Color Combinations & Web Design: What You Need to Know
This week, Minimist is pleased to feature a guest blog post from Digital Marketing Associate at Design Wizard, David Coen. Check out Design Wizard for more design inspiration and PikWizard to find free stock images for your next project.
Up to 90% of our first impressions are influenced by color.
Without realizing it, people automatically judge people by the colors that they wear or the shades that surround them. When someone visits your store, they're influenced by the color of your walls, the tones on your business card - even the color of your suit.
Why should color on your website be any less important?
Most web designers know that color is one of the most valuable tools in their arsenal. Used correctly, the right shades can attract attention, create desire, express meanings, or even drive conversions. However, if you pick the wrong hues for your site, you could easily send your customer running in the opposite direction.
Choosing the right blend of colors is a process that requires more care and attention than most people realize.
The Basics of Color Theory: Colors have Meaning
Color theory is so crucial to design practices that it has its own area of study known as "Color Theory." Remember, the right colors aren't just eye-catching; they're also capable of stirring specific emotions in your target audience. Human beings are naturally attracted to colorful objects - the colors we see can even help us to process and store images and remember critical details.
One of the most critical aspects of color theory is color psychology - the belief that shades can change the way your customers feel or behave. For example, 33% of the highest ranking brands in the world use the color blue within the design of their logo. One of the reasons for this may be that blue is the most popular color for men and women across the globe. Another reason is that blue creates feelings of trust and credibility in an audience.
Just as colors can make people feel a certain way about your business, they can also increase or decrease the chances of people taking certain actions too. For instance, a red CTA button is more likely to drive conversions than a green button. This is because red is associated with feelings of urgency and confidence.
Choosing the Right Colors for your Website
Choosing the right colors for a website is often more complicated than most people realise. Something as simple as the wrong color on your website theme, or a shade that doesn't fit on your landing page could be enough to reduce your chances of getting a sale. There are often many things that you'll need to consider when getting your color choices right, including:
Branding: Do you have an established business with an image that's already ingrained into your customer's minds? Use those shades in your design
Your audience: What kind of audience are you appealing to? Different people will respond better to specific colors
Emotions: What kind of feelings are you trying to generate with your design? Do you want people to trust you? Do you want to spark feelings of desire when customers see your product?
Balance: Remember that the colors you choose need to work harmoniously together according to the rules of the color wheel.
Finding the right colors for your website isn't easy, but it's an essential part of building your online identity. To learn more about color theory and web design, check out the infographic on the importance of colour in design below:
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