Reynolds Group Blog

Every website design starts with the company’s logo. The logo dictates the graphics, colors and fonts of the website. It is the cornerstone of every page and must communicate who you are and what you do quickly. Most websites have the logo in the upper left hand corner of every page because that is where the eye begins scanning a page.

Wikipedia defines a logo as follows:

A logo (Greek- logotipos) is a graphical element, (Ideogram, symbol, emblem, icon, sign) that, together with its logotype (a uniquely set and arranged typeface) form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo’s design is for immediate recognition, inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and an implied superiority. The logo is one aspect of a company’s commercial brand, or economic entity, and its shapes, colors, fonts, and images usually are different from others in a similar market. Logos are also used to identify organizations and other, non-commercial entities.

Most business logos were not designed with the internet in mind. They were designed to look attractive and print well on calling cards, letterhead, catalogs and brochures. These logos don’t always translate well to a computer monitor. The wrong logo looks dull and can take up to much space on the screen. In short, the wrong logo will lessen the impact of the entire website.

Before you start designing a new website, it may be a good idea to have your logo either “freshened up” or redone to maximize the effect of your website. The cost of a new logo can range from $150 to $2,500. There are advantages to either depending upon your overall marketing plan and budget.

Here is a list of things to wrap-your-head-around when you are building a new website: 

The words that build trust and guide your organization

• What is your organization mission? What do you do, in 3 sentences or less.
• What is your organization vision? In a perfect world this is how you will perform.
• What are your core values? How will you act under pressure in the most extreme business conditions?

Your goals for a website

• What is your sales or marketing strategy?
• What are the 5 most important ideas, services, or products to your organization?
• What markets do you serve?
• What applications do you have in those markets?
• How do your products fit into those applications?
• What geographic area do you serve?
• What words do you think prospects use to find you?

The visitor’s goals for your website

•  Name the right customers for your business - occupation, knowledge, background, interest, and level of decision-making ability – categorize them.
• What is each visitor categorys’ goal when they visit the website?
• Identify the most frequently use Google search terms visitors use to find your business, product, or service.
• What is the ideal sales presentation to each category that matches the correct product/service to visitors needs?

More thoughts

• What is the end game of your website? What call-to-action do you want to express?
• Is your phone number easy to find?
• Everyone process information differently. Does the website have 3-5 ways to get to critical information (pictures, text, links, feature boxes, info-buckets, etc.)?
• Can a power user get right to the information they want in one step?
• Is your website an effective silent salesman with easy “step-skipping” links
• What is your marketing “add-on” strategy for each product?
• Content is king in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Include information that makes you look bigger and/or demonstrate industry leadership
• Successful Websites are a balance between SEO, graphic design, content, and ease-of-use which in sum maximize an internet strategy’s results.

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