Do you need a logo before you build a website?
No. A website can launch without a logo. At the start it needs a clear business name spelled the same way on the site, in emails and on invoices, one or two colors, and real photos of you and your work. Until a logo is ready, the business name set in plain text does the job. A logo is worth doing once you have a reason to put it somewhere, such as a vehicle or a sign.
What the site needs from your brand first
What usually decides whether a visitor gets in touch is what the page says and shows, as the related answer on what a service business homepage should say explains. Three things from your brand usually help most at the start, and none of them is a logo.
- A clear name. Decide the exact name, spelling and capital letters, and use them on the site, in emails and on invoices. The related answer on choosing a domain name covers checking a name before you commit to it.
- One or two colors. Pick one main color and, if you like, one more. Use the main color for the button that asks for the inquiry, and choose text and background colors that are easy to read on a phone in daylight.
- Real photos. The owner, the team, the vehicles and finished jobs. The related answer on website photos covers what to take and how to ask permission.
Why a logo can wait
A logo does not tell a visitor what you do, where you work or how to reach you, and those are the jobs of a first screen. A logo designed in a hurry is also one you may replace later, which can mean doing the work twice, on the site and everywhere the old one was printed.
It can also be easier to design a logo once the business has settled. After a few months you know your services, your area and the look that suits your customers.
A stand-in until you have one
Set the business name as plain text at the top of each page, in a clean, readable font and your main color. That is a perfectly good stand-in. Ask whoever runs your site to set it up so a logo can replace the text later without redoing pages.
When to get a logo sooner
- You are painting or wrapping a vehicle, or ordering signs or uniforms, which are costly to redo.
- You print quotes, invoices, cards or yard signs for customers.
- You need a small profile picture for social media accounts.
If you do get one
Keep it simple enough to read when it is small, such as a profile picture on a phone. Ask for the final files at the end, and for a written agreement that assigns the logo to your business on final payment. The related answer on who owns the website a designer built explains why.
Related answers
- What should a service business homepage say?
- What photos should a service business use on its website?
- How do you choose a domain name for a small business?
- Who owns the website a designer built for you?
Websites, upgraded or built
Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.