Can the colors that you use on your website actually help to make or break its success? It seems far-fetched, but there is research to support the claim.
Color and Perception
In fact, psychologists have spent years studying how color affects human perception. They theorize that certain colors may make you hungry, excited, sad, curious or happy. Now, experienced website builders are taking note of these findings and using them to their advantage.
Color Sets the Mood
The reality is that colors affect how people feel. The eyes perceive a color, and this is communicated to the hypothalamus in the brain. This communication results in a variety of signals being sent to the pituitary gland, through the endocrine system and straight to the glands in the thyroid. The thyroid, of course, is responsible for releasing hormones into the human body. Those hormones can be powerful, influencing mood and behavior.
Color Influences Buying Decisions
People who study color psychology estimate that when people assess a product, color is the number-one, overriding factor in their consideration. Many consumers make a split-second, albeit perhaps subconscious, decision regarding whether or not they are going to something based almost solely on the color.
Color Use Drives Website Conversion
Whether webmasters realize it or not, color psychology also is at work on their websites. The colors that they choose for the main elements on the pages and the buttons that visitors use to make purchases really do make a difference. Choose the right color, and your conversions may skyrocket. Go with the wrong color, and you may find yourself dealing with a dismal conversion rate.
Color and Distinctive Branding Go Together
Big organizations put a great deal of time, money and effort into . This includes the company name and a distinctive logo, but these aren’t the only considerations. Of primary importance is the color in which the logo and brand name are presented.
Accordingly, it makes sense to put some serious thought into the colors that you use on your website. The backgrounds, borders, hero graphics, popups and buttons all need to present a coordinated color strategy. Even more important than coordination is choosing colors that will have website visitors clicking on the “buy” button.
Colors Need to Match the Business
When it comes to using colors on websites, it feels a bit like the stars have to be in alignment. The colors have to be right for your brand and be appealing to your target audience.
We can see a great example of this use of colors with . The organization is fairly conservative, and so is its clientele. Splashy oranges, yellows and greens are probably not the way to go. Instead, tones of white, black, silver and navy blue are preferable. These colors are classic and pleasing to the eye. Moreover, they may be suggestive of trustworthiness and reliability, characteristics that most people would value when it comes to protecting their personal data from cyber criminals.
Alternatively, consider the case of a party planning business. Fun and vibrant events are their specialties. They do everything from birthday gatherings for six-year-olds to retirement parties for business executives. This may call for some brighter, more energizing colors. Red, yellow and orange wouldn’t be out of place. Plus, you might see some pinks and purples, depending upon the event. Whatever specific colors are chosen, they should evoke feelings of fun and excitement.
Gender Matters
It also may be profitable to consider the gender of your typical customer. Research suggests that women gravitate toward blue, purple and green while they are repelled by orange, brown and gray. Men are different. Like women, they prefer blue and green, but black is a favorite too. Most of them dislike brown, orange and purple. The upshot is that if your business is primarily geared toward either women or men, then you should take these gender-based likes and dislikes into consideration when creating a color scheme for your website.
Colors for Call to Action Buttons
Many website gurus swear by using green on call to action buttons. Typically associated with all things natural and environmentally friendly, it seems that green also is an effective hue when it is used on website elements like “buy,” “add to cart” and “submit” buttons. It is especially effective when it is the only green element on the page. Researchers say that this is because of something called the “isolation effect.” When the conversion step on your website is the only green element, users can’t help but be drawn to it.
Other colors also perform well when it comes to increasing conversions. Orange is a particular favorite of web designers as you can tell by this typical . Note the recommended purchase choices are accompanied in each instance by a big orange button. Red and yellow convert well in this environment also.
Darker colors tend to exhibit low conversion rates. Either people don’t see them or the dark colors are actually de-motivational. Overall, orange is not a favorite color of either men or women. Red can be the color of danger, and yellow is often used as a warning. If these colors are generally distasteful, why do they perform so well from a website conversion standpoint?
The answer may be that these oft-reviled colors can’t help but draw attention. Someone perusing a website can’t keep their eyes from migrating toward those call to action buttons in colors like red, orange and yellow. This is why you may want to choose an overall color scheme for your website, but then use call to action buttons in contrasting colors like green, red, yellow or orange.
Final Thought
Of course, white space also can be a wonderful thing on a website. Don’t neglect or banish this restful shade from your pages. It’s what lets your visitors feel like they can relax and breathe while browsing. Plus, it will make the other colors that you choose pop off the page.