Logo Design Tips For Your E-Commerce Store
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Often, the first thing you notice about someone is their smile. It’s also what you remember about someone with an especially beautiful smile.
A logo acts as the smile of your online store. It’s the first image people see, and the thing that people are most likely to remember about your brand. To make a great first impression and ensure you are easily recognisable to your customers, you need an awesome logo to win them over.
Bonus Read: Ecommerce 101: Branding For Beginners
Why are logos so important?
Image matters - especially in the ecommerce world. Your visual representation is what distinguishes you from all those other online stores, and having a recognisable brand identity sets you apart from the average ecommerce store. You can read more about brand identity here.
A logo is the most important element of your visual identity. It determines your appearance online and connects you to your shoppers in three ways:
1. It Creates Consistency
You should be branding all your online and offline content, and your logo is your most powerful weapon. Many people remember visuals, and colours and images stick more than text. Having your logo present on your website, your business cards, in your communications and on your packaging adds credibility to your brand. Creating a consistent identity shows professionalism and reliability.
2. It Makes you Memorable
Once customers have seen your logo a couple of times, they’ll start to remember you by this image. Not only is your brand now more memorable, but there’s also a possibility that these visitors will turn into loyal, returning customers. Next time they’re on the hunt for something your business offers, there’s a good chance your logo will spring to mind.
3. It Develops Trust
Once you’ve built a memorable logo and brand identity, people will start to trust your brand. Consistency creates a feeling of familiarity and makes your business appear more professional. By consistently delivering value to your customers, they will begin to associate your logo with a reliable, high-quality brand. As a result, they are likely to give you great reviews and recommend you to their friends and family. This is an excellent way to establish a base of trust with new customers visiting your online store.
Logo Design Tips
Designing a logo that suits your brand, values and image is not an easy task. It’s not quite as simple as drawing a circle and pasting your company name smack-bang in the middle. There’s so much more involved in creating a powerful logo for your ecommerce store.
The Importance of Doing Research
Before diving into the design process, it’s important to conduct research in order to understand which logos work and why. Without any direction or inspiration, it’s hard to create a logo that represents your brand and makes you memorable. You can avoid the painful trial and error process by doing your research and learning from other brands’ experiences. This will save you a lot of time and money. Research the following areas in preparation for your logo design process:
- Recent design trends
- Common practices in your industry
- The taste of your target customers
- The meaning and power of different design elements such as colours, shapes, negative space etc.
Understanding the elements of logo design will set you up for the creative process, provide clarity of what sort of logo suits your brand and product offering, and ensures that you are happy with the outcome of the design process.
Logo Design Basics
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to creating a powerful logo. And there shouldn’t be. You should have a unique logo that represents your store and brand values. Nevertheless, there are a few basic design elements that you can use as guidelines in the process of finding your ideal logo.
Less is usually more
Most successful logos are simple, text-based representations of a brand. Refrain from incorporating too many different elements and making your logo more complex than it needs to be. Easy, clear designs are more memorable and keep your brand professional.
Condor has kept it very simple, using only the name of their brand in a bold font. But it works. Condor has emerged as a successful bike seller, providing quality bike frames and everything that goes with it. Their logo represents their no-fuss, forward approach. If you think about it - doesn’t the font remind you of a speedy bike quickly racing ahead?
Similar to Condor’s clean design is the logo of CA Modern Home, a luxury furniture seller. The logo represents the simple, luxurious design of their furniture. They’re keeping it classy, starting with their logo.
Make it Mobile
Many shoppers nowadays will access your online store using a phone, so make sure that your visual brand identity is optimised for mobile phones. Ensure that your logo is scalable and looks good on a mobile screen.
Show off Your USP
Use your logo as a way of showing your visitors the value you can create for them. Add a tagline or image that represents your unique selling point and what products you offer. This way, you can use your logo to position yourself in your niche market, and set yourself apart from the competition. Start with the most sellable element of your brand and create a powerful logo around that.
Herschel’s backpacks are known for their durability and longevity. This is their unique selling point - and they certainly incorporate this into their logo. The design is similar to that of a quality stamp and makes a point of communicating Herschel’s brand values, citing the words “finest quality” and “trademark”.
Press’s logo instantly gives us an idea of what their products are all about. The healthy juices list the ingredients on their bottles - in the same way the letter ‘E’ in the logo is formed using three horizontal lines. The use of the droplet further communicates their brand values. Press’ logo very clearly represents their USP.
Using Images
Images can be a powerful element in logo design, but they should be used with caution. Keeping them minimal is essential so that they don’t outshine the company name - the exception being if your logo is solely an image. No matter what, the image or icon used in your logo design needs to be tied to your offering, whilst also representing your brand identity and USP.
Target Dry uses a simple image of two mountains to accompany their brand name. The icon adds life to the logo, whilst clarifying exactly what purpose the product serves: keeping you dry in the great outdoors.
Vinebox uses an icon of an upside down glass to jazz up their logo. It successfully communicates their brand and it’s sole purpose: shipping handcrafted wine on a monthly basis. Through their approach, they are trying to turn the way we consume our wine ‘upside down’.
Make it Horizontal
As an online ecommerce store, design is all about using space effectively. There is only so much you can put on your website without it looking cluttered. A horizontal logo ensures you get the most bang for your buck. Adding a horizontal logo to the left-hand side of your website serves two purposes:
- It’s the first thing your customers see
- It ensures your visitors can see your products without the need to scroll down too far.
Bremont's logo is simple, clean and successfully conveys their brand identity, not to mention making good use of available space. The line underneath the text represents their signature product: wristbands for watches. The horizontal design of their logo ensures that there is plenty of space to show off their products before a visitor is forced to scroll down.
Never Go Out of Fashion
You might be thinking - “didn’t you just tell me to research current trends so that I’m up with the times and all things cool and hip?” Yes, it’s important to know what’s in vogue. And you can definitely find some inspiration in seasonal designs. But at the same time it’s more important that your logo is a timeless representation of your brand. For the sake of consistency, you don’t want to have to create a new logo every few months because some new design feature is trending and your logo is beginning to look silly.
Dahlia has managed to create a logo that stands the test of time. It is simply their brand name in a cursive, signature-like font. The simple black and white sign off is less likely to go out of fashion, and adds a personal note to the brand.
Tell Your Story
A logo is the visualisation of your brand. It should communicate not only your brand, but also the story behind your products. Tell your customer what makes you special, and why they should be buying your products over anyone else’s. Get creative!
Kutoa is a company with a powerful story, and their logo tells that story. Together, the little picture of two people along with the tagline tell the story of a strong charitable and impact-focussed product. Kutoa health bars not only provide healthy and nutritious snacks for customers, but also donate meals to children and families from marginalised backgrounds that suffer from hunger.
Argent’s logo tells the story behind their products in a more abstract way. Argent sells clothing made for the empowered woman to ‘claim her seat at the table’. With a little imagination, the logo could be interpreted as a person sitting in a chair. At the same time, the logo is timeless, classy and professional - the same values Argent hold true for their clothing designs.
Where can you get a logo for your Online Shop?
Ask a Designer to create your logo
Going through a designer to create a logo for your ecommerce store is a safe bet, but it will cost you. To make sure that your investment is worth it, first check out the online portfolio of different designers. Make sure that they understand what a logo for an ecommerce store means and how to create one that truly symbolises your brand.
Going through a designer is a good idea when you already have an idea of what you want your logo to look like and you’re in need of a professional to bring your idea to fruition. Especially if you want to be able to control the entire process. Working with a designer means that you have control over the entire design process: you can revise the logo as often as you want, and provide your input at any stage of the design journey.
Using a designer to create your logo is not a good idea if you’re pressed for time, money, or if you want to avoid having to revise your logo over and over again. An alternative option is using an online platform to design your logo.
Use an online platform to design a logo
Online platforms are a quick and easy way to design a logo for your ecommerce brand. They’re a great resource that anyone can use to create a logo under time and money constraints. And even if you don’t end up using the logo you designed online, it’s a great way to get some ideas and inspiration.
If you’re in the market for a unique, customised logo, using an online platform might not be the way to go. The majority of platforms offer limited customisations and simple designs - hint: not ideal for creating a unique brand identity! Although the design process may be easy, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good finished product. To create a powerful logo, you still need a good eye for composition.
Online Platform Resources
Shopify has created a fast and simple logo design tool that requires you to input your company name, select an icon, and position the two. Whilst it is a quick process, your editing options are very limited.
This might be the quickest logo creation tool on the Internet: you simply add your text, select an icon, and choose a frame. Voila, your logo is done in under a few minutes.
This online platform works a little different. After entering your company’s name and your business offering/activities, you’ll receive logo suggestions from which you choose. You then have the opportunity to edit your chosen logo and make it a little more unique.
In addition to your company name, this online platform also takes into consideration your best practices when designing a logo. It is customisable to a certain extent, meaning you can incorporate your own flair and brand identity into your logo.
Fiverr
If you’d rather not design your own logo and you’d prefer not to hire an expensive designer, there is an in-between. Fiverr is an online platform where you can find creatives that can design a logo for you. You can choose from the following criteria:
- Delivery time: 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, no deadline
- Price range: $5-25, $30-100, $105+
- Style: For example, versatile, minimalist, retro, hand-drawn etc.
Some designers will allow for multiple revisions so that you have some input in creating the logo. And the best thing? You can see how previous customers have rated designers and their work.
Adding the finishing touches: Favicons
Favicons are little icons that are associated with a particular website. Often, a brand's favicon and logo are the same, which helps to create a consistent brand identity. Favicons aren’t necessary for the survival of your business or success of your brand, but they are a nice to have. Little touches such as favicons can help you go that extra mile.
Favicons are usually displayed in three different places:
- your website’s URL in the address bar
- next to your website’s name in the bookmark register
- next to your website’s name in the browser tab
Favicons are the final step in creating an online shop with a strong visual brand. When people see the little icon next to your shop’s name, they are reassured that they have come to the right place. It helps them recognise your brand when looking for your website in their list of bookmarks, creating a visual association that makes it easy for them to remember you.
How to Create a Favicon
There are a few things you need to keep in mind when creating a favicon. They are special images ending in an .ico extension. Favicons are sized at 16x16 pixel, so make sure everything you want to show fits into the little square.
Similar to creating logos, there are a few online resources you can use to design a favicon:
What's Next?
Are you in the process of developing an engaging brand idea for your Shopify store? We are here to help! Get in touch with Elkfox and we can support you in making your Shopify store truly unique.