Customize Your Header Logo to Build Brand Recognition
written by Anthony Dinh
After hours upon hours of browsing the internet and googling for just the right Wordpress theme, I finally settled on one. I downloaded it and was pretty pleased with the 3-colum layout, its adsense and widget ready capabilities, its ease of navigation, as well as its pleasing color scheme which was easy on the eyes. Still, something seemed to be missing…aha! It was the header! The template was lacking a header logo which made it look very, well, for lack of better words, “amateur”! It had a very pre-canned, out of the box ready feel to it, and I had to do something about it. I wanted readers to eventually be able to associate my logo with the Diaries Of A Blogger brand just from the logo itself.
So, the search was on again, but this time, it was for a logo that would represent my brand. I burned through a couple more hours looking for something that spoke to me, and by now it was almost 2am, so I decided to retire for the night and continue searching in the morning.
It was Sunday morning and I usually sleep in late on weekends, but I got up at 8am, too excited with ideas running through my mind to sleep. I plopped down on the couch with my laptop and started to brainstorm, then it hit me. Since I can’t seem to find anything that I like to use for my logo, why not make my own? That thought was quickly denounced as I remembered how limited my art skills were, not to mention I didn’t have any quality graphics programs like Photoshop at my disposal. I drudged on using whatever crude resources I had at my fingertips (Word, Paint, etc.), and came up with this.
Ok, now we’re getting somewhere. Nothing too dramatic, just plain and simple, but it gets the job done. I uploaded the image and refreshed the page, and voila! I was quite happy with my work, so I decided that it was time to grab some breakfast. About a week later, while researching for SEO methodolies and reputable affiliate programs, I came across a few sites that had visually appealing headers which caught my attention. Johncow.com, TheUniversityKid.com and TylerCruz.com all had something in common which I liked - they were all cartoony in nature. Their headers made mine look plain and absolutely pitiful, and no longer was I pleased with my artwork.
Once again, I perused the web looking for reputable graphics designers and after debating between a few that I liked most, I decided on FreshMeatDesign.com.
They specialize in logos, banners, caricatures and mascots, and their portfolio is rather impressive. I immediately placed an order and received a rough sketch for proof of concept the very next day…these guys are fast! The package I purchased included 3 unique design concepts, unlimited changes and direct chat with the designer. I’ve been swapping ideas back and forth with my designer, Randy Ariestoteles, and now I’m waiting for my final revision. Next time you stop by, hopefully you will be looking at my new logo! I won’t spoil the surprise, but in case you don’t quite get the connection, it’s related to my tagline, “A Newbie’s Journey to Making Money Online”.
If you’re looking for a customized header logo, I suggest you head on over to FreshMeatDesign.com, they do quality work at a reasonable price. For more information on how to modify your header logo, check out this post at ShifterTheme.
** Find this post useful or entertaining? Then please consider subscribing to my full RSS feed or have new posts sent directly to your to email. **
Related Posts
Comments
5 Comments
»
Trackback responses to this post
-
Subscribe
-
Sponsors
It is not a necessity for a nice blog header to create branding.
Some bloggers make it big even without a proper header. It’s the content and how the blogger brand him or herself.
hello, welcome to my blog, and i appreciate you taking the time to comment.
you’re correct, it is NOT necessary to have a header logo to create branding. branding strategy can encompass other aspects of a blog such as the domain name, your tagline, etc., the logo is just one of them. however, having a logo that people can immediately associate with your brand is quite powerful as well. think about all the logos you see around you on a daily basis (nike swoosh, mcdonalds gold arches, nfl team logos, etc.). you can look at those logos and immediately associate them with their brand without any words needed, and this was my intention here, to achieve brand recognition thru my logo.
You get what you pay for, http://www.sosfactory.com is more spensive than others but its worth.
wow, great designs!