Recently, I’ve created and launched a few different websites. It wasn’t long before I started to feel embarrassed by the logos on these sites. Sure, I have Photoshop, well Photoshop Elements, but my design skills just aren’t up to par. The longer I looked at the logos that I created, the more I realized that something had to be done. Is the logo on your blog a source of embarrassment? Does it look like it was designed by someone in grade school? If so, continue reading and I’ll share my experiences on how to get a professional looking logo for your website without spending exorbitant amounts of money. Having an attractive looking logo is an important aspect of creating your blog’s brand.
To start off with, I’ve worked with professional graphic designers in the past. They can literally charge hundreds of dollars for logo design work. If you’re looking for a logo for your business, it just might be worth spending the money for top-notch design work. What if you’re just looking for a logo for your as of yet still non-revenue generating blog? Do you really want to shell out a few hundred dollars or more just for a new logo? For most of us, that’s probably more money than you spent on your blog’s template if you purchased one to begin with.
Can’t find an affordable website logo?
Realizing that I needed to find a source of quality logos, I wasn’t actually sure where to start. Naturally, I tried various search terms on Google to see what I could find. For the most part, I either found free logo generating software, or companies that charged around a hundred dollars for some relatively poor-quality designs. If you decide to use a free logo generator, you’ll basically end up with a stock design that’s used on other websites. What’s more is that the end result just won’t look very good. Yet, the companies that rank at the top of Google searches for “cheap logos” still charge a decent amount of money and you probably won’t be happy with the end result.
Looking for a cheap logo design…
On this foray, my next step was to post a thread at Digital Point Forums in the relevant graphics section. One person quickly replied and sent me a very poor quality sample. After I replied, I never heard back from that individual again. Was it something I said? I’ll skip over a few other misadventures in order to get to the point here. What you may not be aware of, is that you can host a logo design contest at Digital Point Forums in the “contest” section. I’ve see other websites that offer logo design contest and the actual cost is far less expensive at DP Forums.
Design Crowd is one such site that lets you host a logo design contest. However, their “economy” package starts at $200 and their first class package is $930. Again, this may be a great option if these prices fit within your budget. On the other hand, you can host a design contest at DP forums starting at just $10!
Tips for hosting a logo design contest.
- Obviously you will have to register an account at the forum and find the “contest” section (Forum/Business/Buy, sell or trade/Contest). You’ll want to look at other logo contests to get an idea of the language used.
- Typically, the contest will state that it closes in “2 days” or whatever time frame you want and that the winner will be paid X amount of dollars. Note, you don’t actually end up paying for designers to submit their entry–only the contest winner gets paid.
- You’ll want to ensure that logo design contest entrants use a Watermark so that the design doesn’t get copied.
- Though you can get responses with a $10 logo design contest, the “sweet spot” for generating quality designs is at $30.00.
- While looking at the other logo contest threads, you’ll likely see designers that produce quality work. Make sure that you personal message them directly and invite them to enter your contest.
- During the contest, ensure that you provide feedback on the designs that are submitted. Don’t panic if the first several designs look hideous, it will get better as the more skilled designers make their submissions.
Two mistakes you shouldn’t make
- Though it’s tempting to skip the contest altogether if you find a designer in another contest thread, don’t do it! I made this mistake and the competition of the contest is essential to getting a good result.
- Once you’ve had one logo designed by a contest winner, stick to using contests instead of using this designer directly. Again, this is a mistake I made. For me, the original design winner was only effective when he had ideas from other contestants that he could play off of and refine. When I used him directly to make a logo, the end result was subpar.
In summary
There are several available options to find an affordable logo for your website. Depending on your budget, two great options are to host a logo design contest either at Design Crowd or Digital Point Forums.
Article by Jarret
Hi, I'm Jarret Morrow. I'm a physician with an interest in alternative health and writing. As a former product formulator, I enjoy writing about nutritional supplements at my personal blog. You can also find my health and fitness tips at the recently launched Hive Health Media website.
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Hi does anyone know of any good logo compitions ?
I tried crowdsourcing for my logo and just didn’t feel confident in the entries. I ended up getting a refund and getting my logo designed by a graphic designer and illustrator friend of mine. I’m very happy with the result. I think with things like small “churn them out” ventures/sites, crowdsourcing is a great way to go. But for building your personal small business and branding yourself as part of it, I think I’d feel more confident going to an individual designer that I can trust.
Liza recently posted..Pulse for iPhone
This is something which i don’t want to outsource, I love to design my own logo. Don’t ask me why?
Shanker Bakshi recently posted..Killer Tools to Secure Your WordPress Dashboard from Hackers
Why?
Nice tips…and contest is always the best way to get your logo design and get lots of logos..For me digital point is a great way to get your logo done..
Harsh Agrawal recently posted..ShoutMeLoud Monthly Income Report September 2010
Twitter: udegbunamchuks
September 6, 2010 at 8:55 am
I’m quite comfortable with the logos I’m creating by myself @ the moment but as soon as the money starts to roll in pretty well, I wouldn’t mind going for something “professional”
Jarret, we ended up doing a logo contest at logo tournament. Some of the artists were really talented and got way deeper into the project than we really even needed. You could really tell that for some of the competitors it was more about their ego and “winning” the contest than it was the money. Overall all we liked the process and would do it again.
Thanks Jarret.. I’ve always found it useful to hold design contests (99designs, etc) to get multiple perspectives and ideas on your new logo. For the cost, it is by far the most efficient way of finding something that you and others will love.
I’m sure you could always put it up on forums as well to get feedback, but you will get mixed feedback on almost anything so sometimes that is not the best method.
Aaron recently posted..blogReaction Introduces Revenue Sharing on Free Blogging Platform
Excellent tips, Jarret. Very timely too. I’ll be looking for someone to help me with a logo shortly.
Retweeting this post as soon as I post this comment. Thanks again for it.
Geno Prussakov recently posted..Affiliate Link Performance Metrics are Misleading
Twitter: Incrediblogger
August 24, 2010 at 6:57 am
Even I’m looking for a logo for my blog. If any designer is here, please get in touch with me. I’m willing to pay around $10-$15 for my logo.
I might finally end up posting a design contest at DP Forum, but I want to find someone from FamousBloggers.
Regards,
Praz.
Prasenjit recently posted..How to Be a Pro Blogger
Every logo I get designed, I get it designed at DigitalPoint forums. I only paid $15 for my site’s logo, and I’m proud of it.
Karan Singhal recently posted..Looking For An Aweber Affiliate – No Strings Attached
Hi,
I always wondered about logos being made from forum contests. I didn’t actually understand them.
Thanks for telling us this method to get logos made.
How do we pay the designers when we start a logo contest?
And how would you compare this method to getting a logo made from freelancing sites like freelancer.com or odesk.com, where people bid on your logo project?
Thanks,
Nabeel
Nabeel, I can only comment on payments for logo contests at DP Forums, since that’s the only type of logo contest that I have experience with. The winner that you select is paid with Paypal after you’re happy with their final design and the contest is over. Only the winner is paid for this type of contest which is how I’ve seen the contest terms setup.
I haven’t tried the other options that you’re suggesting, but they sound like interesting alternatives too.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
How ironic that you would have this article posted considering I am currently looking to make some changes on my blog template and was trying to figure out how to create a header logo for my blog. i tried to take the existing one and make some changes to it but I am not really happy with the results. I have been wondering how to find someone who could help me with designing my template images and this article gave me the start I needed. I definitely bookmarked both sites for future reference. thank you for the info. Goes to you be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. LOL
Charles recently posted..The Famous Bloggers ComLuv contest may be over- but the fun has just begun
Hey Charles, I hope that a logo contest works out with helping you brand your blog.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Thanks. I will get to it later but will definitely try it out.
You’ll lauph at this Jarret, but I had our logo drawn up in another look for $5.00 over at fiverr.com! I guess it doesn’t get any more affordable than that, eh!
Colleen recently posted..Jackson’s Sports Bar and Restaurant Holds Beach BBQ and Street Dance
Hi Colleen,
Yeah, you can’t get a better rate than that. I’ll have to take a look at your logo and see how it worked out.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Twitter: melvinblog
August 20, 2010 at 9:32 am
People always have various opinions about this but as a rule of thumb, if you’re really not seeing your project/website as something profitable in the future or in your desired time frame then just don’t go for expensive logo designs. When I was getting started I frequently hang out with forums like dp and wickedfire to find designers simply because I can’t afford for sites like 99designs or etc.
Eventually as my business gets bigger, I was able to hire those designers on a monthly basis. So right now I have designers that I pay just enough but am enjoying great business relationships with.
Melvin recently posted..How to be Great at Your Affiliate Business with Content
I got my logo by running my own content. I have a techy /web design blog and set up a logo contest for my fitness blog. Got a fantastic entry. The prize? Lifetime advert on the techy blog for the web design company. If you are short on ad space then this won’t work, but I had plenty of room on my sidebar for an extra ad.
Plus the winning company even blogged about it on their site.
Jon recently posted..10 Ways Sugar Harms Your Health
@Jarret Thanks for great guide I may just have to check them out
Logo’s are definitely really important when it comes to developing brand image and even though it can be expensive, in most cases it is really worth it. A logo can say ALOT about a company/site.
ps: this post seemed almost as if it were created to send a link over to designcrowd…
Aj recently posted..Maxi- Business WordPress Theme
Aj, odd that you would make that comment. I’ve personally never used Design Crowd nor do I know anyone associated with that site. It was just something that I came across at some point. The focus of the article was hosting a design contest at Digital Point Forums which is what I myself ended up trying. I only included that since I thought it would be helpful for people looking to spend even more on their logo designs.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Nice, didn’t know it would cost this a lot. I was trying to make my site’s logo myself, but I at the end of the day, I’m disappointed in what I see. Great post! Kudos to you!
Gino Dizon recently posted..Increase Backlinks thru Commenting
I always look for good logo designer… And recently just paid graphic maverick to do logo design for me. Although is expensive but I believe their design are top notch… Since frank kern mass control and Jeff PLF logo design also done by them…
The Bad Blogger recently posted..The Bad Blogger Swears Under Oath That He Will Delete Your Comment If You Did Not Follow The Rules Of This Particular Blog No Matter Who You Are !
I never heard of any of those services. I may just have to check them out, although I did get a nice logo made at Fiverr for only five bucks.
Wayne Howard recently posted..Back To Your Roots
Twitter: azblogtips
August 19, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Hosting a logo design contest seems a great idea that I should do sooner
Thanks for great guide
Tinh recently posted..5 Free New Digg Invites Giveaway
Twitter: z3olyte
August 19, 2010 at 9:50 pm
logo contests can be good for the one hosting the contest… he can easily scan the best one who can grasp the design concept. He can even ask the designer of the winning logo for further enhancements if he needs any. This works a lot faster than hiring the designer with the best portfolio but doesnt fully get your ideas.
Cindy recently posted..GUI Design Showcase by z3olyte
Solid ideas Jay.
I always hated looking for someone who could do quality work that was still really affordable. Thirty bucks for a contest where you get people to compete for the best work……Now that makes sense. Whoever first thought of that tactic is a genius. I wonder how much money you would have to layout for them to do a complete Wordpress branding design.
Kathy recently posted..The Ultimate Method For Making Money Online
Hey Kathy, are you referring to having someone make a WordPress theme for you or just customizing an existing theme? Either way, Digital Point is a huge forum and you could probably find someone.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
I was wondering how much money you would have to put up to get decent results for a contest where they are designing all the graphics for a Wordpress blog. They would design logos, header, background, bullets, etc..
Kathy recently posted..How to Find Blogs With Keywordluv
Hey Kathy, my first thought is that might be a difficult contest to find entrants for. That’s a ton of work for entrants and they don’t get paid if you don’t pick their design. You might also find that you like one designer’s logo, but hate their background.
If that’s what you’re looking for, it might be better to just hold a logo design contest and include the header requirements in the contest. After that you could ask the contest winner for a quote on the other work. This way, you still get the benefit of the contest, but end up with a cohesive design.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Sounds like smart advice Jay. Thanks.
Yes, I suppose not too may people are going to risk doing all that work if there is a good chance they wouldn’t get paid for it. Duh! on my part.
Kathy recently posted..Becoming A Freelance Writer Is The Perfect Part Time Job
Well, you never know, it’s possible. I guess if the contest had a big enough prize, you would get entrants.
It’s probably easier if you keep things simple for the contest otherwise, you have to provide feedback on all of the design components from multiple designers.
I was surprised when I held my first contest. Submissions were flying in pretty quickly. I provided feedback and changes were made incredibly fast.
I play around with Photoshop myself, but I’m pretty inept with it. I couldn’t believe how fast the designers were able to modify their designs.
I would imagine that they must have a huge inventory of PSD files that they can quickly tailor.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
logo my way in one more such company that lets you host these design contests that just start at $200
tushar recently posted..Get 31 Days to Be a Better Blogger Now!! A Must Read for EVERY SINGLE Blogger
I didn’t know about logo contests. I have been lucky to have connected with some freelance artists in the past and currently for logos. This is an interesting option to consider in the future if the need arises.
Melinda recently posted..Shoe shopping fun with my son
Hi Jay, I read about holding a contest for a logo on Lisa Irby’s blog 2createawebsite. She used LogoMyWay and ending up with something really slick. I think she paid a lot more that $30 though. I like the idea of having different variations to pick from. I bet some artist can be really creative and the competition brings out the best in them. Thanks.
Ileane recently posted..Jay posted an update- Just wrote a guest post at Famous Bloggers Hesham runs an excellent blog How to hold
Hi Ileane,
For the logo design contests at Digital Point Forums, I’ve seen some for as little as $8 and others for $50 or more. It’s a nice option for people that are not looking to spend a lot of money for a blog logo. Obviously the bigger the prize for the logo design contest, the better work that gets submitted.
As a side benefit that I didn’t mention, the logo design contest did cause a small spike in traffic for the site that was getting the logo design–Hive Health Media.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Hi Jarret ~ Glad to have to found your post. I heard about logo contests for the first time at an SEO Meetup I attend. The concept intrigued me but your advice and info gives me a much better sense of what it’s all about. Definitely something to try.
Liz recently posted..20 Things To Do In Cambridge When It&8217s Hot
Hey Liz, thanks for the feedback. Logo designs contests work pretty well and there are plenty of sites in addition to Digital Point where you can host a logo design contest.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
h Jarret,
A professional looking logo is important, the first 3-4 seconds on your site or blog must give a serious and strong impulse to the reader that you know what you sell, write, or do. then takes people you more serious and you win respect also.
Twitter: element321
August 19, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Jarret,
Thanks for sharing, I haven’t heard of these sites before. Digital Point Forums, looks like a great place to get more info and find help with a project.
element321 recently posted..New Logo Banners Designs for Evolutionary Designs
Thanks for your feedback! I just happened to find a solution for my blogs that I thought would be useful for other bloggers.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
I was thinking about giving these guys a try: http://99designs.com/
Same sort of premise. I’ve never heard of design crowd before. I’ll check them out too.
Ian recently posted..Viral Marketing Strategies – Master Viral Marketer Reveals 3 Things You Need To Know
Great post. I am looking for a logo and header design for my site. If anyone reading this comment would like to create one, if I like it, I will pay you $30. You can contact me on my site’s contact form.
Fred recently posted..Top 30 Business Bloggers
mmm.. maybe you should read the post again!
Oh, I understand that this somewhat goes against what you are saying. I just thought that a crowd sourced logo could be fun.
Fred recently posted..Top 30 Business Bloggers
This post is about hosting a logo design contest on crowd sourced and digital forum! so.. basically you create your own account and start a contest on these sites!
Ya, Start a contest with grand price of $30 , will be fun
Great post! Very useful advice for beginners not interested in paying big bucks for a design. I’m glad to see something besides “The #1 Secret to Blogging” or “Why Motivation is the Best Tool to Have.” Most posts here say the same thing a bunch of different times. Nice to see a refreshing and new idea.
Laura Davis recently posted..What You Didnt Know About Wall Street Reform
Hi Laura, thanks again for your kind feedback. It’s my first post at Hesham’s blog. I’ll make sure to share some more tips. I found this approach to be a great way to get a logo design without spending a fortune.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
Twitter: webworld2050
August 19, 2010 at 10:58 am
Hello,
Thanks Jarret for sharing excellent sites like digital forum and Design Crowd. I was aware about Digital Forum but Design Crowd was something new to me. To design professional logos one can also try searching for freelancers through different freelancing websites like getafreelancer, Guru etc
Isabel Rodrigues recently posted..Should You Hire Someone To Write Your Blog For You
Hey Jarret – I would have never thought of holding a logo contest. I wonder if this spans headers, too, or just logos? I was planning to redesign mine soon when I get new pictures back but I’d rather pass it off to someone who knows what they are doing.
Thanks!
Tia Peterson recently posted..The Art of Embracing the Oops Moments
Twitter: jvprime
August 19, 2010 at 11:00 am
Me too,
I haven’t designed any logo yet.
For holding a contest, we can get quality logo but may be high price.
Hung | JVPRIME recently posted..Why you SHOULD become a member and use comment luv
Tia, I’ve seen these done for both logos and headers. For my experience, it worked out well. I ended my first contest within 24 hours. I was surprised at how quickly the work was completed.
Jarret recently posted..Nutrition and Vision- what you see is what you get
Hi Jarret , thank you so much for the great post, pretty awesome work!
P.S. plz keep yourself logged in to your account when replying to comments!
Oops. Sorry about that… Hesham, thanks again for letting me guest post on your blog. Famous Bloggers is an excellent resource and I’m glad that I found your site.
Jarret recently posted..Improve athletic performance- cold beverages
You are welcome Jarret!
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