Logo or website first?
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
Short answer: settle the brand direction first, then build the website on it. The logo is only part of that. What matters is that the colours, type, tone and photography are decided before a single page is laid out.
The exception is when you need something live this week. A one-page holding site is fine then, as long as you treat it as temporary.
Why the brand comes first
A website is made of your brand: the colours, the type, the way you write and the photos you use. If those are not decided, the site is built on guesses, and when the real brand arrives the site has to be redone. That is a common way new businesses end up paying twice.
What brand first actually means
- A name you have checked is free to use: the business name register, the domain and a trade mark search.
- A logo and a colour palette.
- Fonts, and a simple voice: how you write and how you talk.
- A starting set of real photos of you, your work or your space.
When the website can come first
If you are taking bookings next week and have nothing online, a single page with who you are, what you do, a phone number and a form is better than nothing. Keep it plain, and plan to replace it once the brand is done.
Mistakes that cost money
- Buying a logo from a template site and building the website before checking the name is free to use.
- Using stock photos on the site and planning to swap them later.
- Choosing a website platform before you know what the site has to do: bookings, quotes, products.
Doing both, in the right order
This is the order Urban Launch follows: lock the offer, build the brand, then the website and the shoot, then go live. The reason is the one above. The ten steps are on the how a business launch works page.
More guides for new businesses
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Business name vs company name in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- Website checklist before you launch a small business site
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to choose a .com.au domain name
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- Do I need a brand before I get a website?
- Not before you come to us, because we do both, in order. We lock what you sell and who it is for first (the Offer Lock), then build your brand, then the website on top of it. If you only want a logo, Urban Launch is not the right fit.
- Can I get a logo and a website at the same time?
- Yes, if the brand is settled first. At the same time works when the colours, type and tone are agreed before the site is laid out. What causes trouble is building pages before those decisions exist.
- What if I only have budget for one?
- Start with the brand basics (name, logo, colours, type) and a simple one-page site built on them. A small site that matches a clear brand beats a large site on a rough one.
- Do I need professional photos for a new business?
- Not on day one, but real photos of you, your work or your space make a site look established far faster than stock images. If the budget is tight, plan the shoot after the brand and before you spend on ads.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.