Choosing colors for your Website

One of the biggest problems I often encounter as a web designer is when it comes time for clients to choose the right colors for there Websites. It’s not always easy to properly assort the background color with the text color. Generally you would want something that is unique and will separate your particular site from the zillions of other Websites on the Internet.

The internet is a visual and psychological medium and clients tend to put more though into the content and the color scheme is often overlooked. The content on your Website is by far more important than the layout and design and has the greatest psychological impact on your visitors and thus becomes your most important communication and sales tool. However the colors on your Website can be another important psychological aspect, making a difference to visitors who would be more likely to stay if your color scheme is easy on the eyes. Researchers agree that colors greatly influence the human psychic. Consequently, the color scheme that you use on your Website can entice the visitor to engage in the goal of your site (i.e. make a purchase or request your services) or leave it after the first few seconds. It is the human nature to yield to the concept according to which "the first impression counts".

The background color of your Website, the color of your header, the color of your text, headlines and sub-headlines etc. can all have a psychological impact on your visitors even if they are not aware of it. Your visitors will be greatly influenced in their decision to keep browsing your site or to leave it because of the poor choosing of colors and other visual displayed elements. On a psychological level, they will respond to the stimuli offered by the Website.

When viewing a web page, people will get excited, happy or bored. All this depends on the color selection. Selecting colors that compliment each other is actually simpler than you think using free online tools such as the ones listed below that generate color schemes or palettes based on the HEX or RGB code.

You need to be aware of the audience to which you're addressing and make the right choices. Color is a great means of communications, and it is best to make sure that you are saying the right thing.

Here are a few tips that you should consider when choosing colors for your Website.

Look at the content of your site and see what kind of message you’re trying to make. This will generally dictate the colors you will use. For example, when creating a professional site for a company, we usually stick to the colors of their logo (if applicable).

Be mindful of your target audience. Responses to colors vary according to factors such as gender, age, or cultural background. Generally speaking, if it is a younger audience, select more colors and graphics. If it is an older audience, select less colors and keep it simple.

Select a colors scheme found in nature. They are more pleasing than any of their artificial counterparts. Combine them in order to get the emotional response that you want to get from your visitors. Unnatural colors, such as bright greens, blues or reds usually cause eye fatigue and chase visitors away. While some colors are dull by themselves, such as black, or gray, their juxtaposition with, for example, orange, can create outstanding effects.

Be aware of contrast between a page's background and its text. The best combination for readability is black text on white background, but there are other excellent combinations besides white. Other effective web site background, colors are dark blue, gray and black.

Select three to five (some say seven) different colors to be used consistently throughout the Website. Avoid pairing blue and red, or blue and yellow. Also avoid selecting green text on red background or red text on green/blue background, because such combinations usually cause eye fatigue. Avoid selecting the blue color for small text and diagrams with thin lines. Apparently, the specialized eye receptors for blue are the least numerous.

Be aware that there are lots of people with color perception problems, so it might be quite difficult for them to perceive the message transmitted by your site the way you want them to.

If you are having trouble finding color inspiration, check out the Color Schemer gallery.

Here is a list of some of the common colors and what type of psychological emotion they invoke in people:

Colors

Associated with:

RED

love, passion, danger, warning, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure.

BLUE

trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, power, professionalism, patience, loyalty, freedom, spirituality.

GREEN

wealth, prosperity, nature, animals, health, healing, life, harmony.

ORANGE

friendliness, comfort, warmth, creativity, celebration, fun, youth, energy, and affordability.

PURPLE

royalty, justice, ambiguity, uncertainty, luxury, fantasy, dreams, sophistication, wisdom, sophistication.

WHITE

innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity, freshness, peace.

YELLOW

curiosity, optimism, playfulness, cheerfulness, happiness, amusement.

PINK

softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness, tenderness, romance.