You understand your market and your clients. You’ve also spent time researching keywords and optimizing your text. Then you double-checked that your website is operational as it should be.
But before you go any further, there’s one more thing you should think about: the colors and color combinations you utilize on your website.
It is not just talking about branding or what looks beautiful here: we’re talking about color psychology and how it might affect your visitors and subsequent conversions.
You may be unaware that color has more to offer than just visual appeal.
The color scheme you choose is an important factor in your purchasing choice. Even little changes, like altering the color of your CTA buttons, may significantly enhance your success rates, while your overall color scheme can increase brand awareness. Let’s talk about how color psychology affects consumers and how you may leverage it on your website.
What Exactly Is Color Psychology?
Color psychology is the study of how different colors influence human behavior. It is a subfield of the larger science of behavioral psychology. In practice, color psychology is the study of how color influences human behavior and responses.
Based on the color of your writing, call-to-action buttons, and links, color psychology can impact how your consumers respond to your marketing messaging. It’s all part of getting to know your customers. However, not everyone reacts to colors in the same way. This implies that there are no promises on how it will affect conversions and branding.
However, this does not mean that color psychology and its influence should be dismissed. On the contrary, there are critical facts that cannot be disputed. Consumers, for example, develop opinions on the aesthetic appeal of your website in milliseconds, according to research. Furthermore, color has the ability to raise and evoke feelings.
It also doesn’t matter what specialty you’re in. Whether you’re selling apparel, digital cameras, or technology services, it’s critical that your colors complement every aspect of your marketing strategy. Unfortunately, this is not always easy because color selection is a “imperfect art.”
Here’s everything you need to know to succeed in this area.
Color Psychology Misconceptions
Although there is little scientific proof, there is a wealth of consumer research on color psychology. One research, for example, found that color influenced purchasing decisions.
It is, however, not a one-size-fits-all approach. The impact of a hue might differ based on the objective of your advertisement and the age groupings of your customers.
Other factors can influence the impact, such as:
- The market in which you are selling.
- People’s own views and the society to which you’re marketing.
- Gender differences and personal preferences
Furthermore, you may come across publications that insist on using the same color for every sort of campaign. That is simply not true. Before selecting what works best for each campaign or site, you’ll need to try a variety of color options.
Where Should Color Psychology Be Used?
Colors have the ability to influence customers throughout the marketing and sales cycle. Colors determine mood and affect reactions, whether you’re building software, producing a book, creating a web design cover, or just branding your firm.
This article focuses on your website’s color schemes as well as particular regions such as website components such as:
- visuals for the hero
- headline format
- borders
- backgrounds
- buttons
- pop-up windows
However, you may use the advice in a variety of situations, including:
- logos
- branding
- landing page
- a menu bar
- marketing via email
- postings on social media
- photographs for the covers
- product development
- videos
The actual issue is getting it properly the first time.
What Is the Importance of Color Psychology?
Color psychology may be used to communicate value as well as to market a product. The personality of your brand is crucial. The following are the primary advantages of precise color selection in branding:
- Clarity of purpose: The correct color scheme might help to boost your site design or brand voice. Unless you know and speak the language of your prospects, your product, no matter how useful or successful, may be lost in a sea of competitors.
- First impressions: Using colors carefully to create a first impression may capture first-time visitors to your site while cultivating loyal clients.
- Customer retention and new leads: By using color strategically, you may increase email sign-up rates, encourage repeat customers, and give them a cause to promote your brand with family and friends.
But keep in mind that color psychology is inextricably linked to memories and experiences. For example, if someone had a pleasant experience while wearing yellow clothing, dining at a fast-food restaurant with yellow arches, or living in a home with yellow walls, yellow may elicit delight through memory association.
Color Psychology: How to Use It to Increase Conversions
CRO is an essential component in creating a successful website. The aim is to maximize your ROI and prosper, regardless of how powerful your competition is.
Because color is something that most of us can relate to, color psychology is a viable alternative that should be investigated and tried in order to provide your marketing a competitive advantage. Here are some color psychology guidelines to remember.
Which Colors Prefer Different Genders?
Color preferences aren’t always straightforward to figure out. There are several studies available, and many of them, predictably, contradict one another. However, women and men appear to have certain clear preferences. Women, according to one research, like gentle tones of: purple, green, red, and blue. Men, on the other hand, like these hues in stronger tones.
According to a case study, most of this is still true, at least for women, with blues, greens, and lavender colors still popular. Colors that help promote conversions, regardless of gender, appear to be reds, greens, blues, purple, black, and orange.
Also, bear in mind that gender isn’t as straightforward as it once was, so using a hue that appeals to males vs women may not be as successful as you believe.
Certain colors can also be used to denote certain attributes. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Use Blue to Build Trust
Blue is strongly connected with trust, which may explain why many financial organizations choose it. PayPal, Capital One, Visa, and Bank of America are just a few examples of financial institutions that use blue in their color schemes.
Although different tints of blue can represent different things, it also represents: security, loyalty, and responsibility.
Everything that the majority of us would seek for in a banking organization. However, while blue is a fantastic hue in general, it may not work well for food packaging. Blue may be a natural appetite suppressor, according to research, but not everyone agrees.
Yellow denotes caution
Yellow may be a warning indicator. Yellow is used on warning signs, traffic signals, and wet floor signs. Having said that, it’s not all horrible. We associate yellow with warmth, cheerfulness, and pleasure.
Yellow promotes creativity, enthusiasm, enjoyment, and confidence, and the shade of yellow utilized may also convey a lot of information. A brilliant yellow, for example, evokes attention and enthusiasm, whereas golden yellow evokes curiosity.
Green for Eco-Friendly and Outdoor Products
Green is connected with nature, the outdoors, and the environment: when we see a product with green packaging, we instinctively think of it as healthy or eco-friendly. Green may also stimulate creativity, ingenuity, and balance.
If the theme of your website is nature, the environment, organic, or the outdoors, you might want to use green hues.
Orange Is a Positive Color
Orange is a happy hue associated with accomplishment, tenacity, and success. Furthermore, it imparts a sense of warmth while seeming less forceful than red.
Orange, like other warm hues, can seem energizing, and it may attract buyers’ attention, leading to spontaneous purchases.
Amazon.com, for example, use the color orange to elicit action. The hue conveys a sense of urgency, making the message more visible and actionable.
The hue works best with other warm colors, but use it sparingly. Try it on your site’s conversion components to make it stand out.
Elegance and luxury are associated with the color black
Although people commonly associate black with negativity, it is a popular option among luxury businesses.
Aside from the mystery associated with the color black, it also connotes elegance, luxury, and refinement. Black is associated with authority, power, and prestige in color psychology. This explains why Prada, Rolls Royce, and Chanel have it in their emblems.
Brands such as Chanel, on the other hand, take care not to let black dominate their websites, even though it does play a role in their overall color schemes.
For your CTA, choose primary colors that are bright and eye-catching
Several studies have looked at the optimum colors for CTAs, and as you can think, many of them differ.
Brands, on the other hand, frequently choose vivid hues such as reds, blues, and greens. Then there’s Amazon, which is well-known for its usage of orange CTAs.
However, the most significant aspect of your CTA is not always the color itself: you must consider the contrast, your audience, and your branding.
What Is the Role of White in Color Psychology?
The importance of white space in website design cannot be overstated. It removes clutter and provides a clean look, and there are several applications for it.
As an example:
- designs that are basic and minimalistic
- for typography and the addition of contrast
- with a splash of color to provide some “pop”
If you don’t like pure whites, consider utilizing off-whites like ivory to give warmth.
Best Color Psychology Practices
Updating your colors does not need starting again. You may not be able to rewrite your style guide and choose your website’s color palette or font colors on the email template, but you do have some possibilities.
Suggest Color Changes if the Colors Don’t Work
Speak out if you think the general design plan won’t work if you’re working with designers or decision-makers. For example, if you’re selling a high-end designer item, you wouldn’t want to match a sophisticated hue with a sloppy-looking logo.
Explain why some color combinations are ineffective and how the proper blend might boost conversions.
Use Colors That Are Psychologically Appropriate to Complement the Existing Color Scheme
Yes, you must adjust to the color scheme. Just make sure you select colors that complement the current trends, the brand, and the emotions you want to convey. For example, if you choose blue, pair it with a bright yellow for a pop-up that has a happy sense.
Attempt a Variety of Colors
To boost conversions, experiment with several colors until you find the one that works best for your business. For example, HubSpot discovered that red CTA buttons outperformed green CTA buttons, but this does not guarantee that it would be the same for you. Whatever color you choose, make sure it “pops” for increased exposure and conversions.
Remember that color is a conversion issue
Yes, you’ll want to consult with a designer, but don’t allow them determine the colors of your website. You don’t simply want something that looks nice: you want a color scheme that converts. As a result, if you want to increase conversions, you should be highly involved in the color choices of your landing pages.
Avoid Using Too Many Colors
Too many colors might cause confusion, so don’t go overboard: keep your color scheme simple with white.
Color psychology has a lot of promise, but it’s easy to miss it. The colors you chose for your website, branding, and marketing, on the other hand, may be more potent than you know.
Take an active role in selecting your color scheme rather than relying on a designer. Only you know what you want your website to say and what you want users to do when they visit it.
If you want to enhance conversions, for example, you might want to utilize certain hues, such as reds, blues, and orange. However, keep in mind that color psychology does not guarantee outcomes, and the same colors will not have the same effect on everyone.
Do you want to growth hack your website, product or services? Hire us! Send us an inquiry through contact@greendragoninteractive.net or through our contact page.