Are you a business owner, small or large? Do you often wonder if you should hire a professional to help with your business branding? There are plenty of free resources online that let you or a friend design all of your own products, including logos and websites, so why not forgo the professional and do it yourself?
As opposed to what many online bloggers tell you, DIY business branding is often very unsuccessful. Why? Well, unless you have a solid understanding and experience in design, chances are that you won’t actually know how to make your website look professional. Sure, you could do your own logo for free, but do you have the proper files of your logo to use on your website, or on printed material? Will it look pixel-y and laughable? Do you have the necessary ability to create an appealing logo? What about your business’s website? Do you understand visual hierarchy in order to make your website easy on the eyes and easy to navigate? If you went to a business’s website and could not find your way around the page, or if it were unappealing to the eye, would you still be inclined to use their services?
Probably not, and here is why:
- “Free” websites often have a similar layout, a tell-tale sign that it was free.
- If a client goes to your website and notices a lack of professionalism, they will be apt to look elsewhere for services.
- If you choose to DIY with your logo and other business branding (such as web banners, fliers, letterheads etc.) and you did not use the proper files, your promotional material might be for naught. Would you trust a business that could not format his/her logo correctly?
Maybe you are a business owner and graphic designer, in which case, congratulations, you do not need to hire another professional! But unless you are absolutely certain of your creative and technical abilities to create a website and proper branding for your business, it would benefit you tremendously to hire a graphic designer, lest you be caught with a generic-looking website and a wonky low res logo.