Many factors go into making a website. It depends on your industry and niche what exactly you are trying to achieve. But there are some common indicators.
For most companies, the main indicator is the conversion rate. That means, the ratio between people bouncing off of your site and the ones converting to paying customers. If a user fills out a contact form, signs up for regular content or joins a webinar, you know you are doing something right. Luckily for us, there is a lot we can do to maximize the outcome.
Basically, you want that ratio to be as close to 1 as possible. Meaning, you want the maximum number of visitors to become regulars in some capacity. Hopefully, they will become paying customer that utilize the products and services you are providing. In this article, we will cover one of the most powerful tools, colour psychology.
The psychology of colour
Human beings are drawn to colours. We have evolved to differentiate a wide spectrum. It is a survival adaptation. It has developed for millions of years. Colours influence the way we perceive things, not only how we see. We associate certain colours with certain attributes.
For example, the colour red is associated with warmth and fertility. On the other hand, blue is associated with the colour of the sky and the cold. The context in which we perceive colours is also important. Red can also mean danger in the animal world. Colour psychology is the science of how colours affect us. This relates to our emotions, reactions, and most importantly, decision making.
We can use this colour psychology research to complement our online presence to captivate a potential customer. More importantly, we need to also retain their attention. Considering the competition, we need all the help we can get.
Colour psychology: where to use it
We use colours everywhere. In the marketing sense, they serve various purposes. To grab and retain attention, to make someone feel comfortable, or to warn, there are many different uses for colours. On our website, we can use it literally anywhere. Backgrounds, images, videos, buttons, etc. are all fair game. This is where your web designer would come into play.
Also, there is such a thing as using too much colour. It is important for you to not make your website overly saturated with colour. It is never a pleasant experience when we have to look at something that makes our eyes hurt from the amount of colour.
There are plenty of good examples online. Note the latest trend: minimalism. It may seem counterintuitive, but this is where the internet is headed. Use as little colour as possible to achieve the maximum effect. This requires thinking and strategy.
The cultural factor
Localization is a great consideration to take into account. What works for one region, might work differently for another. Different cultures can have opposing interpretations of different colours. You need to adjust our colour scheme to a particular market. This is also where some forethought and research come into place. You will need to manipulate the colours of your website.
But there is another thing to consider. You do not want to dilute your brand. Familiarity is what gets us through the door. It is a fine line that a company with an online presence needs to tread. On one hand, a website needs to be localized and personalized. On the other, you need to maintain brand integrity.
Also, men and women tend to have different colour preferences. Who is your primary targeted audience? Or are you trying to attract a wide array of potential customers? Something to consider.
Misconceptions and myths
As with any science and research, there are some mistakes people tend to make. There is no “best” colour. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Simply put, there are too many variables. What might work for your marketing campaign, may not work for someone else’s. You need to test different ideas and see what works best for you.
Remember, the main reason to tackle this subject is to improve your conversion rates. That is the beauty of it. Whether your clients understand this or not, colours affect their decision-making process. also, colour in itself is not enough. You will need to coordinate various elements of your website.
Colour matching is a science and an art in itself. It takes a little knowhow. Also, go with how it feels. Follow your gut instinct, if it does not look right to you, chances are it will not for your customers.
The purpose of different colours
As mentioned before, different colours have distinct impacts. This varies based on a multitude of factors. Gender, culture, ethnicity, you name it. Colours have an impact on our emotions and actions. They will not make someone a customer by themselves. But colours can aid in the process.
Let us go over some of the most distinct colours and what they inspire in people:
Red
Red is widely considered to be the colour of life, passion and danger. It is the colour of love, joy, but also often associated with blood. Red draws attention. If there is something you want to turn people’s attention to, red is your colour. It conveys urgency.
If you are promoting a sale or a discount of some sorts, it is a colour to take into consideration. It instils a fear of missing out as well. Arguably, red is the most stimulating colour. In which way you would want to stimulate your viewers, that is up to you. Use this colour sparingly, too much of it can dilute the intention.
Blue
This is the colour that tends to inspire trust, loyalty, dependability, safety, security and intelligence. You can see why it is one of the most important ones. Men predominantly like this colour. It is a soothing one, it reminds us of a clear sky and vast bodies of water. For a brand that aligns with a more grounded aesthetic, blue can be an excellent option. It is a very safe bet to go for this colour.
And in there lies the trap. Make sure to consider all possible nuances and shades of this colour. This way, your website, and by extension, your brand will not appear bland. After all, uniqueness is the key in the online realm. It is important to stand out from the crowd. With so much competition, it is easy to become one in the sea of a million.
White
White is a sort of a non-colour. Be vary of white, because it means different things to different parts of the world. In the Western world, it represents innocence, cleanliness, hygiene, virtue and purity. But in certain parts of Asia, for example, it represents death. This colour is often used as a background behind the text. It is the most suitable colour for that.
The other reason is that websites are trying to revive that old, traditional feeling of reading a newspaper. That appeals to the older demographics. Your web design agency needs to be careful when implementing the colour white. Too much of it and your website will appear bland. Not having enough of it, and there will be no break between the other colours on your website.
In other words, your pages will appear colour-crowded.
Orange/Yellow
Many websites use some variety of this warm, and soothing colour. These are playful and vibrant colours, they resemble beehives, honey and many kinds of flowers and fruit. Yellowish colours are widely used in our everyday lives. If red means “stop”, and green means “go”, then yellow signals us to get ready. It is the missing link between action and inaction. It binds those two together.
Yellow is best used for notifications and conveying information. when it comes to webpages, use these colours for important elements. You will want it to attract attention, but not too much of it. it is a colour best used for information that will be well received.
Orange is the diluted version of red. It has most of the positive associations with almost none of the negative ones. It works best when mixed into a more neutral palette.
Black
Black is also very similar to white. It is widely associated with the dark, death, the unknown and mystery. It can also convey elegance, sophistication and glamour. The industry leaders have made it work. It can insinuate power, just look at the most luxurious of products offered today. These almost always incorporate black into their branding.
Use it very carefully. Save it for your top products and services to indicate uniqueness and scarcity. White and black are most safely used as complementary colours, not as the primary ones.
Conclusion
Colour psychology is not a science set in stone. It is still being researched and developed. We study people’s behaviour and our reaction to different colours. As a design tool, it gives us much to work with. It is something that can give us an amazing advantage when designing our brand.
With a little know-how and imagination, you can create your unique brand design, today.
