If you are just looking to get a quick and cheap logo created, you are in the wrong place. There are many designers out there who can put together quick and cheap logos, including the numerous design contest sites. I am not one of them.

You probably know that you get what you pay for, and in the case of design contests, you will usually get a generic logo, delivered from an inexperienced designer. There are certainly some good designers on the design contest sites, but to get them to participate you will end up paying much higher fees in order to get the better quality selection. Usually, this is about the same cost of a professional designer but without the benefit of market research, which is necessary to attract the attention of your target market. In other words, the logo may be pretty, but it might not be effective, or it may be too similar to a competitor’s.

Design contest participants work for free with the hopes that they will win your job. What does that mean? It means they are cranking out logos all day long. How original do you think yours will be if you go that route? You may get more design options, but quantity in this case is NOT better. Only quality and uniqueness are the key factors in creating a brand. Plus, where is the exchange when someone works for free?

Looking too similar to “everyone else” is a beginner mistake in design. Logo designs are more than tossing a font onto a page with some clip art. It takes professional experience; time and talent to create something that can impart your brand, capture your business, and set you apart from the crowd.

So if you are serious about creating a brand for your company—in other words creating an identity that imparts your brand, ‘speaks’ to your target market , and sets you apart from the crowd—you will want someone with more experience and ideally, someone with some marketing know-how.

You only get one shot at a first impression. When you make an investment in your brand image with a logo, the quality says a lot about your company and how serious you are about being in business. What is that worth to you?