How Much Should You Pay For A Logo?
The question is how much you should pay just for a logo? Answering this question is not very difficult when you know which factors to consider. A normal person has a difficult time knowing how much he should pay someone for designing a logo. Some people think $500 is a reasonable amount, while others will consider this very expensive.
A company that charges you $1000 for a logo may have more experience and knowledge in logo and graphic design. They will (hopefully) spend more time on making your logo a perfect emblem. On the other hand, another designer or company may charge you only $25 for the same specifications but they will most likely only put a fraction of the effort into it. Therefore, cost is hard to nail down. There are actually 4 key factors you should be aware of when it comes to logo design.
Price
This factor is often considered first while going for a logo design. It is fine if you go for a cheap logo design, but think before how much importance a logo can have for your business. Your logo is going to be placed on mediums like stationary, website, promotional material and so on. These marketing collaterals not only introduce your customers to your business, it builds an image about your company through the impression of your logo. Therefore, spending a very low amount may not be reasonable, but spending thousands of dollars also doesn’t make much sense. The better option is to spend in between $100 to $500. You will probably use your logo for at least 10 years, and if you divide cost with the number of months, it only comes out to a few dollars per month. By having these thoughts in mind it is clear that price should not be considered as the major factor among other important aspects.
Level of Service
Service level should be considered on top while selecting a logo design company. It usually depends on the package your selecting. The more you pay the more service options you will get. The service level of a company can be determined by the number of designers who will design your logo, the number of revisions (requests for changes), and the number of initial concepts provided at first round. In addition, money back guarantees are also an important element that should be considered if you don’t like the design or if they don’t deliver your work on time.
Quality of Design
Design quality is one other major factor that determines the worth of your logo. If you are ok with paying $1000, it means you also want to make sure and get the value of your money back in the shape of a great design. To assure the quality of design, you should check out the design portfolio of the company, the testimonials written by the customers, and the experience and knowledge they have about logo design.
Company’s Location
Location of a company provides a great deal of advantages to the business owner(s). If you hire a designer who is located outside your country – for example China or India, it would be nearly impossible for you to take legal action against him/her if you come under the case of trademark infringement.
In short, considering price, hiring a logo designer, and getting the final formats all play an important role in determining how much you will pay for a custom logo design. Besides design, your logo is that element which give your company an identity. It really doesn’t matter how much you pay – if your logo doesn’t attract your target market, all the money you just spent is pretty much wasted. Hence, spend a considerable amount of time searching for a suitable logo design company before hiring one. You’ll be glad you did!
This original article, written exclusively for Blogging Experiment, is from Ben Johnson of Logoinn, custom logo design services based in the UK. Ben was nice enough to not only send this article but a couple ideas for a logo for Blogging Experiment. We’re working on a complete redesign of the site, so it was nice to see someone actually provide relevant content about logo design PLUS provide a personal touch by sending in a couple of ideas for this site. I’ve included the mockups below, so you can see a sample of their work. Coupon Code: Ben has also been nice enough to provide Blogging Experiment readers with a 15% discount by using promo code: MKT-01 at checkout should you decide to hire them to create YOUR custom logo. A big thanks to Ben for the great article and promotion code!
Comments
Play Games Win Prizes May 16th, 2009
If you go to ScriptLance.com , you can hire designers that are VERY skilled for cheap and probably around $20
India designers and excellent and at low rates!
-Mike
Hugo Santos May 16th, 2009
Well, I contracted a designer to do a logo for my blog. I paid $20 and the final result was very good
Btw, it was really nice of Ben to give you 2 logos. Both are excellent.
Kaushik May 16th, 2009
Here’s a question: when is a logo needed? The purpose of a logo is branding (correct me if I’m wrong). Does a blog, or website that offers information and books need a logo? I can see how a business that sells multiple services and products needs one.
Attitude tees May 16th, 2009
An auto repair shop commissioned me to make a logo design for their company, I want to know how much should I charge them for my work. They absolutely like my work and they are also a decent company because their shop is really big and spacious. I was able to finish my work in 1 wk. I am freelancer with 2 years work experience.
Dean Saliba May 16th, 2009
I think it is good to have some companies around who will not charge the Earth for a logo or banner as some of us small bloggers can’t afford to pay very much for one.
How to Make Jungle Juice May 16th, 2009
I used the Logo Company and they charge $150.
They gave me 5 mock ups and unlimited revisions.
I was very happy with them and love my logo.
Webmaster Juice May 17th, 2009
Example KA_2 looks great to me. I like the use of the chemistry flask and the emphasized X to make the brand memorable.
- Andy
Make Money Online May 17th, 2009
Ooh, I love the second. It’s got the experiment concept going for it. Nice, professional and relevant.
Rocket Spanish May 17th, 2009
I’m kind of leaning towards the K1 design for Blogging Experiment, but doesn’t it like an Apple logo for a Microsoft product?
Get3Quotes May 18th, 2009
Quite often you’ll get far better work from the budget one-man operation, as opposed to the agencies that want to really hurt you for a corporate ID. As far as your two options are concerned, I really like option 2, KA2. The use of colour and the image both work for me!
Baby Gifts May 19th, 2009
I think it depends on what your needs are. If you can find a pre-designed logo that you like for under $100, good for you. and Also make sure that the logo company you deal with does not resell logos. Thanks to share it.
Used Tires May 19th, 2009
You definitely do have to be careful of the location you are choosing to hire a company from. Because… I can tell you from my own personal experience. I hired a person from India to do a job for me, he had reputable background, meaning he had already done previous jobs for friends of mine. And when I spoke to him he had a “money back guarantee” if he failed to deliver the service, to the agreed terms, which he did. fail.. and when I told him about the money back guarantee that he had promised he simply ignored it. Why? Because of the location, he was from India… and I am here in the USA, and the money I paid for him to do the service, wasn’t really worth the effort for me to pursue via a suing, etc. to get it back.
Till then,
Jean
door knobs May 22nd, 2009
It really depends on what kind of needs you have for the logo. Probably its good to give not more than $20.
Web Hosting Service May 22nd, 2009
Can some one make me a cool looking logo? I dont care wat style it is or w/e jus as long as the text says “Mid West Sickness” Im not very good with logos and i need help bad lol.
Paul June 1st, 2009
I like the logo service where you put up money and people compete to win it by submitting logos.
CashBack Cards June 9th, 2009
I really should drop $20 – $100 on a logo for my website. I had always thought design work was so expensive. Now these freelance websites seem to be a great place to get quality work at a low price.
writing June 16th, 2009
A logo should be under $300 but don’t pay any less than $100 or it will stink.
gas card June 21st, 2009
Yes I agree with you, spending too much money on a logo is just plain ridiculous. There is no need to dish out thousands of dollars on a logo. I think you offer a good price range to keep in mind $100- 500. Quality of design is very important in my opinion, but there are many reasonably priced service companies that offer a great quality product. As for place of operation, personally I would not do business outside of the US, as you are right it would be difficult to contact them if there is a problem.
-Randy
Fiberglass Pools June 23rd, 2009
I was able to finish my work in 1 wk. I am freelancer with 2 years work experience.
Angel Art June 23rd, 2009
It doesn’t pay as well as you would think. There was a documentary on television a few weeks ago talking about people who have made money by doing this.
writing June 30th, 2009
A logo should never be above $400
Baby Gifts July 7th, 2009
They absolutely like my work and they are also a decent company because their shop is really big and spacious. I was able to finish my work in 1 wk. I am freelancer with 2 years work experience.
paul July 19th, 2009
Anyone design logos for free?
used tires July 21st, 2009
@Paul, the best way to get one for free is to exchange services with someone. I’ve done this before, where my friend did some graphic work for me, and I did some coding work for him. Or if you are lucky… just know someone personally that likes to do logos/graphic work and would do it in their spare time for free, hehe.
Till then,
Jean
Free Memo July 24th, 2009
I couldn’t agree with you more. People are visual. When they think of your business, they’ll think of your logo. If it’s memorable, they’ll think of it often. If it’s not, they might not think of you at all.
I recently re-did my business website, and initially thought I could save by using my old logo. Man was I wrong! The old, dated logo brought the whole site down… I needed a change and fast.
Kyle July 26th, 2009
And sometimes just having a fresh look and image is great inspiration to adding new content, ideas, and “experiments” to your website.
writing August 4th, 2009
The logo can cost as much as a blog redesign.