Website/logo companies? do it myself? advice

[pjclarke]

Logo design, step-by-step

1. Open Word,
2. Type the initial letters of myCo name (works best with three-word names).
3. Change font to 72pt, Tahoma, Italic, (underline to taste).
4. Change font color to gray-blue, or similar.
5. Screen-capture, crop in MS Paint and save as JPG.
6. Job done.

I don't actually have a logo, on invoices etc I just write the company name in 50% grey, arial 20pt, all-caps. I confess I started a website many moons ago but abandoned it as nobody ever went there.

Surely for a one-man-band contracting co, unless you offer web design as a skill,a website is just a vanity project and a logo a complete waste of time? You're not Google FFS. Has anybody actually got any work via a personal website? What does a personal site give you that LinkedIn + Jobserve + agencies don't?

[darmstadt]

Surely for a one-man-band contracting co, unless you offer web design as a skill,a website is just a vanity project and a logo a complete waste of time? You're not Google FFS. Has anybody actually got any work via a personal website? What does a personal site give you that LinkedIn + Jobserve + agencies don't?

I have got a couple of contracts plus other contacts via mine. It was pretty basic, no logo, couple of pictures and some skill plus project details although my host company now provides Wordpress so currently redesigning it. Admittedly my field is not too large so a search on certain keywords through Google does tend to throw it up...

[SimonMac]

Worst Client Comments Turned Into Posters

[woohoo]

What does a personal site give you that LinkedIn + Jobserve + agencies don't?

panache.

[SimonMac]

Surely for a one-man-band contracting co, unless you offer web design as a skill,a website is just a vanity project and a logo a complete waste of time? You're not Google FFS. Has anybody actually got any work via a personal website? What does a personal site give you that LinkedIn + Jobserve + agencies don't?

For £17 a year how much harm can it do?

[eek]

For £17 a year how much harm can it do?

Show up on Google and stop the client interviewing you?

[SimonMac]

Show up on Google and stop the client interviewing you?

Why would having a MyCo website stop the client interviewing you, unless its completely crap, but then if it was why would you have one

[eek]

Why would having a MyCo website stop the client interviewing you, unless its completely crap, but then if it was why would you have one

You asked what harm it MIGHT do? I know it's not likely but it is possible...

[BigRed]

It's a tricky issue. Most logos have no relationship to the company name at all, think Nike, Twitter, Bupa etc. Several have at least a nodding acquaintance to the name, McDonalds, KFC, Kelloggs, Boots. Next think about how it will appear on a letterhead, business card, web site dark/light background, greyscale.

I have pretty good Photoshop skills but I found myself vacillating between different options and still haven't really settled on a solution. I think if you are a small copany and know you are not going to become an international name it is best to do your company name or initials in a colourful 3D style font with a reflection/drop shadow/gradient. There is no easy answer.