The success of your business is contingent on several factors. High-quality products, effective marketing strategies, the ability to make wise investment decisions, and lots of other aspects determine the successful operation and growth of your business. Still, apart from the major factors, there are less noticeable things that can still influence the way your brand is perceived and evaluated. And an effective letterhead is one such thing.
A business letterhead is essentially a pre-printed heading that appears on your official documents, usually those that you hand or send to your customers. They can be official letters, notifications, agreements, etc. And if you want to improve your business image, and make it appear more credible, you definitely want to have a professionally designed letterhead in place. Today, it’s easier than ever to do this. You can come up with a unique letterhead design that can help bring out your brand personality and instantly hook your prospects’ attention. But to do this, you should know what an effective business letterhead should look like.
Keep It Simple
Not all business owners possess artistic taste or designer skills. Should it be the case, steer clear of any fancy elements and adopt a minimalist approach. Make sure to include the minimum of the required business credentials like your logo, registered name, and contact information to maintain a clear, uncluttered look of your documentation.
Add in Visual Guidance
The goal of your business correspondence is to make your readers take specific actions. And your letterhead should also encourage your addressees to do the same. For this, you want to add some visual cues to your letterhead design to guide your readers in the right direction. Again, you don’t need to go overboard with such elements. Something as simple as black-and-white arrows or pointing finger signs can do the trick.
When deciding on your visual indicators, you should always be mindful of your business nature and specific goals. Visual cues can go a long way in helping the information in your document flow and encourage your customers to take action. That said, should you feel that your business letterhead already looks complete and effective, you can steer clear of using any directional elements.
Spruce It Up with Images or Illustrations
If you own a creative business like an event agency, wedding salon, production center, or florist shop, you can safely opt for colorful illustrations or relevant images to frame your business letter. This can help you emphasize your business individuality and spark your customers’ interest in your brand. As a creative business owner, you can experiment with colors and photos. You can either use your own pictures or take advantage of customizable letterhead templates with their library of stock images.
Use Colors Sparingly
If your business isn’t connected with any creative industry, you should show restraint when it comes to picking colors for your letterhead. While bold colors can catch attention, they can look out-of-place on official documents of reputable companies. With this in mind, you want to go with two (three tops!) contrasting colors when designing your letterhead. As a rule of thumb, you can spruce up your headers, borders, and important phrases in your text by adding simple yet effective colors. Ideally, they should align with your branding colors to increase your brand recognition and elicit a proper response from your readers.
If you’re not sure what colors can suit your business best, consider consulting with an experienced graphic designer or at least going over the most recent design trends to decide on the most appropriate color scheme.
Showcase Your Logo
Last but not least, you need to ensure that your letterhead design not only includes your logo but also makes the most of it.
Your logo is what makes your company recognizable across your correspondence. So, you definitely want to allocate the most prominent place for this essential element in your letterhead design. Make sure to complement your logo with appropriate calligraphy and brand fonts. For consistent branding, it’s also a good idea to place your logo at the beginning and the end of some letters. For a clear and formidable effect, go for a larger version of your logo and put it at the center of your front page.
