Color is used all the time in marketing and business to illicit different reactions in consumers. The power of color actually has psychological effects on people. It isn’t difficult to understand when you think about the color red. The first thought many people have when they see red is “stop.” This is because it is a conditioned response due to the fact that red is so often used for signs and labels that are telling you to stop or not do something. In business, you can use color in your website design to get a better response from visitors.
Use in the Right Places
There are many places on your website and within your design where you can use color. Mainly, the best use of colors that you want to impact your visitors will be in the background, text, borders and buttons. Typically, you want to develop a color scheme that goes along with your brand. It should show up in your logo and be identifiable as your business’ colors. This is a common marketing tool.
Match Your Audience
You also need to match your colors to your audience. If you have an older crowd, your colors should be more refined. On the other hand, if your audience is kids, then you can get away with bright colors. There are certain colors that appeal more to certain groups. For example, women react better to purple, green and blue than brown, gray and orange while men are the exact opposite.
Think About Color Associations
When you make your own website and are choosing colors, make sure that you think about the underlying color associations, like red, as mentioned before. Most colors have some association with a feeling that most people will relate it to. Blue, for example, is often associated with trust whereas yellow is often used for warnings. However, colors can have more than one association. Blue often relates to peace or calm. Yellow is often used for happiness and good cheer.
Make sure that you understand how a color can come across based on the other things on your website and how it is being used. You want the right message to come across. Black is a good example of a color that can come across wrong. If used the right way, it can be elegant. However, if it is too dominant, it can be depressing.
Use White Smartly
You shouldn’t be overwhelming your visitors with color. Using color strategically is important. So, make sure that you still have some white. White is a color that evokes the feeling of freedom and can help make a site avoid feeling cluttered. Too much white can be dull, though. You should use white carefully so it is effective without being too dull.
Choosing the right colors to use on your website is an important decision. Color has a bigger impact than you might imagine. You want to put together a color design that will create the right atmosphere and speak to your brand. The colors you choose should be chosen carefully with thought put into the responses they may illicit.
