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Since the Internet is quickly becoming mainstream media’s biggest contender, it’s easy for your company’s message to get drowned out in the mix. One of the easiest ways to set your company apart from the competition is the use of a professional, easily recognizable logo. Think about it–what comes to mind when you see golden arches? Red cola cans? A brown shipping company? A solid logo design can make your company stand out and be memorable.

That said, there are some design issues you should be aware of before jumping in. After all, Coca-Cola didn’t become recognizable overnight. Below are some common design issues to look out for in order to get the best professional logo design for your company.

Use a professional designer.
If you create/run/own your own professional business, then your logo should look professional. Some business owners try to cut financial corners by designing the logo themselves, outsourcing it to a website offering cheap logos or hiring someone with hardly any design experience. If you’re going to invest in your company property and equipment, why wouldn’t you invest in your company image? Hiring an experienced designer guarantees that your logo will look professional, last longer and help highlight your company’s uniqueness.

Don’t get too trendy.
Logo trends are like fashion: one year it’s in, and the next year it’s out. Just like a bad outfit can scream “1983!”, so can your logo. A well-designed logo should be ageless and ignore any trends, no matter how tempting. For example, in the late 90s the biggest logo design trend was the “swoosh.” It seemed like everywhere you looked, everyone was adding a “swoosh” to their logo because it “looked high-tech.” Do yourself a favor and make sure you get your own unique logo identity by staying away from trends–you are, after all, trying to stand out in the crowd.

Don’t use raster graphics.
While raster graphics use pixels (or points of color) to produce images, vector graphics use mathematical shapes, lines and curves. What’s the difference? Vector graphics produce a smoother, cleaner image that remains consistent at all sizes. Trying to zoom in or enlarge a raster graphic will cause your logo to appear blurry, grainy or jaggy. Strong visual consistency with your logo will go a long way to help establish your professional image. Plus, you may realize later that you need your logo to fit more than one type of media.

Stay away from stock photos and clip art.
These are a bad idea for two reasons: 1) the image is probably being used by someone else and 2) you’re risking copyright offenses or expensive royalty fees. Even if you find your image on a stock photography site, you can still find yourself in trouble by incorporating it in your logo. Your logo should be 100% you, owned by you. So, avoiding clip art and stock images is your best bet in the long run.

Know your audience.
Make sure your design is targeted to the audience you want to immediately communicate with. Using unrelated images or the “coolest new font” may seem like a good idea but could ultimately be reaching out to the wrong market.

Keep it simple.
A complex design conveys a complex identity. The design should be simple enough for any person to see and remember. Too much detail will be too hard to see on a business card and can end up looking like a printing mistake. Keep it simple and straightforward.

Don’t rely on color.
A unique, strong logo should be able to stand its ground on a black and white background without any color effects. Use black and white as the initial building block to begin your logo. You can add color in at the very end to get the effect you want.

Pick the right font.
While the correct font may not seem like a big factor initially, it can actually ruin your logo’s identity. It can also make your company look silly, not professional. Use the typeface that best compliments your design’s professional personality.

Be original.
Your logo should represent your business–not someone else’s. If your design looks too much like someone else’s, people will be able to tell. (Especially if that company is bigger than yours.) Plus, you can’t really set yourself apart or truly use your own originality if you copied someone else’s idea. No one likes a copycat.