Designing a logo is a significant milestone for any small business owner. The logo is the symbol that will be used to identify your brand to the world, after all. To say it will become an important part of your small business is an understatement. The good news is that in today’s marketplace, there are plenty of tools available online that can design a small business logo in seconds, and it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Even better, some logo tools provide services for free, and the logos are customizable, high quality and eye-catching too.
What Makes an Attention-Grabbing Small Business Logo?
Before jumping into an online logo design tool for your small business, put some thought and research into what you want. While a logo can be designed with minimal effort using some of the tools listed here, you’ll still want to go into the process with an idea of the type of logo you want and what is successful in your field. Some planning tips:
Check out the competition. Find your competitors and analyze their logos. What do you love about their logos and what about those logos do you think contributes to the brand's success or takes away from it? Don’t copy your competitors, but use this market research as a way to find out what’s working in your industry and what falls flat.
Dream big. An iconic logo lives beyond the business itself. Think of those logos that have achieved iconic status, like Apple, Google, McDonald’s and Nike. Which logos have you been drawn to over the years? Ask yourself what you love about these logos and think of the ways you might want to include something iconic in your own logo.
Keep it simple. If your small business offers a complicated service or has a long name, consider ways you may want to simplify that in your logo. For example, if your small business is named after you and you have a long or easily misspelled name, consider using your initials in your logo.
Come up with a tagline. Some online logo generators ask for a tagline. Brainstorming a tagline could be a fun exercise to really focus on what makes your small business unique and how you want to convey that in a logo. You may not actually end up using your tagline in your logo, but the exercise will help you focus your small business logo ideas and give you a clearer picture of what you’d like to convey in your logo.
Make it relevant. Even after dreaming big about your logo design, you’ll need to keep your small business logo relevant. It can be a bold logo, but it still needs to pertain to what you do. Many of the online logo design tools ask you questions about your industry to help you narrow down images to include in a logo. If you love flowers and floral imagery but have an accounting business, you shouldn’t include an image of a rose, no matter how pretty it is. Stick with an abacus.
Colors matter. When it comes to how to make a catchy business logo, colors matter. Some colors are associated with different feelings and themes than others. Green is often chosen because it is associated with nature and prosperity, while red is a bold, high-energy choice.
Do a little research into the colors of logos and think about the feelings you want to convey with your logo colors before designing your small business logo.
How Do You Make a Logo in Seconds?
Now that we’ve dug into the questions you’ll want to answer before designing your small business logo, you’re ready to jump into the design process. There are seemingly endless online logo generators for small businesses. We’ve checked out some of the more popular online logo makers here to narrow down the research for you.
Looka
Looka is very simple to use and can generate a relevant logo without asking too much of you. You choose from a selection of logo images, shapes and colors and the Looka algorithm will do the rest. The app will generate a logo for your small business within seconds. You can download a PNG logo file for $20 or upgrade for a full suite of files.
Logogenie
Logogenie asks you a few very simple, straightforward questions and provides a logo for your small business within seconds. This option relies on bolder colors and icons, so if you are looking for something more sleek or stylish, you might want to go elsewhere. There are limited questions asked but many logos are generated, so this is great if you want to choose something quickly and don’t have a preference for your logo yet. Plus, it’s really free — no strings attached.
Placeit
Placeit can give you logo options super quickly. You only have to enter your company name and industry before you will see your logo options. If you’re in a rush to get your small business logo out there, this might be an option for you. Placeit also offers a nice option for merch and business cards and signage.
Canva
Canva offers the option to choose from template logos or to use their easy design interface to drag and drop design features in templates to create your own logo. This is not as easy as some of the other apps, but if you are interested in having the ability to really customize your logo, this could be the right pick for you.
Designhill
Designhill is not free, but it can create a logo for you within seconds. The app asks you to choose logos you like as inspiration. Then it asks you to choose icons and pairs the icons with nice typography. You can also choose a word-based logo option.
Fiverr
Fiverr is known for its network of freelance designers and its logo templates have been designed by Fiverr designers rather than AI. You can choose a fixed-price logo template available to customize with your small business name and download it within seconds.
Namecheap
Namecheap is one of the options that will actually give you a logo for free in seconds. You do not need to subscribe to download a free logo. The logo generator is relatively straightforward and the results are simple.
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands is a higher-end logo design tool with a slightly higher price point. You enter your company name, industry and decide if you want to use an icon, text or initial-based logo. You have the option to choose preferences before the app designs your logo for you in seconds.
Brandmark
The logo design process is really simple to use, so this option is great for anyone who is intimidated by designing a logo for their small business. You simply choose some keywords and color schemes and then voila!
Small Business Logo Design Options
|
Name |
Available in seconds? |
Free download available? |
What’s the actual price? |
Can it be customized? |
|
Fiverr |
Yes |
No |
$30 for PNG/$60 for professional files |
Yes, minimally |
|
Looka |
Yes |
No |
$20 for PNG/$65 for full suite of files |
Yes |
|
Placeit |
Yes |
No |
$39.95 |
Yes |
|
Brandmark |
Yes |
No |
$25 |
Only with an upgrade ($65) |
|
Canva |
Yes (maybe minutes) |
Yes |
Free |
Yes |
|
Designhill |
Yes |
No |
$20 for low-res file/$65 for professional files |
Yes, after purchase |
|
Namecheap |
Yes |
Yes |
Free |
Yes |
|
Tailor Brands |
Yes |
No |
$3.99/month for JPEG files $9.99 for vector files |
Yes |
|
Logogenie |
Yes |
Yes |
Free |
Yes |
Whether you have a clear picture of the logo you want for your small business or need some guidance, have a large budget or want to spend nothing, there are online tools and options out there to support your small business. Take advantage of these tools to get started designing a catchy logo for your small business.
Nicole Bowman
Nicole Bowman is a freelance writer who thinks turning research into stories is the best gig ever. She started writing billboards back in 2002, worked in book publishing in New York for many years and now she creates all sorts of engaging content for the web. Nicole lives in Rehoboth Beach, DE, with her husband, two sons and their poodle, Tootsie. She loves the great outdoors, bookstores and tennis.
