BAC Software Consulting

Logo design is a challenging and creative task for a graphic design professional. It involves painstaking hours of research and brainstorming apart from the actual design work. It is possible to use various types of design elements for making stunning logos. A number of designers use various types of symbols for logo design. Some professionals also use symbols with text shapes for creating the desired effect. However, designing a logo relates with getting a grasp on human psychology. Graphic designers should be careful about using symbols in logos because certain symbols may have various connotations and their aptness may vary depending on the region and audience in some instances.

Logo design companies can use symbols for their clients´ logos after doing thorough research on the brand and their target customers. Some symbols are commonly used for many purposes, and by using them the designers may risk losing the exclusiveness of their design. The aim of a logo is sending a positive message and establishing brand identity among prospective customers. For example, sports teams often use various forms of crests and shields for their logos. They also use the abbreviated form of their names on or around the shape. Sometimes, organizations that have a rich legacy and association with heritage also use these symbols in their logos.

Animals are often used in logo design. They are used in different contexts. Animals like dogs stand for loyalty and devotion and they are used in logos of brands that want to portray commitment to customers. However, animals can also be used in the company logos that sell security and anti-theft devices. Brands selling products targeted at Women often resort to using small birds and cute animals in their logos. Before using animals in logos, designers should consider the countries where the products or services will be sold. This is essential as same animals are seen differently by people in various parts of the world. In addition, simple geometric shapes like triangles, ovals and rectangles are often used in logo design.

Arrows signify momentum and development. Globe shapes are used in the logo of companies that have a worldwide presence. Human heart shapes are used in logos of health related entities including hospitals and Health maintenance organization. Tree shapes are used in logos of organizations that deal with environmental issues, reflecting the concept of longevity and strength. Human figures and body parts like hands and eyes are sometimes used in logo design. Cartoon illustrations are used in logos of brands that sell kids products.

Using common symbols in logo design can be advantageous because target users can relate with them without much difficulty. A restaurant can use symbols like plates and forks in its logo sending a clear message about its services. It is also important to use proper colors with certain symbols, using many colors in a symbol can mar the look of a logo.

There are numerous ways that a Web developer can make the page a little more SEO friendly. If you are the Webmaster and Web developer, you will be able to add the SEO elements to your page and fill them out at the same time. This will make optimizing your pages a little easier and quicker.

Here are the 10 Web design tips that will improve your SEO.

1. Add the Meta tags

These are what the Webmaster is supposed to fill in whenever the page is finalized with content. The Web developer should add the Meta tags so that the Webmaster can fill the content, and if you are the developer and Webmaster, then you may as well add the keywords for the page as you are developing it.

2. Block any page that you do not want Search Engines to read

These may be pages that have duplicate content. For example, a lot of your checkout pages may be very similar and they may not be optimized for search engines. You can block the search engines from reading them so that they do not drag down your SEO. You will also stop them from being indexed and appearing on the SERPs. No one is going to click to view a checkout page. Use robots.txt file to block pages from Search Engines.

3. A Clean HTML is all you need on your page

Search engines are built to read HTML, so you need to make sure that the bulk of every page is made up of HTML. You also need to make the script clean and easy for the search engines to read and index.

4. Design the pages so that they can be updated

You may add certain elements to a page so that updates may be added. You may also install a widget that tells the readers and the search engines when a page has been updated. It may simply be a case of leaving room at the bottom so that a page may be continually added to (a bit like a blog).

5. Add sections with Header tags

The Header tags are used to show the search engines what parts of the text are important for the overall page. Use heading tags to emphasize important text. If you are just the developer then lay out the page so that the Webmaster may add text between header tags.

6. Make your URLs search engine friendly

You do this by adding keywords and keeping your URLs simple. Keywords can be added from your page titles. If you add keywords, then the search engines will have a better idea of what your Web page is about. It is better than simply numbering your web pages or fusing symbols. It also makes it easier for people to read too. Also in a URL, use only lower cas and add dashes between words as opposed to spaces and underscore.

7. Put your non-HTML scripts outside of your HTML page

If you are using JavaScript, then externalize the script. Make the page call the scripts from an external source instead of putting the JavaScript code within the HTML page itself. This is all part of making your HTML cleaner so that search engines can index it better.

8. Use a search engine friendly navigation

Having a search bar is okay, but you have to remember that the search engines cannot do much with it. So have a system of links that point to your most important pages. For example, at the top of each page you could have links to your product categories and links to your home page. You can even install drop down lists that make navigating through each category easier.

9. Use W3C standards to design your Web pages

If you stick to the W3C standards then your code will come out clean and well formed. This is good for your SEO, because it makes the job of the web crawlers a little bit easier. Also conforming to standards ensures that your Web pages display properly on many browsers and on different versions. It is important to validate your Web pages.

10. When you add images, make sure you add the ALT attribute too

If you add images to your Web pages, then use the alt attribute to describe them. The alt attribute specify alternative text that appears if the image does cannot be displayed. Search engines will judge what your image is about by the ALT text that you enter. A good description in your ALT text will be good for your SEO. Also the alt attribute is used by screen reader software so that a person who is listening to the content of a Webpage (example, a blind person) can interact with this element.