The colors used on your website do more than simply make the web pages look attractive.
They’re proven to heavily influence consumer behavior and conversion rates.
Studies have suggested that visual appearance could account for up to 93% of how a customer behaves when viewing a web page.
That, if nothing else, should explain exactly how important color is. Some colors can help turn up the sales, others can draw in your target audience, while yet others can even turn away potential customers.
Here’s a little sneak peek into the impact that some of the most commonly-used colors have on your website and brand appeal.
White and Black
Let’s start with monochrome. White is perhaps the most commonly preferred background because it gives the impression of freedom.
Psychologically, it allows users to believe that they are in control of their movement across the various pages in a site, thus making them feel more at ease.
Black, on the other hand, is perceived as a symbol of class and elegance, and works best for sites that offer luxury products and services.
Warm Colors
Not all warm colors (like red, orange, and yellow) wield the same effect on your audience. Red, for example, is conventionally associated with danger, and is considered a warning sign.
Research shows that perhaps because of this, red call-to-action buttons have the highest success rates.
Another interesting characteristic of this hot color is that it tends to stimulate the brain and increase cravings; this explains why a number of popular and successful food chains and beverage labels (such as KFC, Coca-Cola, and Burger King) are predominantly red in color.
Moving on to orange, we find that it represents aggression and excitement. It comes as no surprise that orange works beautifully for sites that are targeting impulsive buyers.
And finally, yellow is traditionally recognized as a hue that reinforces warmth and energy, and helps brands stand out from their peers (think Nikon, IMDb, and again, McDonalds).
Cool Hues
Blue and green are commonly considered to be cooler shades, and survey shows that both these colors tend to have a great deal of positive impact on the viewers.
Green, in particular, is associated with nature, wealth, and environmental-friendliness.
So, for instance, if your website intends to target an eco-friendly audience, green is the way to go.
When used in lighter tones, such as teal, this color is also a fitting choice for attracting shoppers who are on a tight budget. Blue, on the other hand, expresses reliability and trustworthiness, which happens to be the primary driving force behind improved conversion rates.
This is why most banks use the color blue extensively on their websites.
Also, since blue can indicate health, several pharmaceutical brands and health-related companies opt for this cool color. Violet, which is basically an extension of blue, has an entirely different impact on the user; it conveys creativity and inspiration, making it an ideal choice for blogs and sites that deal with art in its various forms.
Note: If you want us to improve your website, we'd love to help find the best colors for your website. Get in touch.
Earthy Tones and Neutral Shades
When you think of earthy tones, brown is what first comes to mind. Used in various levels of intensity, it can signify both affordability (in lighter shades) and affluence (in rich, deep shades).
Gray, which happens be everybody’s favorite neutral color, is popularly known among color psychology enthusiasts as an ‘anesthetic to the mind.’
This is because it instills a sense of tranquility in the viewer’s brain, and exudes class and superiority (recall the logos for Mercedes Benz and Swarovski).
So, What Is The ‘Right’ Color Palette?
That depends on what you intend to sell, who your target audience are, and what you seek to achieve through your website.
For instance, studies show that if you seek to draw in more women, blue, green, and purple work substantially better than gray, brown, and orange.
Men, on the other hand, have preferred black, blue, and green over purple, brown, and orange.
So, when it comes to designing your website, it’s best to forget about what appeals to your individual tastes, and instead, to pick the combination whose impact is in keeping with the goal of your business.
Note: We do this type of work for our clients day-in and day-out. If you need help with your website design, or colors please contact us.