Starting up and keeping a successful business going is no easy feat. From running the financials, to keeping up with client and supplier relations as well as making sure your marketing efforts are working – you’ll always find your hands full. Despite this, many business owners still choose to go the DIY route when it comes to things like their logo, brand identity and website. This could work for a while, but when exactly is the right time to hire a professional?
“Without a working understanding of what good graphic design could do for your business, it can be challenging to actually figure out what designs your business needs and at the same time it can be tempting to go at it alone,” says Emma-Jane Truter, Digital Marketer at Strider Digital, a digital outsourcing agency. “But with visual storytelling being a crucial step in attracting customers to your business and standing out from competitors, the assistance of a graphic designer is something that all business owners should at least consider.”
To help business owners figure out if a graphic designer is indeed what their business needs, Truter has put together a few questions that will help make an informed decision.
- Is your logo a bit generic or is it a little too complicated?
Your company logo is a focal point for your company or brand, and it’s therefore crucial that it incorporates shapes, colours and imagery that not only mean something to you but more importantly capture the interest of your target customer.
“The great thing about a logo,” explains Truter, “is that it is something that can be easily refreshed or upgraded. Something that you designed yourself way back when, can in fact build the foundation for your new and more refined logo – but it’s essential that you get a good graphic designer to bring this to life.”
- Would some describe your brand identity as confusing?
Your brand identity goes hand in hand with your logo but extends to all the visible and tangible elements that you create to showcase your company’s image and ultimately how people see and perceive it.
“Through good brand identity, you can create a connection with your customers and make your company recognisable to them – but only if this is done well,” says Truter.
“One of the biggest issues we see with businesses who choose to run with their own brand identity is the lack of consistency and uniformity. To really set yourself apart from your competition, your brand language needs to be developed and designed in a way that is aligned with the story you want to tell. And this is where a graphic designer comes in.”
- Is managing your website on your own causing you undue stress? Does it really look the way you want it to?
It’s no secret that there are many exceptional website building tools that have made it very easy to get your first website up and running – all on your own. But at some point, you may find the website you built isn’t looking as good or working as well as it used to, and the constant updates are driving you crazy.
“When graphic designers create a website design, they consider visual appeal and easy navigation to ensure that it acts as an effective marketing tool,” says Truter.
Many business owners fill the templates, they buy or download, to the best of their ability, but these can often look messy and lack flow, particularly as more information is added or changed over time. It’s also often the case that the wrong template is selected, resulting in the functionality and purpose of the business not matching up.
“Again, a graphic designer can add immense value when it comes to something as important as your website, particularly when it comes to your user journey – and they can also ensure your website is kept up to date at all times,” concludes Truter.
