Designing a website that looks great and attracts visitors requires considerable skill. Colour palette choice can have a remarkable impact on the success or failure of a site, so careful thought needs to be given to wow target audiences and increase conversions.
The power of colour
Psychologists have long recognised the power of colour to influence our emotions. According to Psychology Today the powerful influence of colour rules our choices in everything from the food we eat and the clothes we wear to the cars we buy. 90% of all product assessments are influenced by colour.
Colour choice
Deciding which colours to use throughout your website can be determined by a number of things. Understanding a little about the associations of colour and its effects on mood or emotions is also useful.
Target audience
Colour choice can be decided upon according to your target audience. Psychologists have proven, for instance, that age can be a factor in colour preferences. Older people tend to prefer muted or neutral colours that are easier to read, whilst younger people find brighter, vivid colours more alluring. A website selling baby products may get more conversions when opting for softer palettes compared to heavy tones. Colour preferences can also be influenced by gender. Research shows men prefer blue and orange to red and yellow, whilst females prefer red and blue to yellow and orange. Avoid making prejudices, however, when choosing colours. According to Entrepreneur most people think that the universally loved female colour is pink. It’s not.
Country specific
Website colours should be given consideration based on where the target audience resides. If you are aiming to appeal on a global scale, then be aware of different colour associations in other countries. What may have a positive connotation in one country, may be regarded with distaste in another. White, for example, is commonly used in website design and symbolises purity in western countries. In the Far East, however, white is considered unlucky.
Brand identity
Clues as to suitable colour choices for a website can be taken from a brand identity or logo. This can reinforce the image, message and the brand. Taking the familiar brand colours and playing with tone and contrast slightly can work well, but if you deviate too much from the recognised palette of colours, it can cause confusion, which may turn visitors away from a site.
Professional approach
Since colour choice is so important, it’s worth employing the services of a professional design agency, such as web designer Reading business digital-zest.com to make sure your website palette is perfected. Wrong choice of colour combinations can affect readability and create negative emotions, which can reduce visitors from staying on your site, or making repeat visits.
When choosing colours, stick to those that blend in well together. Text colour needs to be clear and readable against the background colour, whilst no more than five colours should be used to ensure chromatic harmony.