How To Create Your Own Landscaping Company Logo [With Zero Design Experience]

Thinking of creating a logo for your landscaping business?

The easy option is to slap your business name under the silhouette of a tree and call it a day. But a dull, generic and lifeless logo makes your business look equally dull, generic and lifeless.

Read on to discover how to create a memorable logo that lets people know you’re the go-to option for stunning outdoor transformations.

Starting or running a landscaping business comes with a long ‘to-do’ list.

From finding the right team to organizing equipment; getting your licenses and registrations in order to figuring out business and marketing plans.

With so much to get done, most landscapers rank “create a logo” somewhere around #248 on their list of things to do.

But when it comes to a landscaping business, your logo is the “face” of your company and needs to be designed carefully and with a clear plan. The right logo can help drive new and repeat business – just as the wrong logo can leave you invisible.

Whether you’ve spent decades working outdoors or you’re launching your first landscaping company, we’ll cover:

• What a landscaping logo should make people feel
• Why you NEED a logo (even if you’ve got customers already)
• Your logo creation options (we’ll cover the ‘Big 3’)
• DIY logo tips if you’re ready to start designing
• Plus a few design hacks to help you create an awesome logo today

It may not get the same recognition as your earthmoving skills or your patio-building talent, but your logo is the most visible asset you have.

A logo goes on your website, Facebook Page, business cards, uniforms, vehicles, marketing materials – pretty much everywhere people see you. And with your logo visible everywhere, it’s got a HUGE job – to make people “feel” something.

Your landscaping logo should evoke positive feelings in two types of people:

• Current customers who have already hired your services
• Potential customers who are looking for a landscaping service

For current customers, a logo should trigger positive feelings and emotions. Seeing your logo should make customers think “oh, we had a great experience with that landscaper, is it time we hired them again?”.

And for potential customers your logo should trigger feelings of curiosity and excitement. Seeing your logo should make potential customers think “oh, we need landscaping help and that business looks professional and modern, is it time we asked for a quote?”.

It doesn’t matter how many patios you’ve built or how many cubic feet of soil you’ve shifted. Your logo can make or break your landscaping business by telling a story about your brand and communicating your values.

“Do I need a logo if I already have customers for my landscaping business?”

If you want to stand out in your local area and drive repeat business, you need a logo even if your sales pipeline is full. Here’s why…

If you were looking at two glasses of cola, which would you choose?

The two glasses look identical, and most people can’t tell the difference between brands of cola in a blind taste test anyway, so flavor won’t help you pick a clear winner. In the end, it’s a coin toss as to which glass you drink from.

But if you saw these logos on each glass of cola, you’d know EXACTLY which drink you preferred…

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Whether you prefer Coke or Pepsi comes down to your experiences with those brands in the past. Just seeing these logos is enough to make you choose your favorite cola and your landscaping logo will work in the same way.

The landscaping industry is worth $105 billion worldwide, so you’ll face competition no matter what city or country you operate in. If your customers are choosing between you and other landscaping companies without a logo, it’s a coin toss.

But when a former customer is comparing your business with another landscaper and they see your logo, they’ll remember positive experiences – and those positive interactions mean they’re more likely to hire you again and again.

Are you using these landscape marketing strategies yet? Access our not-so-secret tactics for marketing any landscaping business

Keen to come up with an awesome logo but stuck for ideas?

Start by researching your competition’s logos to get a feel for the landscape

Your competition has already gone through the process of creating their own landscaping logos, so use their hard work to help save you some time.

If you know the local landscapers you’re up against you can search for them on Google to find their logo. 9 times out of 10 these logo designs will be visible on their homepage (typically towards the top of the page or in their website footer), so you can get an immediate feel for the type of logos you’ll be competing with to attract attention.

You can also type “landscapers near me” into Google for a list of local businesses if you’re not sure who your competition are.

Once you’ve found enough landscapers (we recommend a minimum of 10 to provide a good cross-section of designs), divide them into two columns:

• Logos you LOVE
• Logos you HATE

This will help you identify the features that you want to emulate in your own landscaping logo, as well as the features you want to avoid. Taking a cross-section of the logo landscape will also help you create a design that stands out.

For example, if every landscaper uses the silhouette of a tree, you’ll want to opt for a visual that’s unique to avoid blending in with the crowd. Here’s an example of what your Love/Hate research might look like:

Don’t have time to research your competition? Check the 10 landscaping apps you NEED to use if you want to save 10+ hours a week

You’ve identified what you love and what you hate in your own potential logo design, now you’re ready to start your landscape logo journey.

There are three primary ways for you to create a logo:

• Design your own logo using logo-making software
• Hire a freelance logo designer
• Hire a professional design agency

Each of these options comes with their own pros and cons, which we’ll break down for you right now.

Absolutely.

There are a range of online logo-making platforms and tools that let you create your own landscaping logo.

These tools are ideal for beginners as you won’t be building the logo from scratch, but using pre-made elements to put together a final design. For example, if you love the imagery of a design but not the colors, it’s easy to switch the colors with the click of a button.

Or, if you’re not happy with the font, change the text to suit your needs. You can even drag and drop design elements with many logo makers, so it’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind logo that no other landscaper will have.

Here are a few of our favorite online logo makers (free and paid) to help you get started:

• Canva [Free | Paid templates available]
• Logo Makr [Free | $299 for a custom logo]
• GraphicSprings [4 Paid Packages | $19.99 to $199.99/month]
• Wix Logo Maker [Basic logo $12.99 | Pro logo $49.99]
• BrandMark [Basic plan $25 one off | Designer $65 one off | Enterprise $175 one off]
• Tailor Brands [Basic plan $9.99/month | Standard plan $19.99/month | Premium plan $49.99/month]

“What are the pros and cons of an online logo maker?”

If you’re busy running your business or don’t want the hassle of designing your own logo, the next option is to hire a freelancer to create a logo for you.

This can be a cost-effective option for your business, which helps if you’re just starting out or looking to keep costs low.

Thankfully, it’s easy to find and compare freelance logo designers thanks to the rise of online marketplaces. These websites allow freelance logo makers to show off their previous work and share their prices so you can browse to find a designer who suits your needs.

Check out the following websites to compare logo designers and get quotes without committing to a sale:

Each platform and freelancer will come with their own rules and inclusions, for example a set number of logo revisions, or the ability to download a scaleable vector file (as opposed to a JPEG file which can quickly become distorted when being resized to suit different formats).

You often get what you pay for when hiring a freelance logo designer though, so it pays to browse the sites above and do your homework before you commit to a sale.

“What are the pros and cons of a freelance logo designer?”

Professional logos are typically made by branding agencies.

Since these agencies specialize in the overall branding experience, you’re not just paying for top notch design (though you will have access to highly skilled graphic designers). You’re also paying for the strategy behind your new logo.

While a freelancer might have picked colors based on your suggestions, a branding agency will figure out which colors are most likely to stand out in your market, help establish your credibility, and are most likely to lead to sales.

Presenting a brand consistently at every touch point can boost sales by 23%, so if you’ve already got an aesthetic for your landscaping company, a professional agency can work to create a logo that complements what you’ve built.

Going for the agency option is the most expensive, but the pay-off is worth it.

Anyone could take a shovel to their backyard to try and build a retaining wall, but it takes a pro to make sure there’s adequate drainage and strength to withstand the soil pressure. When you pay for experts, you get expert results.

No matter who you choose to design your new logo, the finished version should look professional and eye-catching – but the goal isn’t to win design awards.

The goal is to put your business at the front of people’s minds when a). they need a landscaper and they’re trying to think of one and b). when they see your logo on a truck or website and want to learn more about you.

If you’re planning to design your own logo, or you want to stay involved in the design process, there are 4 crucial characteristics you need to take into account:

• Simple
• Relevant
• Memorable
• Timeless

Read on to discover how to nail each characteristic.

A great logo is a simple logo.

Simple logos are easy to remember, and will trigger a connection to your business instantly.

Simple logos are also easy to use across multiple touch points. Whether it’s the front of your uniform, the back of your truck, or as a tiny profile picture on your work Instagram account, a simple design can be resized to suit any medium without losing punch.

For example, if your design was an intricate garden drawn in charcoal it might look great on a sheet of A4 paper, but as a small image on Facebook it can end up looking like a blurry smudge.

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Is your landscaping logo relevant to the services you provide?

If you don’t build pergolas, you wouldn’t want to include a pergola as part of your logo design. There’s no need to overthink this characteristic, just make sure your design is connected to your business in a clear and obvious way.

Whether it’s a focus on ethical landscaping, working in inner city yards, or luxury landscaping services, your logo should be connected to who you are and what you do.

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Your new logo doesn’t have to be as memorable as the McDonald’s Golden Arches or a Nike swoosh, but it should stick in people’s minds and offer instant recall when they see it after days, weeks or months.

Creating memorable designs can be done by using unique shapes, contrasting colors, or eye-catching images. The worst outcome is to vanish in a crowd of similar-looking landscape logos, so get creative to stand out.

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Trends turn into cliches. You don’t want to be changing your landscaping logo every 2 years because the design was jumping on a bandwagon and has quickly gone out of date. Whether it’s the font you use, the colors you use, or the design elements you include, make sure your logo will stand out in 1991, 2021 and 2041.

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You’ve found a logo design tool that’s easy to use and won’t break the bank, now you’re ready to flex your creative muscle.

Before you add ‘logo designer’ to your CV, here are a few common mistakes to avoid.

If you’re using a logo building tool you’ll be able to pick a logo template and have a finished design in minutes.

But beware choosing a generic design and thinking “that’s the job done”.

Generic images are forgettable. Think of a lightbulb to represent a bright idea, or hands shaking to represent teamwork. So if you plan on using a single tree to represent lawn care, you risk disappearing in the crowd.

Not customizing landscaping logo templates puts you at risk of using the same logo as the thousand other landscapers who found the same logo design software as you.

HOW TO AVOID THIS MISTAKE: Make changes to the design, whether it’s a darker shade of green to match your company branding, or switching out an image because it doesn’t suit your target area.

The landscaping industry includes 604,163 businesses in 2021, so you’re competing with countless other landscapers whether you work on residential properties, commercial yards, or on seasonal projects.

To help create a point of difference, make sure you add ONE truly memorable feature to your logo design. This could be your font, your illustration, even the layout of your logo.

You don’t want people to think your landscaping company is the same as the next landscaping company in the phonebook, so don’t let your logo become run-of-the-mill.

There’s no rule that says you need to pay hundreds of dollars for a logo – in fact you can find free logo makers online and design your own logo for free.

But if you do opt to hire someone, whether it’s a freelance graphic designer or an agency who’s worked with landscapers and outdoor contractors before, don’t choose a logo on price.

Spending $10 on a logo feels like a win when you look at your weekly expenses, but if that logo ends up making people think your business is worth roughly $10, then it’s actually a huge loss.

This applies to any of your friends who claim they can make logos, as well as bargain basement prices online. If a logo designer claims they can make a landscaping logo for a few bucks, odds are they’re using a simple template and selling the same thing to landscapers around the world.

The takeaway here? You don’t need to overspend for a memorable logo, but you shouldn’t underspend either.

Your landscaping business won’t always be the first that comes to mind. Whether people are checking out social media for local landscaping accounts or comparing landscapers from Google, your logo is how you stand out from the crowd.

If you plan to DIY your own logo – or want input when working with a pro – it helps to know some of the logo design best practices.

So what makes a great landscape logo?

That’s a great question, here are a few logo design tips to help you create something awesome.

Simple logos are effective logos.

Think of McDonald’s, Nike or Apple. You can picture these logos because they keep things simple, which makes them easier to recall.

Your landscaping logo should feature:

• The name or initials of your business
• An image
• Maximum of two fonts
• Maximum of three colors

And that’s it.

If your logo becomes too busy, it’ll be harder to remember, and you’ll lose potential customers who think of your competition instead of you when they’re in need of a backyard project.

Even if you provide the most basic of services, customers want a place to check you out online. Websites have become a standard way for businesses to share who they are and what they provide. It can seem like you have something to hide or offer less attention to detail if you simply don’t have one.

Fancy fonts look great on a laptop while you’re designing your logo. But once you shrink that bad boy down to a few pixels to squeeze into your Instagram profile picture, or to add to the footer of your website, that font becomes impossible to read.

You’ll be scaling your logo up and down to add to social media posts, invoice letterheads and letterbox drops, so pick a font that doesn’t look like a squiggly mess of lines.

Finding the perfect balance of colors is just as important as nailing your font, with color improving brand recognition by up to 80%.

If your colors don’t match then your logo may look jarring, and that’s not going to help create those positive feelings we’ve been talking about.

95% of the world’s most well-known brands use just TWO colors in their logo – think Starbucks (green and white), Target (red and white), and Spotify (green and white). That doesn’t mean you need to limit yourself to two colors, but opt for three as a maximum to avoid unsightly clashes.

TRADIE DIGITAL TIP: Your colors and your font need to work together. If your font is hard to read or clashes with your colors, consider going back to the drawing board.

Your logo-making skills have gone from 0 to 100 and you’re ready to bring a new logo to life – whether it’s through a logo-making tool online, a freelancer you trust, or a specialist logo design agency.

If you’ve been inspired to build a logo, updating your website will be next on your ‘to-do’ list.

Just as building a logo is easier when you have a roadmap to follow, building a website is easy with user-friendly website builders like Pedestal – the website builder created specifically for landscapers, lawn care experts and outdoor contractors.

With a focus on ROI, Pedestal websites generate 26.7% more leads than other website builders, and come pre-optimized with marketing strategies embedded in the design, so you can spend less time worrying about where to put your pictures and more time managing the quote requests that will be coming your way.

Click here to start your FREE trial and create your own Pedestal website within the hour.