Choosing the right colours for your website: A dive into colour psychology
Posted by Michelle Dowse
In the world of website design, first impressions matter for your customers. Your website design – particularly the colour scheme, plays a significant role in shaping initial impressions from potential customers.
Colours have the power to evoke emotions, convey messages and influence user behaviour. Understanding the psychology behind colours is an important step towards creating a website that resonates with your target market.
In this article we'll explore the impact of colours in web design and provide a guide on how you can select the best colour scheme for your website.
Web design colour psychology
| Red | Red is a bold and attention-grabbing colour. It signifies passion, excitement and urgency; therefore, it’s often used for call-to-action buttons to encourage users to take immediate action. |
| Blue | Blue portrays trust, calmness and professionalism. Many corporate business websites use shades of blue to convey reliability and stability. |
| Green | Green symbolises nature, health and growth, which is why it’s often associated with eco-friendly and sustainable brands. |
| Yellow | Yellow is a cheerful and energetic colour that conveys optimism and creativity, making it the ideal choice for brands that want to stand out. |
| Purple | Purple represents creativity, luxury and spirituality. Brands aiming for a sense of elegance and sophistication will often use purple in their website design. |
| Orange | Orange is an energetic and playful colour used to create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm to engage your potential customers. |
| Black | Black is associated with power, sophistication and luxury. It's a colour commonly used in minimalist designs or to create a high-contrast effect within a web design. |
| White | White represents purity, simplicity and cleanliness. A clever design will use white space well to enhance readability and create a sense of spaciousness. |
| Grey | Grey is a neutral and versatile colour, which is why it’s frequently used in combination with other colours to create a balanced and sophisticated website design. |
Choosing the right colour scheme for your website
Now that we’ve examined the psychology behind various colours, how do you choose the right colour scheme for your website design?
To help make your decision, follow these steps:-
Know your audience
Is your target market looking for professionalism, excitement or relaxation? Consider the preferences and expectations of your target audience to help choose colours for your web design.
Understand your brand
Your website’s colour palette should align with your brand's identity and values. Are you in the technology industry? Is your business in the corporate sector? Looking at our colour guide above, make sure you choose colours that reflect your brand well.
Mood boards are key
There’s a reason why mood boards are popular in today’s world, and it’s because they’ll help you visualise the overall look and feel of your website. Collect colour samples, images and design inspirations that resonate with your brand to give you inspiration when working with a web design agency to create your website design.
Accessibility tests
When looking at colour schemes, make sure that your colour choices meet accessibility standards. High contrast between text and background colours is essential for readability, in particular for users with visual impairments.
Select a few key colours
While it's tempting to use a wide range of colours, it's always a good idea to stick to a limited palette (usually 2-4 colours) for a cohesive and harmonious design. We’ve seen too many website designs that use a rainbow of colours – they end up looking messy and unprofessional and don’t really portray the company’s branding very well.
Cultural significance
Some colours have different meanings within particular regions, so make sure you do your research when it comes to the cultural background of your target market.
Consistency is key
Once you've chosen a colour scheme for your website design, make sure you remain consistent when formatting your website pages. Use the same colours for headings, buttons and links to create a unified user experience.
Selecting the right colour palette for your website design is a decision that will have a significant impact on how potential customers perceive your brand. By understanding colour psychology and following these guidelines, you can create a visually appealing website that will leave a lasting impression on your visitors.
Remember that effective web design goes beyond aesthetics; it communicates your brand's marketing messages and connects with your audience on a deeper level, so choose your colours wisely.