Marketing for Inspectors: Questions to Help Think Through a Good Logo
by Levi Nelson, InterNACHI® Design Team
Whether you take advantage of the free InterNACHI® member benefit of having professional designers create a unique logo for your home inspection business, or you want to take a crack at it yourself (really, though – don't try this at home!), here are some questions to consider.
1. Does my logo appeal to people searching for a home inspector?
Your logo is mostly for your audience – not you. While you might enjoy a thriller film, a person hiring a home inspector is not looking for a risky experience. Always design your marketing for the type of experience your customers are looking for. A logo for a heavy metal band and a logo for a bank look different for a reason. Be aware of how images can be misinterpreted. If you don't know, ask questions. The reason that InterNACHI's design service is so valuable is because you are always working with a design professional who can help. I don't hire a home inspector and tell them everything that they are allowed to find. I hire them because they can see things that I cannot.
2. Does the design employ friendly and professional-looking fonts that are clear and easy to read even when the logo is small?
If I can't read the logo at a quick glance, it might be worth fixing.
3. If there is an image in my logo, is it reinforcing or actually distracting from my company name?
All images in logos are secondary and should only be there to reinforce the name. If the name and the image are completely unrelated, my first reaction will most likely be confusion.
4. Does the logo look good when it's scaled down?
Since a logo tends to be smaller on most marketing pieces, it needs to look good when it's small. Really thin lines or crowded images can cause unpleasant optical effects. You don't want to communicate that you are a like a nauseating carnival ride – unless you're selling a nauseating carnival ride.
5. Does my logo look really similar to a lot of companies in my area that provide the same service?
A logo is not a picture to show what you do. It is for setting you apart from people who provide similar services. If the logo looks similar, what can you do to make it look different? How can you make it memorable? Even a small change can go a long way. Since most people create a logo that looks like a copy of a copy, this is one of the easiest things to address to help your marketing. It is difficult to remember the name of the sixth roof-over-text logo that I go past during a 30-minute drive in any direction.
6. Is my company name easy to remember? Is it obvious? Would someone who passed my truck or yard sign with my logo still remember my company name an hour later?
You can pick up jobs exclusively because someone happened to see your sign and remembered your name later.
7. Does my logo look professional?
There are always alternate approaches to a logo design, but in the end, the whole design should look intentional and well made. It is good to have a logo that is personal and expresses your interests or things that are specific to your geographic location. The work you put into your logo communicates to your customers about the quality of work that you will put into your job. A logo is not good customer service or excellent work. It is not a replacement for all of the other areas of your business, but it can help get you the jobs so you can practice both of those things and help people to remember your company name.
See what our professional design team can do for you by contacting InterNACHI's Member Marketing Team.
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Marketing for Inspectors: There's More to Design Than You Think
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