The first and most important design element of your website is your corporate identity (aka, your logo). It is the cornerstone of your page design because it sets the tone, personality, color palette, and typography for the site. Your identity should be the first step in your design exploration, and it is worth the investment to have a qualified graphic designer create your logo. An experienced, professional identity designer will need a thorough understanding of your organization, customers, and products to channel his or her thought process. You should be offered multiple concepts from which to choose, and they should be presented in black and white. A solid logo should stand on its own without color. The logo should scale easily from a tiny newspaper advertisement to a billboard and to do this requires a vector-based design file (not a bitmap designed in Photoshop). Ideally, the identity includes usage guidelines that specify color variations, spacing, placement, and trademark requirements for your company and third-parties who use your logo. Whether it is word-mark, illustration, or stylized text, the general rule is - keep it simple. Used diligently and properly over time, the ROI from your brand identity will elevate your business and bring competitive advantages.