business days. Most companies specify this on their websites and you should ask them to clarify this if it is not made clear. Many of them offer you the chance to pay a little extra to have your concepts delivered faster.

What logo design firms are often unclear about is the time it takes to do revisions or redraws. If you need your logo promptly you should confirm exactly how long it will take, allowing for the full number of redraws and revisions specified in the logo package you are considering purchasing.

Your Logo Company’s Portfolio and Design Experience

Most  custom logo design firms have portfolios of completed logos on their websites that you can look through to get an idea of the quality of their work. You should study these samples carefully and check that they have experience doing design work for a variety of industries and companies. Try to confirm that the logos featured on their site are for real companies and are not just ‘mock ups’. If you are not satisfied with the work on their website don’t hesitate to ask them to email more samples of work that they have done for companies in your industry.

Some companies retain the right to display your logo in their company’s design portfolio. They will probably waive this right though if you insist. However, being featured on their website is not a bad thing as it means that they will try their best with your logo if it is to be used for showcasing their design work.

One of the best ways to judge a company’s design ability is by examining their website. Is their website design unique, well designed and easy to navigate? If they did a poor job with their site then chances are that they’ll do a poor job with your logo design as well.

While some people consider doing business over the Internet to be risky, it really doesn’t have to be at all if you do your research. Buying a logo online can be quite a simple procedure and it offers a much cheaper option than meeting with designers face to face.

Visit our homepage and discover why we rated The Logo Company as our most highly recommended online custom logo design firm.