I talk a lot about logos and design, so I was surprised to see a lot of discussion on how little legal commentators think the logos and “look” matter.

On “What About Clients”, Dan Hull writes “Law Firm Logos are Goofy, Useless, and a Waste of Time and Money.” In the article, Hull goes on to say that “quality service and not logos should be the main event” and “if you don’t have a logo, don’t bother to develop one.”

If your firm is the only one in a market, then maybe I agree. Let’s say you have a firm that specializes in Chimney Sweeping Law. That’s all your firm handles, and there isn’t another firm on earth that does. Then, I’d say you shouldn’t even bother with a logo. Since you’re the only one around, you really don’t have to worry about recognition. In fact, if you don’t have a web site, don’t bother developing a pretty one. Instead, on a white background, just have this:

“This is the site of Soot & Sweep, LLP. Call us at 1-800-CHIMNEY”

Then you’re done.

But if you’re in any other industry, chances are you have lots of competition. And when you have a lot of competition, you need to set your firm apart.

I’m not saying logos are the answer. I doubt there has ever been a time when a client looking for legal services and selects a firm by looking at logos alone.

Instead, logos are just another way to be recognized. Only after a prospect has learned about your firm (and others) would a logo help. It is something that sticks in the back of their mind, associating something visual with a level of service.

Though we might not want to admit it, design is important in our purchasing decisions. While we don’t buy a product or service because we really love a logo, we may surely decide not to buy if we perceive a company to be unprofessional.

Think of a prospect looking for legal services that does not already have a lead. They do some research and Google searches, and get a list of firms that can do the work. They go to one site and see a professionally designed site that projects a feeling of expertise. They go to the next and see this:

My feeling is that if you have great service, you should have great presentation as well. You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money to get that.

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