Everyone loves t-shirts. A custom t-shirt design can help promote your brand or business, support team unity or church function, can be used as a marketing giveaway, are amazing for school events and team sports, they can used as part of a uniform, or can become a new, profitable product in your store.

From personal experience, I like to research the web before I make any purchase because I want to make sure that my hard-earned money will be invested into a product or service that has quality, good reviews and will last a long time. I don’t ever want to waste my money on something that is poorly made, has a history of bad reviews or will break within a year causing me to spend even more money on a replacement item. And believe it or not, my researching behavior is not uncommon.

According to the e-Commerce Foundation, in 2017, 88% of consumers pre-research their intending purchases online before making a purchase either online or in-store – that’s 215.4 million US people in a year. These figures are projected to reach 230.5 million US online shoppers by 2021 browsing products, comparing prices and/or purchasing merchandise online at least once. With these kinds of stats, it’s truly a no-brainer to build a website for your business.

Maybe you started out your business under your own name as a sole proprietor. Maybe you have a business name but have always just used that name in text using a standard font like Helvetica on business cards and letterhead. While this can work temporarily for a business just starting out, you are really missing out on building brand recognition. This is the ability of a consumer to identify a specific brand or business over another. It’s a way of visually imprinting yourself into the minds of your customer.

As previously discussed, brand recognition is a powerful, yet simple and effective tool in growing a business and building a brand. Think about it… when you envision Nike, do you see their infamous swoosh logo in your head? How about if I said Coke? You would instantly think of the Coca Cola logo. Or what if I said the words “Golden Arches”… BAM… McDonald’s instantly pops into your mind. Building brand recognition allows your company to become memorable – and being memorable can create repeat business and referrals from happy customers. Brand recognition is the key to staying relevant in your customer’s minds.

We have all been told since the days of our youth, that first impressions are everything. This fact holds even more weight in the world of business. A logo is a company’s first introduction to a consumer. With a well-designed logo, you can instantly pique interest and cause a person to want to know more about your brand and/or services. It takes only a few seconds to capture a person’s attention… so don’t waste those few precious moments without a stunning logo to imprint on.

Brand Identity tells a visual story about who you are. It builds a theme starting from the basic building blocks of color, tones, and fonts. A professionally, well-designed logo will carry your business’ look and feel across all of your branding materials – business cards, letterhead, brochures, website, vehicle wraps, storefront signage, t-shirts, and more. It ties into the brand recognition we first discussed and helps people to remember who you are and what you do.

There are not too many new ideas these days in the business world. You may see a huge demand in your area for pet grooming and decide to start a grooming business. You’ve picked the most unique and memorable name for your business, but later find out there are 10 other dog grooming businesses near you that you are now competing with. While pricing and specialized services can definitely be one way of setting yourself apart from the others, a well-designed company logo that brings your perfect company name alive can communicate everything from your level of professionalism, to your mission, and your dedication to your craft.

If you are in a business that would benefit from any form of advertising – print advertising, online advertising, social media, billboards, vehicle wraps, and/or e-commerce or company website, you need a logo to help promote who you are to your potential customers. As stated in the previous four reasons, you are building a brand, whether you are selling products or services, people need something to latch onto to remember you by. A lot of people remember things by sight rather than just reading, and having a unique, customized logo is a way to capture their remembrance of your business in their minds.