Create a corporate identity for your company!
Having a corporate identity created for your website, there is a lot involved. In this blog we explain what to look out for!
Having a corporate identity made is a very fun, but especially valuable step in your entrepreneurial journey. You get to work creating your unique corporate identity. This corporate identity represents you in business. Therefore, it is very important that your company has the look that you want to radiate to your target audience and customers. Do you already have your corporate identity in order? Or are you looking for ways to create a corporate identity? In this blog I will help you with this process!
Why have a corporate identity made?
There are many advantages to having a corporate identity created. It gives your company a very professional image. It also ensures that your customers and target audience will immediately recognize your company among the many other competitors. If competitors have no corporate identity, your company stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Recognizability is therefore a very important aspect of a corporate identity, but just as important is that it can attract new leads. When people can identify with your corporate identity, they are more likely to choose to work with you than with a competitor. Therefore, make sure your corporate identity expresses the values that you yourself value. Only then will potential customers be convinced of why they should choose your company and not a competitor.
Create your own corporate identity
Since a corporate identity is so close to yourself, you can of course choose to create your own corporate identity. This way you can be sure that the corporate identity actually suits you as an entrepreneur, if you can manage it of course. It can be quite a challenge to create a professional corporate identity. Fortunately, there are now several tools available online to make this easier for you. Think for example of the logo maker of Wix.
A tip from me as a graphic designer would be to get as much inspiration as possible. For example, create a Pinterest board and pin all the images you find appropriate for your business. It may be that you have the skills to create your own style, but you simply do not have the creativity to create your own design. Then inspiration can ensure that you know exactly which direction you want to take with your corporate identity.
Create a corporate identity
If you feel that you would rather leave the creation of a corporate identity to someone else, you can always choose to outsource the creation of a corporate identity. There are many options available. Nowadays everyone knows someone who is handy with a computer and can put something together for you. The question is whether this will be enough to convince your customers and target group of your company.
Neighbor
There I mention already the first option, the “neighbor”. You can always ask around in your own network if anyone knows someone who can help you with the creation of a logo or corporate identity. If you’re lucky they may already have some portfolio material available, so you can get a good idea of their skills.
Student
If you want to consider a more serious option, you can also look for a student with a graphic design background. Although these students may be just as young as the boy next door, there can be a difference in the skills he or she has already acquired. Fortunately, these students often already have some portfolio material available.
Startup
If you go one step higher, you end up with the startup. A startup in this case is a company that has not long ago started offering graphic services. The people working in the startup most likely have already completed their studies and therefore have more knowledge and experience than the previous two options mentioned. Companies almost always have an extensive portfolio available for you as an entrepreneur.
Agency
You’ll notice that all three options so far are still in the starting blocks of their careers. This may be holding you back as an entrepreneur, because you feel that the people who design corporate identities for your company do not yet have the necessary experience. In that case it is definitely advisable to seriously invest in the future of your company. Often the extra investment in your corporate identity pays for itself threefold in the quality that you receive. So really see it as an investment!
I myself am the owner of such an agency, Maintain Design. I work a lot with (starting) entrepreneurs and notice that they ultimately benefit more from a professional design. Often designers who are just starting out simply don’t know what it takes to create a successful corporate identity. Entrepreneurs notice this in their results, which unfortunately lag behind. In the final chapter of this blog I will share some more knowledge with you about this.
Advertising agency
The last option is also a party that knows what you need as an entrepreneur. You can also choose to have your corporate identity created by an agency. Think of an advertising agency or other graphic (digital) agency. Agencies often have a large team of experienced experts who can help you create a corporate identity. However, the big disadvantage of this option is that they also know the prices well. You’ll receive high quality, but you’ll also absolutely pay the top price for it. If you can afford this, it might be worth the investment, but otherwise it might be wiser to consider one of the earlier options.
What does a good corporate identity meet?
Logo
The core of any corporate identity is the logo. Your logo symbolizes what your company means to you and your customers. A good logo contains a healthy balance between image and text. Only a written word in a font is often not enough to convince your audience. But an icon without text is also not enough. That’s why these two elements need to be well balanced.
Another aspect of a good logo is an appropriate color combination. Color psychology describes the value that each color conveys. Here you can see that the color of the logo can make a serious impact on what your logo radiates to the outside world. Consider therefore what kind of feeling you want to convey to the people who see your logo.
Furthermore, a logo often contains some other graphical elements that you can pull further into your corporate identity. Think of certain (geometric) shapes that give your logo even more depth. You can use these shapes for example on your business card or your website, so it all fits together and makes it recognizable.
A corporate identity in itself is an empty concept and is formed by all the matching graphic products that you have available for your business. In basic terms you can say: the more products, the better. This is why entrepreneurs often expand their corporate identity with printed materials. The most common product for your corporate identity to radiate to your audience is to have a business card made. This contains your logo and business information, so your audience knows how to reach you at any time.
Having a flyer or poster made can be just as important. These printed products, in addition to projecting your corporate identity, have the goal of creating awareness among your target audience. These are often used for marketing purposes, for example to promote a new product, service or action for your company. Here again it is very important that this product reflects your corporate identity, otherwise the people who see this promotional material will not know that the action applies to you.
Website
With all these products reflecting your corporate identity, it is obviously important that the people who see them have a place to go. This causes many entrepreneurs to choose to have a website created. This is actually the place where all your corporate identity products come together. Be sure to read our blog about creating a professional website.
Style agreements
Finally, it’s wise to document all these style agreements in a style sheet or style guide. Both have about the same purpose, only a styleguide is a more extensive guide than the style sheet that often only contains one page. These documents contain all agreements about your corporate identity. Think of your logo, colors, fonts, slogan(s), use of photography, etc.
The big brother of a corporate identity is branding. Where your corporate identity is an important part of branding, branding goes a lot further. Here we look beyond purely graphic elements, namely to the deeper meaning of your business and how you can communicate this to your target audience through all possible channels. This is a nice next step, but for many entrepreneurs having a corporate identity made is a good starting point. Go through this process step by step, take your time and go for it!
