Key takeaways
- You can easily create a logo and corporate identity yourself with the right tools.
- Choose a recognizable font, color palette and style and stick to it consistently.
- Simplicity works better than a busy design.
- Apply your corporate identity to your webshop, packaging and social media.
Choose a store logo that stays readable at small sizes and a limited set of colours and typefaces. Define how you use them on product pages, emails and packaging. A short style guide helps you repeat those choices consistently without having to rethink the design for every new piece of communication.
What is a corporate identity?
Your corporate identity is the permanent "look" of your brand: your logo, your colors, your fonts and the style of your photos. By using it the same everywhere, you become recognizable. It's part of the bigger picture of building your brand — the corporate identity is the visible side of that.
Your logo: keep it simple
A good logo is above all recognizable and simple. It doesn't have to be artistic; it has to work — small on your phone, on a shipping label and large on your site. Avoid too many details, too many colors or a complicated font. Your brand name in a nice, readable font (possibly with a small symbol) is often enough.
How do you get a logo?
Three routes, increasing in costs:
- Make it yourself with an online tool — there are free and cheap design tools that allow you to create a neat logo without any experience. Great to start with.
- An affordable designer — you can have a logo made for a reasonable amount via a freelance platform. More customization, still affordable.
- A design agency — the most expensive and rarely needed for a starter.
Feel free to start yourself; you can always have your logo refined later as you grow.
Choose your colors and fonts
- Colors: choose two or three that match your brand and target group (calm and luxurious, or bright and playful). Record the exact color codes so that they are exactly the same everywhere.
- Fonts: stick to one or two easily readable fonts. Readability always wins over a funny but unreadable font.
Less is more: a few fixed colors and fonts look calmer and more professional than a colorful collection.
Apply your corporate identity consistently everywhere
A corporate identity only works if you use it everywhere: your webshop, your social media, your packaging, your emails and your product photos. That repetition makes you recognizable and reliable. Make a small overview for yourself — logo, color codes, fonts — so that you always apply it consistently and don't have to choose every time.
A mini style guide: it can be as simple as that
You don't need a thick brand book. A note like this is enough:
- Logo: brand name in Poppins font, in anthracite (#2B2B2B)
- Colours: soft green (#A8C3A0) and cream (#F5F1E8), with anthracite for text
- Fonts: Poppins for headlines, Inter for body text
- Photo style: natural daylight, calm neutral background
Keep logos for light and dark backgrounds, colour codes, typefaces and usage rights together. Include a product page, email and shipping-label example. State which file suits each use and who maintains the final version. Someone else can then apply the same style correctly.
How do you know if your logo works?
Place the logo in the real mobile header, on a printed label and against a dark background. Is the name readable with enough clear space? Check buttons and body copy in your chosen colours too. Fix the failing application first and record the revised version in your guide.
Common mistakes
- A logo that is too busy with many details and colors that becomes unreadable when small.
- Too many different colors and fonts mixed together.
- Only use the corporate identity on the site, but not on social media and packaging.
- Waiting for months for the “perfect” logo instead of getting started.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a professional logo to get started?
No. A simple, recognizable logo that you create yourself with an online tool is a great place to start. You can tighten it up later.
How many colors and fonts should I use?
Stick to two or three colors and one or two fonts. Less looks calmer and more professional, and is easier to keep consistent.
Can I make a logo myself without design experience?
Yes. With free or cheap online design tools you can create a neat logo without any experience. If you want more customization, an affordable freelancer is an option.
What is the most important thing about a logo?
That it is simple and recognizable and works everywhere — small on your phone, on a shipping label and large on your site.
Why is consistency important?
A consistent style helps people recognise the same store across places. Pair it with readable information and commitments you keep. Ask someone to compare your email, product page and label.
Get started
Create a simple, readable logo (yourself with a tool or through an affordable designer), choose two or three colors and one or two fonts, and record them in a small overview. Then apply that style consistently everywhere. Then work on good product photos in the same style, and make sure everything fits in with your brand. If you haven't decided on your name yet, first read thinking up a webshop name.
