The first step to creating a new website might be the most important one – choosing the right colors. The colors aren’t just for creating a pleasing experience for the user, they will also help to establish a memorable brand. The right colors are optimized for conversion and create a specific emotion in the customers. Selecting the colors for your website and brand may feel overwhelming – where do you even begin? Here is a guide to the importance of colors, and how to select the perfect ones for your business.
According to a Kissmetric’s infographic, 85% of shoppers base their decision on color alone. And according to the same infographic, proper use of color leads to an 80% increase in brand recognition. Think of some of the biggest brands in the world – CocaCola, Pepsi, Starbucks, McDonalds. You don’t just think of their products, but of their logo, and with that, a color. Red, blue, green, yellow. And that wasn’t by chance.. You need to put the same amount of thought and effort into your own color scheme – it could truly be what sets your brand apart!
The color needs to reflect your brand and your audience. In the Western world, every color has a specific emotion and feeling attached to it. Here’s a quick guide:
Red – passion, energy, urgency, excitement, vibrancy, danger
Orange – friendliness, enthusiasm, creativity
Yellow – youthfulness, optimism, cheerfulness
Green – wealth, health, tranquility, nature
Blue – Trust, security, stability, peace, calmness
Purple – royalty, wealth, success, wisdom
Pink – feminine, sweetness, innocence, romance
Gray – neutral, simplicity, futuristic, logic
Black – power, luxury, sophistication, elegance
Think about your brand or product and what emotions you want people to associate it with. If you’re selling yoga mats, you want people to feel peaceful, so blue or green might be a good choice. A restaurant might want to consider red to stimulate appetite. A children’s clothing brand might choose yellow. A law office should give blue a try. There are always exceptions to these rules, so give a few colors a try and see what feels best.
Choose color and design that appeals to your target audience, so you can make a memorable connection (subconsciously), and stand apart from your competition. Are you trying to attract younger, more energetic customers? Or sophisticated individuals with more disposable income? Are your products / services catered to male or female? Are they more suitable for a certain age group? Each of these potential customers have different colors that appeal to them.
A great way to get started is to choose a main photo for your design. Select a striking photo that evokes your service or brand. It could be an image of your product, something that represents your image, a photo of your location or place of origin, whatever works best for you. You can then use that image to inspire your color palette, integrating into the design for a seamless display. Using the eye-picker tool on Photoshop, you can select different parts of the photo and determine what color they are.
Once you’ve put some thought into the types of colors that will work with your brand, it’s time to narrow it down. You might start with five colors and then add and subtract throughout the design process. Select one primary color that covers about 60% of the space and creates the overall unifying theme of the design. Choose a few contrasting accent color to highlight attention-worthy parts of your website like quotes, buttons or subtitles. This color needs to stand out so people are drawn to your call-to-action. If your primary color is green, don’t use a darker shade of green for your accent, as it won’t grab your customer’s attention.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to selecting colors for your website. A few quick tips:
-Make sure the text is legible. When in doubt, choose a very light background color (white or light gray) with a dark text color
-The colors should be contrasting, but not clashing. Make sure your website isn’t so glaring that it sends customers running
-Keep it simple. All you need is 2-3 colors to create great website design – don’t go overboard.
If you need help selecting colors and designing your website, GiraffeBuilder would love to help. Contact us for a consultation with our skilled web designers to get your site ready for business.
