How to Choose Your Website Colors
by Jason OConnor
Published on this site: October 26th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Color is often overlooked in the business of optimizing websites
for better returns on investments. Website sales can be greatly
affected by simply changing its colors. Ever come across a
website that uses some funky combination of print and background
colors? If you ever want to experience an eye-twisting headache,
try reading yellow print on a blue background. The reason
you see black type on a white background so much is that it
is the best color combination for reading, both on and offline.
And since it is even harder to read text on a monitor than
it is on paper, we must all be especially careful with the
colors we choose for our websites, or suffer less-than-optimal
site traffic and repeat visitors.
Color choice should also be dictated by other, less obvious
goals, when designing or re-vamping a website. It's important
to realize that different colors invoke different emotions,
are associated with specific concepts and say different things
in each society. For instance, green often times is associated
with freshness or money, which is fairly obvious if you think
about it. But every color does this, and some of the emotions
and concepts are more subtle. For example, white means pure,
easy, or goodness and purple can be associated with royalty
or sophistication. What's more, each color carries with it
both positive and negative ideas. The emotions and concepts
that you associate with specific colors may differ from other
people's associations, but there are themes that run throughout
each color. Here are some:
- Red:
Positive: Sense of power, strength, action, passion,
sexuality
Negative: Anger, forcefulness, impulsiveness, impatience,
intimidation, conquest, violence and revenge
- Yellow:
Positive: Caution, brightness, intelligence, joy,
organization, Spring time
Negative: Criticism, laziness, or cynicism
- Blue:
Positive: Tranquility, love, acceptance, patience,
understanding, cooperation, comfort, loyalty and security
Negative: Fear, coldness, passivity and depression
- Orange:
Positive: Steadfastness, courage, confidence, friendliness,
and cheerfulness, warmth, excitement and energy Ignorance:
Ignorance, inferiority, sluggishness and superiority
- Purple:
Positive: Royalty, sophistication, religion
Negative: Bruised or foreboding
- Green:
Positive: Money, health, food, nature, hope, growth,
freshness, soothing, sharing, and responsiveness
Negative: Envy, greed, constriction, guilt, jealousy
and disorder
- Black:
Positive: Dramatic, classy, committed, serious
Negative: Evil, death, ignorance, coldness
- White:
Positive: Pure, fresh, easy, cleanliness or goodness
Negative: Blind, winter, cold, distant
A major goal of marketers is to invoke emotion in their audience.
We know that if we can cause some kind of an emotional reaction
in the people we are marketing to and communicating with,
we have a better chance of compelling them to buy from us.
The battle between logic and emotion that rages in each of
is usually won by emotion most of the time. By choosing the
colors of our websites and online media with deliberate care,
we are purposefully trying to invoke a specific emotional
response that will increase sales. So pick your colors carefully.
Not only do colors evoke emotions, but they can communicate
messages or concepts too. For example, look at http://www.clickitticket.com
to see how color is used to communicate the new affiliation
between Oak Web Works, LLC and ClickitTicket.com. The blues
of Oak Web Works's logo swirl into the reds of ClickitTicket.com's
logo. This can be interpreted as a melding of the two organizations,
which is what the words underneath say, "in affiliation
with". Also, the red of http://www.oakwebworks.com/tickets/
indicates action and passion, two essentials for people who
want to attend theater, sporting events or concerts.
Another online ticket website, http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/,
has a different color approach. Its main colors are blue and
purple, giving the site a comforting, secure and sophisticated feel. The main header
on each page has all the colors in the rainbow in it, a collage
of images, with the word `Tickets' in large, white font. Much
of the site is white too, which gives it a clean feel.
As a general rule of thumb, when Oak Web Works http://www.oakwebworks.com
designs websites, one primary color and one secondary or complimentary
color will be chosen. These colors are based on the specific
audience and market of our client and the messages the client
wants to communicate to the rest of the world. If more than
two or three colors are used, things tend to look a little
messy, and the power of any one color is diluted too much,
so we most often stick with two colors.
When I am not sure exactly which colors or combinations to
use, I often start trying different things, then take a step
back and ask myself what my chosen colors are conveying to
me. After designing many websites over the years I have realized
that going with my gut has often worked when I'm in doubt.
You would be surprised at how creative and accurate your intuition
can be.
However, if the client already has an established brand,
we will always make sure to match the colors of the website
with the original colors of the company. It is not wise to
have print collateral material one color and the website a
totally unrelated color. All marketing channels need to remain
consistent, with one face only.
Since website visitors all have different platforms, different
monitors, and different settings for their screen resolutions,
the colors you choose for your website may not always be rendered
the exact same way on your site visitors' monitors. That's
why there are "Web Safe" colors that have a much
higher likelihood of looking the exact same regardless of
the user's computer, monitor or settings. Many graphics programs,
including Adobe Photoshop, have a feature that allows you
to choose "Web Safe" colors only.
Keep in mind however, that the sophistication of technology
today allows for Web designers to be able to stray from the
"Web Safe" colors more and more. So don't be overly
concerned if you choose to use "un-safe' Web colors,
chances are that most of your audience has the computers necessary
to view your site the exact way you intended.
Whether you are designing sites for clients or designing
your own business website, your color choice is vital. Be
sure to try different colors, different shades, and different
combinations before you decide. It's a lot of fun playing
with colors but every choice you make comes with a set of
pre-defined societal meanings and emotions, so choose with
deliberate care.
Jason OConnor owns and operates Oak Web Works,
LLC - The synthesis of Web marketing, design, and technology.
Jason is an expert at Web design, programming, e-strategy,
and e-marketing. Call or email today for a free site consultation.
Web Design Company Las Vegas, Broadway Show & Concert
Tour Tickets mailto: [email protected]
websites: http://www.oakwebworks.com
and http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com
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