Your logo is not your business. But it is often the first thing a customer sees: on your truck, your Google profile, your website and your invoices. Before anyone reads a review or hears your pitch, they have already formed an opinion.
Here are seven signs your brand might be costing you business.
1. It looks like it was made in 2009
Gradients, drop shadows, clip art and fonts that were popular fifteen years ago make a business look out of date. Customers quietly assume your equipment, methods and prices are out of date too.
2. It was made for free or in a hurry
A lot of businesses start with a logo a friend made or something built in five minutes online. That is fine to get started. It is not fine when you are trying to win bigger jobs or charge premium prices.
3. It does not work small
Your logo shows up as a tiny circle on Google, Facebook and Instagram. If it has thin lines, lots of small text or a long name crammed in, it turns into a blur. A good brand has an icon version that still reads at a glance.
4. You only have a blurry JPG
If the printer, sign shop or wrap company keeps asking for a vector file and you do not have one, you do not really own your logo in a usable way. You should have vector files, transparent PNGs and a version for dark and light backgrounds.
5. Nothing matches
The truck is blue, the website is green, the Facebook cover is red and the business cards use three different fonts. Inconsistency makes a business look disorganized. One set of colors and fonts used everywhere makes you look established.
6. Your business has changed
Maybe you started as a one person operation and now run three crews. Maybe you added services or moved upmarket. If your brand still looks like the business you were five years ago, it is underselling the one you are now.
7. You look just like your competitors
If every roofer in your area uses a red roof icon and a blue font, and so do you, nobody remembers which one you are. A distinct look makes you easier to recognize and easier to refer.
Refresh or full rebrand?
Not every business needs to start over. If your name and logo have good recognition, a refresh can modernize the look while keeping what people know. If the brand is actively hurting you, a full rebrand might be worth it.
What a rebrand should include
- A primary logo plus an icon and one color versions
- A color palette and font system
- A simple brand guide so everything stays consistent
- Every file format: vector for print and signs, PNG for web, social profile sizes
- The new look rolled out to your website, Google profile, social accounts and ads
That last part is where most rebrands fall apart. A new logo that only lives on your business cards does not change much. The payoff comes when every place a customer sees you looks like the same premium company.
We design logos and brand kits for St. Louis and Metro East businesses, then roll them out across your site and marketing. See our branding and logo design service.
