Have you ever seen a business with a logo that looks like it was created by a third grader and turned away from the business without a second look?

Even if you decided to give the place a try, that logo surely ruined your first impression of the business. More importantly, if you even remember the business it is unlikely to be for good reasons.

Your businesses logo is an investment in first impressions with your customers. At a glance, your customer will classify you and your business as high-quality or sloppy, professional or armature, organized or cluttered, clear or confusing. The shame is that a professional logo only requires a little extra effort and attention to the five main components: memorability, describability, printability, scalability, and relevance.

Memorable

One of the most important goals of any good logo is to make an impression on your customers. A good logo design will be memorable so customers will know where to return and to send referrals. One great, and very memorable, logo is the one designed by Google for their Android phones.

Describable

Sticking with the Android logo, ask yourself, can you describe it? One look and you immediately know if a product is associated with the Android operating system. This logo has does so well that it has inspired spin off products. This is a sign of a very memorable and describable logo.

Color or Black and White

Today, the cost of printing in color vs black and white is relatively little. However, people still print in black and white to save ink and cut costs on drafts. Furthermore, your business may be involved with other companies and organizations which may require a muted version of your logo for joint promotions and low-cost copies. Take a lesson from the marketing geniuses at Apple and make sure your logo design looks just a great in black and white as it does in color.

Scalable

You may think that your logo will only appear on your website and business cards, but your needs may change over time. Using the proper file formats will ensure that your logo is scalable as your needs change. This includes creating a favicon for your website or putting up your first company billboard. Your logo should provide consistency across all your marketing efforts.

Relevant

One look at a relevant logo can give your customers an inside look at your business, its products/services, and the culture of your company. This will tell a customer if your business is a good fit for their needs or not.

Getting all these thing right on the first attempt will save your business a lot of money in the long run. Once your built a company around a logo, it takes a lot of work to change all your publication and inform your customers of a new logo.

Changing a logo is almost a difficult as changing the name of your company. This is because the goal of a logo is to provide an easily identifiable icon to draw the attention of your customers. Many years of marketing expenditures are often required to change a logo that should never have been used. Starting with a great logo design ensures you will not have this problem.

Are you getting a logo for your business? Use DesignQuote and compare eight free proposals on logo design from professional designers around the world. DesignQuote represents over 50,000 professional designers and has helped thousands of clients find the perfect web designer or graphic designer for their project. If you are looking to make a budget, try the free logo design cost calculator or read more about the cost of logo design.