Nowadays, people are increasingly using mobile devices for business purposes, so they have exceeded other devices in importance. According to usage statistics, mobile devices accounted for 63% of Google’s US organic search traffic.

In light of these changing user behaviors, Google announced in 2016 that it is shifting from desktop-indexing to mobile-first indexing. This announcement was met with a great deal of uncertainty by webmasters, but the world is constantly evolving, and Google takes great pride in leading the change.

What exactly is Mobile-First Indexing?

Before diving into all of the practices that website owners should implement to ensure the smooth sailing of their sites, let’s understand the term Mobile-First Indexing. According to Google, Mobile-First Indexing means that Google primarily indexes and ranks mobile versions of data. Google has already begun indexing mobile-first data by default, and any new website added to Google search after July 2019 will initially index the mobile version of the website.

Best Practices for Mobile-First Indexing to Implement Before 2021:

Following are the practices for Mobile-First Indexing to implement before 2021 to ensure an effective and efficient application for your users.

1) Make sure Googlebot can access mobile website’s content

Make sure that Googlebot (a web crawler) can access and render your page content and resources to provide relevant data for the Google search engine. To allow Googlebot to render your content without error for mobile indexing, follow the few directions.

• Use the same robot meta tags on your desktop and mobile websites. When your website is set up for mobile-first indexing, Google crawlers may struggle to index the content if you use different tags.
• Avoid lazy loading your primary content, such as images and videos that require user interaction (clicking and typing), because Googlebot will refuse to index that content. For mobile-first indexing, follow Google’s best practices for lazy loading content.
• Allow Google to crawl your resources. Some resources have different URLs on the mobile versions and desktop versions. If you want Google to index your resources, make sure you are not blocking them.

2) Keep your mobile and desktop sites equivalent with primary content

As Google will only index mobile versions of websites, ensure that your mobile and desktop websites have the same content. Consider upgrading your mobile site if it has less content. Keep the headlines and visual content consistent on both platforms to provide users with a friendly experience.

3) Maintain a nice visual content

For indexing, visual content such as photos and videos should be in the proper size and quality in both desktop and mobile versions of your websites. Google has suggested a few best practices for images and practices for videos to follow.

• Make sure your images are in a format appropriate for smaller screens and have a high-quality resolution, as Google does not prefer low-quality images when indexing.
• Videos must be placed in a suitable format with corrects tag for Google to render them.

All visual content should be perfectly placed on both the mobile and desktop versions of the website.

4) Use responsive websites

Responsive websites are the latest buzz in town as these enable users to view an optimized version of the sites. Responsive website owners should have no issue with mobile-first indexing and search engine results pages (SERPs).

Mobile-first indexing is an evolved and appropriate way of analyzing all data online. Keep in mind that mobile-first indexing is here to stay, and after March 2021, all indexing and ranking will only be done by it, so you can’t opt-out of it. To prevent dysfunction errors, we suggest that you adopt these procedures as soon as possible.

When it comes to the various business models that fall under the umbrella of eCommerce, private label is the most well known one. It is a model that requires more focus and planning than many others. However, it’s the model that can potentially pay off the most.

Starting a private label business on Amazon means that you create your own brand, source your own line of products and sell them on the platform. This is the route that most Amazon sellers take and it’s not something that was easily available in the past.

How to start selling private label items

Step 1 – Product research

This is the first and the most crucial step. It is imperative that you don’t rush this one AT ALL. Other steps can be time sensitive. However, in this case, you should not move forward until you are confident that you have found the right product to sell.

Product research can be done a few different ways. You want to find items that are already selling well (which shouldn’t be that hard to find). You can browse Amazon, especially sections like Movers and Shakers or the Bestseller pages.

You can read the latest Amazon trends report or even use free online tools like Google trends. However, if you want to get the best results, you should use specialized Amazon market intelligence tools like the AMZScout pro Chrome Extension to check your product ideas:

This tool allows you to see beneath the veil of every page on Amazon. You can view crucial information like sales volume and estimated monthly revenue of every product, the age of the listing, and the number of reviews.

Basically, this tool shows every single bit of available information that you need in order to make the best decision possible. You can also examine charts that show you the sales and price history of any item:

There are also helpful scores such as an individual score for any individual search as well as a group score for the entire page of search results called a “nioche score”.

Here, you can access a breakdown of how difficult it would be to enter a niche and what your approximate chances of success are. This way, you can have an idea of the situation in terms of supply and demand and about the unique circumstances surrounding a niche you are interested in.

There are also a few criteria you would be wise to stick to as a first time private label seller, besides the high demand and low supply which you can see with the tool:

Size and weight – Try and find products that don’t weigh more than 2-3lbs and that don’t take up too much space in order to save on shipping costs.

Evergreen – You want to find a product that is not subjected to any seasonal trends.

Margins – You don’t want your manufacturing cost to be more than 25% of your selling price

No moving parts – Avoid sourcing products with mechanical or electrical components.

Step 2 – Find a supplier

Once you find a product that meets your criteria, it’s time to find a supplier that can make it for you. Most sellers choose to go to Alibaba.com to look for suppliers. Odds are, this is where you will find exactly what you need.

You can ask for price quotes and negotiate with potential suppliers. As a private label seller, you need to find a supplier that will print the product packaging with your logo and design as well as customize it and place it on your product as well.

Step 3 – Register on Amazon and fulfill your orders

Once you find your product and your supplier, you need to register on Amazon before you can order your first batch of products. The registration process is fairly easy and straightforward. All you need to do is to input your personal or company information along with your credit card details.

At this point you need to figure out if you wish to sell using the FBA system or not. There is an advantage to fulfilling your own orders, which is that you don’t have to pay Amazon storage and Fulfillment fees.

On the other hand, unless you have your own facilities or a better way to fulfill your orders, it’s best to stick with the FBA. If you wish to see what the difference is between the two models, you can use this free tool to easily calculate the fees for any product.

Step 4 – Create your listing

Once your first batch is incoming, it’s time to put together your listing. You need to perform proper keyword research and include all of the relevant keywords that you can find in the copy of the listing.

It’s also very important for the listing to find a fine balance between actually writing a compelling copy and including those keywords This is not easy to do and it can have a significant impact on your potential sales.

You should also ensure that you have high quality product images. If you are having trouble putting together a well rounded listing, hiring professional help is something to seriously consider.

Additional tips for a good start

Start with aggressive PPC and promotion:

Amazon has one of the best internal marketing systems and promotion is a proven tool of the trade of a successful Amazon seller. This is something that needs to be worked on continuously.

However, at the start you should be even more aggressive than you usually would be. You need to start getting organic rankings for your product, and there is no better way of doing that than with PPC.

To begin with, don’t focus too much on cost efficiency. Just focus on getting sales. Once orders start coming in, you can always adjust strategy over time. If you can afford it, you can also invest some money on off platform promotions using social media marketing or Google adwords so that you can get established more quickly.

Join the Brand registry: The brand registry is basically a partnership with Amazon. Any private label seller has the option of joining. You need to meet a few conditions first. The most important condition is that you have a registered trademark on your brand.

Sellers used to have to wait for months for registration to complete, but now Amazon will let you into the Brand registry by simply showing proof that you have submitted a trademark for registration.

As a registered brand, you receive a lot of benefits such as the ability to customize your listings and storefront to a much greater extent as well as access to more PPC tools.

In conclusion, starting a private label business on Amazon is not at all difficult. What can be difficult is finding the right product and the right supplier as well as making smart movies to facilitate growth.

However, what makes selling on Amazon attractive is the fact that Amazon can take on all of the heavy lifting while you can focus on sales and promotion. With a bit of creativity and diligence, you can create your own success story on Amazon. Good luck sellers!

A majority of sales on Amazon are generated by shoppers looking for products by typing a string of words in the search box.

And like a search engine, Amazon displays the most relevant listings, using a proprietary technology called A9.

So, for an Amazon Seller, the road to success is paved with listings optimized for Amazon’s A9 algorithm, and knowing how this system works will help you rank your products on pages most visible to buyers.

How Does the Amazon A9 Algorithm Work?

Amazon uses a unique system to determine the ranking of products in the platform’s search results. This is the A9 algorithm, which is similar to Google’s in the sense that the keywords entered by a shopper are the basis for displaying the most relevant listings.

Thus, A9 is technically a search engine, albeit operating exclusively on the Amazon platform. You get what you search for – this is how it works on a buyer’s end, in a nutshell.

For sellers, it means making the SEO of their product listings A9-friendly to appear on top of search results. However, for A9, keywords and optimization are not the only factors at play.

5 Ways to Rank Higher in Search Results

Below are the 5 elements you should focus on in your SEO strategy. Not all of them are weighed in by Amazon’s A9 algorithm when ranking listings, but all of them will ensure that you gain a competitive advantage for your products.

1. Optimize Product Listings with Keywords

When optimizing your listings, bear in mind that A9 crawls only on the Title and Bullet Points. So, you must focus keyword placement in these two visible sections.

The third section where you can optimize your listings is on the backend of your Seller Account, where you find the Search Terms field. Here, you may add 250 characters of keywords which will boost your ranking further.

Keyword Research

Don’t waste your time doing this on your own. Many companies provide this service, and all are tailored to Amazon’s A9 algorithm.

All you need to do is to type in the most relevant keyword(s) to your product on the search box. The system will generate which keywords products rank with on search terms that shoppers use on Amazon to look for products similar to yours.

Relevance and Search Volume

The A9 algorithm places importance on these two keyword features. Keep them in mind while looking through your keyword list for the ones to apply to your listings.

Be wary of keyword stuffing because Amazon frowns upon it. A9 loves content written for customers, not for bots. Hence, you have a greater chance of ranking high if your product’s Title and Bullet Points make sense with keywords integrated within.

How to Use Keywords for Optimization

Select the most relevant and highest-ranking keywords for your Title. Ideally, you should find phrases that are an exact match to your product.

Next, create Bullet Point titles using phrases in all caps, preferably the next high-ranking ones that you weren’t able to apply to the Title. Then, use as many keywords as possible – from top to bottom – as you go along writing the content of each bullet.

And lastly, add the remaining unused but relevant keywords to your backend Search Terms.

2. Price Competitively

When assigning a price to your product, there are only two figures you need to decide on: the lowest you can offer (floor price) and the highest your buyers can afford (ceiling price).

Your Lowest Price

When all is said and done, this truth remains: You’re selling on Amazon to make money. So, unless you’re on a clearance sale mode to make room for new inventory, each item sold must be at a profit.

To ensure profitable margins, list down all your overhead expenses, including:

·         Product Cost – product, packaging, shipping from supplier, tariffs

·         Additional Product Cost for FBM – warehousing and shipping to customers

·         Amazon Fees – commission and payment wiring

·         Amazon Fees for FBA – storage, customer returns

·         Miscellaneous Expenses – transportation, digital tools, employees

Your selling price should be more than the sum of all of the above.

Your Maximum Price

Search for the main competitors in your category using the top 3 keywords on your list. Focus on page one of the search results and check the price on each listing. To stay competitive, your ceiling price should be no more than 20% of the most expensive item.

3. Analyze Competitors’ Listings

Next, search for the bestsellers in your category. Go to each product page and study the elements of every listing. From there, you will learn the secrets to their success.Look closely at their images. Read their copy carefully, including the Product Description. Note their price points. Check their Q&A and Reviews sections.

4. Use Amazon PPC to Rank Higher in Organic Searches

Amazon Pay-Per-Click advertising is arguably the best way to ensure success on a platform that has thousands of sellers and where competition is stiff. Over 70% of Amazon sales are for products found on page one.

With PPC ads, you can buy your way to first-page visibility via 3 options: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display Ads.

The beauty of this marketing tool is that you can use it whether your products are FBA or FBM. Also, you pay Amazon only when shoppers click on your ads (hence the name). Meanwhile, your listing enjoys free exposure.

Most importantly, sales from Amazon PPC ads positively impact a listing’s organic ranking. This boost is especially important when your products are new and lack the sales history that A9 requires for ranking.

5. Get Positive Reviews

While reviews do not directly affect your listing’s Amazon ranking, they impact optimization for potential buyers. And quantity and quality both matter. Thus, a product with 200 5-star reviews is more appealing than one with 2,000 reviews at a 3-star average.

Building review numbers is a long and painstaking process, but the increase in conversion rates it brings is worth all the effort.

A word of caution: When doing your review-building campaign, always adhere to Amazon’s TOS (Terms of Services). Never game the system or you risk getting your seller license revoked.

Do Not:

• give away free products in exchange for reviews
• promise discounts or freebies to customers who will leave feedback
• discourage buyers from leaving negative reviews
• convince them to post positive ones

• convince them to post positive ones

Do:

• Build a relationship with your customers through email using an autoresponder like Feedback Genius. Let them know you are available if they need assistance, and then request a review on the third or fourth email.
• Comment on your product reviews. Thank those who left good feedback, and address the concerns of those who wrote negative ones.
• Review your Seller Feedback page and email the buyers who left them, requesting to write a product review as well.
• Respond to customers who email you with an issue. When it’s resolved, request a review.

Conclusion

Having a deep understanding of the Amazon A9 algorithm allows you to optimize your listings so that they will be visible in search results.

However, you shouldn’t stop there. Your goal must be to appear on page one of searches. You can do this by pricing your products competitively, creating product pages better than the bestsellers in your category, building quality reviews, and running an Amazon PPC campaign.

Logos have a vital role to play for businesses and their branding efforts since it is the point of contact for potential customers. For this reason, it is important to design a logo that represents your brand well and connects with your target audience at the same time.

Several characteristics go into logo design, and they can vary depending on your needs and requirements and the industry you are a part of. Despite this, the best logos share five primary qualities, regardless of the differences that make them stand apart from each other. Those five primary qualities that make a good logo are as follows:

Simplicity

If you take some of the most successful businesses into account, they all have one thing in common – simple logo designs.

 From Nike to Apple, their logos are simple and easy to remember. You need to understand as long as logos are simple, they are easier to remember for your target audience.

Since consumers have a short attention span, you will need a simple logo that is easy to recall later on. Moreover, a simple logo also reflects your brand’s personality effectively and concisely.

Relevance

Another quality of a good logo is relevance. Great logos are relevant to their companies’ target markets. Most importantly, they clearly communicate a brand’s identity and personality.

For example, a company that sells toys will use bright colors to communicate excitement, fun, and energy in its logo design.

Other essential components include the word mark or font being used and choosing the right symbol. While fonts communicate a brand’s values and tone, a symbol acts as an anchor for your logo.

Memorability

A good logo has to be memorable, especially from the first time your target audience sees it. The idea of creating a good logo is to form a connection with your audience to generate interest for your brand.

The easier your audience finds it to recall your logo, the easier it will be for them to connect with your brand. 

Memorable logos combine the qualities mentioned above, but they also balance textual and visual aspects.

Lastly, a memorable logo needs to be unique; it is really that simple. Think of it this way, would you remember a bland logo?

Timelessness

The best logos stand out from the rest of the crowd because they tend to stay adequate and relevant for several years.

It may be tempting to design a logo using existing design fads and trends, but that is a terrible idea.

Using existing fads and trends to create a logo may work at the moment, but they will become outdated. Then, you will need to redesign your logo all over again, which is easier said than done.

To solve this problem, it is recommended to design a timeless logo that does not become outdated soon.

While designing a timeless logo, the idea is to focus on quality rather than quantity. Remove unnecessary ideas and elements and strictly focus on what works.

This usually means you will need to focus on your brand’s values and ideas to develop a logo that will remain relevant for years to come.

Versatility

Lastly, a good logo design needs to be versatile. There is no point in having a striking logo if it is limited by how you can use it. For example, if you have a logo with one size and no other, you will not reach your target audience worldwide.

You will need a logo that can be printed, resized, and used on different platforms to increase your brand’s visibility.

By focusing on the qualities mentioned above, you will design a good logo with ease. Remember, these five qualities need to come together for you to develop a logo that will do wonders for your brand, so give them equal importance during the logo development phase.

You must have heard that ‘imitation is the best form of flattery’. While this is repeated often, no one talks about the quality of imitation. Would a cheap knock-off be the ‘best form of flattery’? Because if that is the case, which brand had cheaper copies than Adidas? One estimate said 10% of all Adidas products in Asia might be fake. This excessive counterfeiting of the German brand is due to two reasons: first, their products are top class, and second, anything with an Adidas logo on it sells like a hot cake.

The logo is more than just a visual mark; it’s a representation of a lifestyle, a commitment to excellence, and a connection to a global community. The Adidas brand identity transcends borders and cultures. It is a universal symbol of sport and lifestyle. Whether on sneakers, jerseys, or hoodies, the logo continues to inspire and resonate with people worldwide.

Behind this immense popularity is Adidas’ brand history full of collaborations with artists, designers, and celebrities that keep the brand fresh and relevant. Customers associate it with iconic athletes, memorable moments, and personal victories.

We haven’t forgotten the brand’s collaboration with Kanye West for Yeezy. The partnership resulted in the creation of the Yeezy line. Its sneakers featured innovative designs and technology and became highly coveted and sought-after worldwide.

Then there are also collaborations with Lionel Messi, Beyonce, Raf Simmons, Alexander Wang, Pharell Williams and a number of other celebs we drool over.

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A brief Adidas logo history

The Adidas logo is a powerful symbol that encapsulates the brand’s essence and resonates with customers worldwide.

But it wasn’t always the Three Stirpes or the Trefoil we know today. Adidas logo evolution has spanned over decades as the brand grew from a small family-owned business in Germany to an apparel and sportswear juggernaut.

Adidas Logo origin

Adidas was founded by Adolf Dassler in 1949, it primarily produced sports shoes. It launched its first logo in 1949, and it consisted of a shoe hanging between the two “d” alphabets. Underneath the logo was written the German word for “sports shoes,” “Sportschuhe.

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If you look closely, there is one other very subtle detail – the three stripes. However, in this design, the symbology wasn’t part of the logo but etched on the shoe sitting between two ds.

These strips will now feature on every logo the company will be designing in years to come.

The story behind the iconic telltale stripes is also interesting. Although people believe that the three stripes have some numerological meaning, the truth is that they were initially there only for design purposes and later became associated with the brand.

The founder, Adolf Dassler, tried many numbers of stripes but he concluded that only three stripes stand out in terms of design and appear prominently in photography. Since then, the design has become a world-famous trademark that symbolizes Adidas. 

The new logo of a diversified company

In 1972 Adidas expanded from a shoe seller into an apparel company. This diversification also called for a new logo to represent the company’s expanded products.

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This led to the creation of the Trefoil, designed by a German creative agency. It drew inspiration from florals as the new logo featured three leaf-shaped foils. The iconic Three Stripes found their place in this logo as well, and this time, the stirpes ran through the three foils.

The Trefoil logo was printed on every clothing manufactured from 1972 and on shoes from 1976. However, in 2000, the company decided to use the Trefoil on its Originals products only as a mark of respect to the brand’s heritage. 

Three bars are introduced

In 1989, the brand decided to create a new logo. It sought the help of a designer and creative consultant for a new logo. This led to the creation of the Adidas Equipment logo, inspired by the brand’s commitment to providing athletes with the best gear possible.

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The new logo was released to the public in 1991. It had the trademark Three Stripes arranged in the form of three bars.

Adidas Neo: A fresh approach

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Adidas Neo was a sub-brand launched by Adidas in the early 2000s. It aimed to capture a younger and more fashion-forward audience by blending sportswear with street style. The Neo line featured casual sneakers, apparel, and accessories that resonated with urban aesthetics. It was all about comfort, versatility, and a dash of trendiness.

The Neo logo was an innovation to the Adidas logo design, and it underwent several transformations during its existence. The early logo retained the iconic Three Stripes but with a twist. It incorporated a more contemporary font and often featured a stylized “Neo” alongside the stripes.

The Neo logo exuded youthfulness, often appearing in vibrant colors. It aimed to resonate with the energetic spirit of its target audience.

However, around 2018, Adidas made strategic decisions to streamline its sub-brands. As a result, Adidas Neo gradually phased out, and its products merged into the broader Adidas Originals line.

Logo typography

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The Adidas logo is a prime example of minimalist design. Its typography embodies simplicity, which has stood the test of time. Adidas uses a sans-serif font because they are clean, modern, and easy to read, particularly in small sizes often used on clothing labels or logos. This choice reflects a focus on functionality and a clean aesthetic, aligning with the brand’s image of performance and innovation.

Using all lowercase letters creates a more casual and approachable feel. It suggests a brand that is relatable and not overly formal. This aligns with Adidas’ desire to connect with a broad audience of athletes and everyday people.

The consistent use of the same typeface across all branding materials reinforces brand identity and creates a sense of unity.

Meaning of Adidas logo

The Adidas logo or, Adidas symbol or Adidas emblem – whatever you want to call it – has always exuded a sense of consistency. It always featured the stripes, which became the brand’s identity.

Not only that, but the company has also always tried to use its logos for subtle messaging and spreading the values that it stands for and express its commitment to providing its customers with the best quality products.

The Adidas logo resembles a mountain meant to convey the idea of individuals overcoming obstacles and pursuing their goals. As for the logo with a round emblem, it represents the world and adapts to changes quickly.

The iconic Three Stripes logo carries several meanings that evoke the brand’s identity and resonate with customers:

Heritage and tradition

The Three Stripes logo has been a consistent element of Adidas branding since the 1990s. This longevity symbolizes the brand’s deep-rooted heritage and tradition in the sports and athletic apparel industry. Customers recognize and trust the logo as a symbol of quality and performance.

Performance and Quality

The Three Stripes themselves represent the brand’s commitment to performance and excellence in athletic wear. Adidas has a long history of providing high-quality products designed to enhance athletic performance, and the logo serves as a visual reminder of this dedication to quality.

Distinctive brand identity

The Three Stripes logo is instantly recognizable and distinguishes Adidas from its competitors. It has become synonymous with the brand and is a powerful tool for building brand recognition and loyalty. Customers associate the logo with Adidas’s reputation for innovation, style, and authenticity.

Dynamic and energetic

The design of the Three Stripes logo conveys a sense of motion and energy, reflecting the brand’s dynamic and progressive nature. This resonates with customers who are actively seeking products that help them perform at their best.

Global appeal

The simplicity of the Three Stripes logo allows it to transcend cultural and language barriers, making it universally recognizable and appealing to customers worldwide. This global recognition strengthens Adidas’s position as a leading international brand.

The simplicity of the Three Stripes has handed the brand immense advantages. These are easily recognizable even from afar and can be reproduced on various scales and the lack of complex details allows for various interpretations, adding a layer of intrigue and fostering brand association with different values.

The Adidas three bars logo joins the ranks of iconic logos like Nike’s swoosh and Apple for several reasons. It has had a significant cultural impact, transcending its origins in sportswear to become a symbol of fashion, lifestyle, and urban culture. It has been embraced by athletes, celebrities, and consumers around the world, cementing its status as an iconic emblem of style and athleticism.

Final Thoughts

Despite several iterations of the Adidas logo over the years, the typography has retained its essential characteristics, maintaining a sense of timelessness. This consistency in typography reflects the brand’s enduring heritage and tradition while also allowing for evolution and adaptation to contemporary design trends.

Web designing trends are changing constantly, and it should not come as a surprise that new web design trends will be popping up in 2020. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you will need to adopt said web design trends. But which ones are the best? To aid you in your cause, here are the essential web designing tips you need to follow in 2020 without fail.

Integrate Dark Mode

Seeing how everything is about dark mode these days, why not integrated it into your web designs? Dark mode has an ultra-modern look, and it comes with design elements and colors that pop. Since they are easy on the eyes, it ensure internet users stick around for longer than usual.

With dark themes, you will make it possible for internet users to save power and extend the life of their devices.  If that is not enough, dark themes also sit well with the dark and moody colors with dystopian and futuristic styles.

Keep Minimal Designs

Believe it or not, minimalist designs have been trending for mobiles for years now. The design choice is long-lasting and reliable. It has proven its worth time and time again, and it will easily stick around throughout 2020 as well.

When it comes to minimal designs, they do not have to be boring. You can still use bright, bold colors with heavy fonts and overlapping sections. As long as it works for your brand, there is no harm in it.

Minimalism is more about providing a user friendly experience by cutting away the excess. If you do take this route, you should make use of white spaces, all the while exclusively focusing on form and function to prevent visitors from jumping ship because they were overwhelmed.

Support for Split Screen Content

If you have a lot of content, and you want to keep your visitors interested by having an uncluttered look, then you should offer support for split screen content. How it works is that you split your screen in the middle, giving each side equal opportunity to shine.

This web design breaks the traditional rectangular design in two. If you want to take things further, you can make each half behave differently. For instance, you can make use of scroll effects by making each side move at a different speed. You could also introduce an element at the very center of the screen, where the two halves are supposed to meet. The elements could be anything from a CTA (call-to-action) or your logo.

Include Background Videos

Previously, it was a chore to include background videos in websites, largely because they affect loading times negatively. Fortunately, this is no longer the case due to the wide variety of video optimizers and theme builders out there. With these handy tools, it is a lot easier now to include background videos. If that does not work, you can always convert videos into GIFs for better optimization.

Give Mobile Optimization Top Priority

It goes without saying it is good practice to design your website keeping mobile in mind. Mobile optimization should be given top priority, especially considering the fact that a majority of users around the globe access the internet via their mobile devices i.e. smartphones and tablets. For this reason, it is imperative you optimize your website according to mobiles first and foremost.

Rather than designing for desktop computers and adjusting them accordingly for mobile devices, you will need to design for mobile devices first, and then adjust them accordingly for desktop computers instead. By adopting this strategy, any website you design will resemble an app, which will in turn make omnichannel marketing a breeze.

Utilize Three Dimensional Designs

Since three dimensional designs come in numerous forms and shapes, there is absolutely no reason why you should utilize them while designing websites. 2018 and 2019 was all about complex three dimensional illustration, but this year, it is going to be about flashy and straightforward designs.

The number of web designing tips to look into are plentiful, but not all of them will work for you. For this reason, you will need to do a bit of homework in order to determine which tips will works best for your website in particular. A simple Google search will provide you hundreds of tips, but they will be of little use if they are doing more harm than good, which is why you cannot design your website on what you think works and what does not.

One thing is for certain though, the tips mentioned above are trendy in 2020, and are necessary if you want your website to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Not only will you be able to communicate effectively without your target audience, but your design choices will keep them coming back for more, which is always a good thing.

The YMCA is a worldwide youth organization which is located in Geneva, Switzerland and has over 64 million beneficiaries in more than 120 countries. Originally founded by Sir George Williams in London on the 6^th of June, 1844, it aimed to put into effect by promoting a healthy “body, mind and spirit”.  The YMCA has one of the most widely recognized logos in the world beside giants such as Nike, Apple, Adidas and others but it also has some of the most interesting and rich history behind their logo.

The First YMCA Logo:

A meeting for the Eighth Conference of the World Alliance of YMCAs was held in Geneva, Switzerland and one of the things that they wanted to do was to come up with a “distinctive international badge of the Associations”. In the next conference, this logo was revealed.

While the circle is divided into five parts, it embodies the oneness of mankind. The five parts have the names of the five parts of the world (or what they were called at the time). Inside the circle are two Greek letters, Chi and Rho (XP), which are the first two letters of the word Christ, symbolizing that Christ was at the center of the movement.

The Triangle YMCA Logos:

The logo was redesigned in in 1891 by Luther H. Gulick. Luther was a firm believer in physical fitness and transformed the role of sports at the YMCA. His idea for the logo was a red equilateral triangle with the words “Spirit”, “Mind” and “Body” written on it.

The logo was changed again in 1895 when the Canadian and American met at the convention. Luther H. Gulick’s red triangle logo was added to the original logo, combining the two.

A few changes were made to the logo in 1896. The most noticeable change was the addition of a second ring to the logo. The text inside the logo was made hollow and was not filled in with color any longer, amongst other changes. It is commonly thought that the second ring was added as a sign of infinite friendship and love amongst individuals.

1897 saw quite a major change to the YMCA logo. The circles and text inside were dropped entirely with the new logo only consisting of a red, equilateral triangle with a black bar going across the triangle, showing the letters “YMCA”. This was one of logos that remained unchanged for the longest, lasting from 1897 to 1967.

For seventy years, essentially the same logo had been used in some variation or combination with only minor changes being seen. John Root, the general executive of Chicago, had a new design made. The design used a bent bar and a triangle which together made the symbol of “Y”. This design brought a fresh aspect to the logo while also retaining Luther H. Gulick’s traditional red triangle.

In 2010, there was a massive change for the organization. There were big changes made which included the name and logo of the organization. The organization no longer goes by “YMCA”, now simply being known as “The Y”. Three of the main focuses of the organization now include youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The logo was also designed and chosen accordingly, now showcasing the letter “Y” in a bold manner. There are no set colors for the new logo and often a combination of colors is used. This look is used to promote the diversity of the organization. However, the logo still includes the iconic triangle that it has been associated with since 1891. It pays homage and shows that the organization is still the same at its core but has come a long way from where it started.

The YMCA was and is one of the most widely known and recognized organizations in the world with a logo that people can immediately discern. Throughout the years the logo has had symbolic value to the people and the organization. Every change was carefully planned and thought out, often with a vote being taken before any sort of change was allowed or implemented.

The current logo is often used when launching activities. The organizer will upload the designed logo to the internet and customize a batch of enamel pins, for events, festivals, exhibitions, and other occasions. Such small, beautifully crafted pins are the best choice for promotions.

With time, as the world has changed and media has grown, the organization has also made changes to stay in the limelight. The most recent change to the logo was perhaps the most obvious and bold one ever made in the organization’s history but it sends a strong message about how the organization is still what it was years ago but has managed to keep up with the times and focus on current issues instead of staying set in its ways.

If you are looking for a logo designer for your business, you will come across plenty of options to choose from. This may make it complicated for you to decide which logo designer to opt for. It’s important to note that good logo design companies share a certain characteristics that you can notice. If you make sure to check for these during your hunt for the right designer, there’s a good chance that you’ll find the perfect logo design solution that meets your needs down to the tee.

Experience – The More, the Merrier

If you want the best logo designer, look for candidates that have a considerable amount of experience. Think of it this way: a new logo designer will not understand what you are aiming for and thus will not be able to deliver the quality of work you want.

That won’t be the case with an experienced logo designer, as their past experiences will guide them to make fewer mistakes and deliver exceptional work time and time again.

Published Work and Awards Accumulated

A great way to determine if a logo designer is worth your time or not is by verifying if their work has been published in any books or magazines. Find out how recognized a logo designer is in the industry. Also, if they have accumulated any awards, it will testify that the logo designer is worth doing business with.

Positive Reviews and Testimonials

You can tell a lot about a logo designer based on their reviews and testimonials. If a logo designer has a positive track record, it just goes to show they genuinely care about their work. Additionally, by going through reviews and testimonials, you can learn how a logo designer works and whether they will be the right fit for your business.

Exceptional Customer Service

The last thing you need is to start working with a logo designer only for them to stop responding to your emails and calls. The logo designer of your choice has to be present and should be available to communicate with you when you need it.

Great logo designers provide exceptional customer service throughout the process, from the initial email to sales support. Keeping this in mind, there is no reason why you should look for anything less in a logo designer for your business specifically.

Affordable Pricing

The cost of the logo designer will reflect their service. While the statement “you get what you pay for” is accurate to some extent, it should not be taken as the only factor for top-notch quality service from a logo designer demanding top dollar for your work.

While you may be wondering how much a logo costs, the prices vary depending on the required work. For this reason, you should stick to a logo designer that goes the extra mile by drawing up a customized quote for your business.

The factors mentioned above are the most prominent ones that need to be considered to choose the right logo designer for your business. While there may be other factors worth considering, the ones listed in this blog will exceed your expectation in finding an exceptional logo designer for your business.

A logo is the epitome of any brand which strives for longevity and loyalty. Over time, this image is stuck in a consumer’s mind and becomes synonymous with the ‘brand identity’ globally. Hence it is crucial to know what makes the most effective and striking brand logo which resonates with audiences all around. Let us take a look at a particular family of logo: The Wordmark.

What exactly is a Wordmark Logo design?

Keeping things as simplistic and minimalistic as possible, Wordmark (or logotype) refers to fully textually based logos which omit any illustrations, symbols, mascots or thematic elements. The only tools at work here are the vibrant or graceful colors and the font that do the job of typographically displaying the name of the brand itself.

Using a Wordmark type logo design for your business, regardless of the nature of the service it provides, hosts a number of benefits. Thanks to their simplicity and minimal design, these logos are easy to remember and identify your brand with. Since there is not much complexity involved here, the production and modification of these logos over time require less creativity, thinking or effort. Thus little variations will keep the brand’s logo intact and flourishing for years to come. 

Lastly, it might be very intuitive to think that Wordmark logo designs are especially visually appealing for one-word or short-named business brands. This is because as we add more elements and concepts into the logo, it can become cluttered however some businesses with long string of characters in their logo have made it successful too, like the New York Times. So all in all, it shows us the versatility and the universal ease of use of the Wordmark Logo design.

Some popular examples

It is no doubt, Wordmark logos are preferred by titans in the industries around the world with the likes of Disney, Coca Cola and Nintendo utilizing them. This idea further cements their neat design and effective approach at enamoring and capturing the observer’s interest and curiosity.

In every field and category of products, the Wordmark logo is prevalent. A glimpse into electronic families show no shortage of this design as companies like Sony, Haier, Toshiba, Panasonic and Phillips have stuck to this approach for years.

Moving over to social media and e-commerce giants like Facebook, Amazon, eBay and Google, we can see the same pattern of Wordmark logo designs. Among clothing retailers, the trend continues with Marks & Spencer, Zara, Prada and Calvin Klein, brands which have made a huge impact and influence in terms of fashion around the world.

Part of their appeal comes from the sense of promoting professionalism. This is ideal for respected and credible editorial and financial sources including New York Times, Forbes, JP Morgan and TIME all of which boast a simple Wordmark logo approach.

Designing your Wordmark Logo Design

Now that we have looked at the pros of Wordmark logo designs and some inspiring examples to go along with them, it is time to shed some light on good practices when designing the logotype.

Font size and color

Right off the bat, it should be apparent that color palette and font are the most crucial elements to an effective Wordmark logo. Striving for excellence in both of these aspects will result in the creation of an ideal logo. The typeface or font matters a lot to not just  the overall look, but feel and vibe of the logo.

Its’ boldness/thickness determines how valiant of a picture it needs to strike while the space between the letters indicates a stylistic choice and further plays into the elegance of the logo. A narrowly spaced logo can strike a sharper image while widely spaced kerning can muddle viewers. Thus, it is good to strive for the perfect balance when it comes to kerning.

The font type itself also varies from businesses to businesses with most preferring the Serif type. Experiment with some fonts and their stylistic elements until the tone and personification of your business aligns with the outlook of the logo.

For colors, the theme of “what suits your business best” is reiterated. For a more vibrant and lively approach, especially when it comes to toy brands, toddler products or fast-food chains, a diverse spectrum of colors mean the real deal. For a professional touch, especially in terms of media giants or tech-related disciplines, it might be more fitting for a monochromatic color scheme. A good mix-and-match would also be to blend different colors for a single name, like FedEx.

Again, your color choice should take into account the demographic of the audience you are targeting, including their gender and age stats.

Letter casing and shapes

Modifying certain characters of your business name string either by upper or lower casing or accentuating them can make a lot of difference too. What this does is highlight certain parts of the text and brings them to spotlight, so an observer can readily make out the brand logo just by a few letters. Mix-and-matching between upper and lower cases for the Wordmark logo is a stylistic choice and will often work.

Lastly, you can further highlight or put emphasis on certain characters in a logo by enclosing them in a circle, rectangle or any other shape for that matter. BBC is a great example in this regard, almost resembling a simple, timeless clock or calendar whose dial will keep switching but never cease.

Some tools to look out for

Shopify’s Hatchful is a good starting point for creating brand logos, which is free but has additional extensions for $8.99. Meanwhile, Designhill also has an extensive library of tools to work out and experiment with various tools, starting out at $250. Wix.com has been an emerging talent in this field too, so they can also cater to tailor-made business logos where you can hire a professional designer too.

Conclusion

A Wordmark logo design can do wonders for your minimalistic approach to promoting your brand image. It is the working of many careful factors like font weight, color, spacing, casing and playing around with shapes. Keeping your audience in mind while designing these logos and resorting to current examples of big brands and feedback from audience is the ideal way towards an effective Wordmark logo.