What Colors Should I Use for My Website?

Web design is a crucial part of the website creation process. With the rise of mobile and tablet devices accessing the internet more than laptops and desktops, having a responsive web design that is resizable and optimal is a must these days. But as business owners focus on having mobile-friendly websites, advanced web-browsing capabilities and touchscreen navigation, some web design basics can fall in the cracks. Color is a prime example. In order to create an ideal company website, color must be taken into consideration because it influences the tone, environment and overall brand identity of a company.

Color is tricky. It has a huge impact on our emotions and attitudes. Studies have shown that color influences product assessments and purchases, so the colors you choose to represent your website will affect your potential customers. Your type of business, target audience and the overall tone you want to portray should go hand in hand with your website’s color palette.

Colors generally have a certain connotation associated with them. For example, red is a very intense color and can imply a variety of emotions from warning to passion. Black is another intense color with a wide range of meanings from elegance to mystery to death. Orange and yellow generally suggest energy and fun, while green suggests more natural and earthy tones. White is generally associated with light and purity, and blue implies several feelings including trust, sincerity and health. Blue tends to be a favorite among both men and women, and several websites serving all types of industries tend to use blue in their color palette because people generally respond well to it.

Picking the best color palette for your company’s website is ultimately up to you, but there are a few general rules to consider:

Use natural colors.

Using primary and natural colors will be more pleasing to the eye. Synthetic and unnatural shades like lime green, hot pink or bright blue, for example, will fatigue the eye.

Choose colors that make your content readable against the background.

You want the content on your website to be clear and easy to read. If you have white text, for example, black, dark blue or gray are effective background colors that will make the content legible.

Use your color palette regularly throughout the site.

Color consistency reinforces your brand’s identity, makes your product more memorable and generally produces an enjoyable experience to the consumer (assuming a moderate number of eye-pleasing colors are chosen).

Choosing a color palette for your website is important in order to effectively communicate your brand’s message. Be sure to think about what you want your brand to say to consumers and have the colors on your website reflect that message.

This article was originally published by Fortress Consulting Group.

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