Are you an entrepreneur? Then chances are you want your website visitors to make certain choices. For example, you want them to click on buttons, sign up for the newsletter, or buy a product.
You can respond to your visitors in different ways. For example, you can write strong texts or apply some of Cialdini’s principles. But did you know that using color also affects human behavior?
What is color psychology?
Color psychology is a study that investigates the meaning of colors. After all, colors have a lot of influence on our behavior.
The goal of color psychology is to understand how and why different colors affect our behavior. But it’s not just our feelings! Colors also affect our decisions.
For this reason, color psychology is widely used by interior designers, artists, online marketers and web designers.
And why is it so important?
Colors have a strong influence on our emotions. So in the world of web design and corporate identities, they can be put to good use. The goal? To convey a specific message to the audience.
Colors can also be used to elicit certain actions. So color psychology really shouldn’t be pushed aside!
Choosing the colors for your business is hugely important for your brand identity. After all, colors show up everywhere! In your logo, on your website and in all your marketing communications.
But what color do you choose? Do you go for primary colors or pastels? Let that depend on color psychology! The better you know what all the colors mean, the better you can achieve your goals.
Colors make your website shine
Color psychology applied to web design
Color psychology is hugely important in the world of online marketing, websites and web shops.
In fact, for a good website, you need a strong corporate identity. And a big and important part of this is colors. Choosing your colors is super important! After all, you want to use the different shades to elicit certain emotions and reactions.
So … what do all those colors mean and what psychological impact do they have? We lay out the color psychology for you here!
Red
Want to stand out? Then choose red!
According to color psychology, red is a color that quickly attracts attention and is stimulating and activating. This is also why warning signs and fire trucks are colored red.
Do you want your Call-to-Action buttons to stand out clearly? Then the color red may be a good option.
The various shades of red radiate power, activity, passion, vitality, dynamism and eroticism. However, red also has adverse effects. For example, we associate red with aggression, anger, rivalry and dominance.
Pink
In color psychology, pink is often used to indicate love. Also, the color is often associated with femininity.
The intensity of the different shades of pink determines the feeling evoked. For example, pastel pink brings about a calming effect, while magenta exudes cheerfulness and energy.
Pink exudes a sense of cheerfulness, youthfulness and excitement in addition to love and femininity. But that’s not all. Pink is also associated with playfulness, politeness and approachability.
Some people still find pink exudes childishness, neediness, helplessness and weakness.
So it is important to take into account your target audience and their opinion of the color. Will they appreciate your use of pink?
Yellow
How do you feel when the sun shines? You’re comfortable then, aren’t you? This is due to the yellow glow emitted by the sun.
Yellow, according to color psychology, is a fantastic color for attracting attention. You see it in the “real” world, too. Just think about reflective safety vests and ambulances!
Our eyes often process yellow tones earlier than other colors. So like red, yellow is a good color for call-to-actions!
Yellow evokes positive emotions such as zest for life, fun, happiness, curiosity, spontaneity, openness, creativity, wisdom, joy and self-confidence.
However, certain shades of yellow or overuse of it can have adverse effects. Thus, yellow can evoke irritation, overstimulation and nervousness.
Orange
The color orange originated from the warm combination of red and yellow. According to color psychology, orange is an appropriate color to draw attention to something.
You may have noticed that many “add to cart” and “order now” buttons are orange. In the world of online marketing, orange is often a softer alternative to red. It easily attracts attention without being too intrusive!
Orange is associated with playfulness, sociability and warmth, friendliness, youthfulness, energy, freshness, optimism, adventurousness and vitality.
Beware! After all, orange can also look too youthful, so it can be associated as childish. Also, some believe that orange is a cheap and frivolous color.
Brown
Brown is a darker variant of orange. It is the color of sand, mud, wood and earth. So a very natural shade. We associate the color with warmth, autumn and coziness.
Usually brown is considered a masculine color. Therefore, it is the perfect choice when your target audience is mostly men!
In both cases, the various shades of brown radiate a warm, reassuring, stable, safe and reliable feeling.
However, be careful not to use too many shades of brown on your website or online store. Indeed, this can appear dull, corny and lifeless.
Blue
Blue is many people’s favorite color! So it is smart to consider the color when developing a corporate identity.
Blue is associated with trust, loyalty, stability, intelligence, honesty, contentment, kindness and patience. Many big tech and media companies use the color. And that makes sense! After all, it evokes a sense of trust with (potential) customers.
However, blue can also be seen as negative. For example, the color is related to feelings of sadness and depression(“feeling blue”). Also, certain shades of blue can be cold, distant and conservative. As a result, they can create a sense of distance between your company and its target audience.
Green
In the world of (online) marketing, green is often used to symbolize sustainability and ecology. It is a popular choice among brands seeking to position themselves as environmentally friendly.
Green is often associated in color psychology with health, healing, tranquility, development, fertility, renewal, growth, freshness, confidence, harmony and vibrancy.
As with any other color, green can also be seen as unfavorable. Thus, greenery can evoke feelings of boredom, jealousy, decay and decay.
Purple
Purple has been used for centuries by people of elite status. Today, in color psychology, purple is associated with luxury, style, wealth and spirituality! Why with spirituality? Well, purple is widely used in the world of magic, mystery and the supernatural!
Purple is a color not used very often in online marketing. By using this, you can set yourself apart from the competition.
Purple evokes many positive emotions and feelings. Thus, it is associated with calmness, creativity, luxury, comfort, honesty, wisdom and leadership.
However, purple can also be seen as decadent and cheap.
Black
Black is the darkest shade we know and is a shade with many different properties. Black can appear intimidating. Like the other colors, it has its positive and negative characteristics.
On the one hand, black is seen as timeless, classic, elegant, dignified, authoritative, solid, refined and powerful.
On the other hand, black in Western culture can evoke pessimistic feelings such as anger, loneliness, suffocation, anxiety and depression.
White
The color white, is not actually a color, but a hue! Yet color psychology has something to say about this. White has been considered a symbol of innocence, goodness and purity for centuries. Also, white serves as a neutral shade that gives our eyes rest.
This is why white spaces are so important in web design!
White is associated with peace, honesty, tranquility, clarity, perfection, completeness, divinity, hygiene and purity.
But beware! Using too much white in your design can create a sterile, indifferent and cold feeling. Therefore, it is always recommended to use white in combination with other colors.
Gray
Gray is a combination of black and white. Because it sits between these two shades, gray is mostly perceived as neutral and balanced.
A great advantage of gray, is that it goes with everything! Gray is the perfect accent color. It is important to know that it is not recommended to choose gray as the main color when developing and corporate identity. This is because the color has more negative associations than positive ones.
Thus, gray can look dull, old, massive, drab, moody, indifferent or hidden. Gray is inconspicuous, indifferent and distant.
At the same time, gray can also exude elegance, modesty and timelessness.
Color preferences
So, when choosing colors for your website or web shop, it’s a good idea to consider color psychology. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s also smart to keep your target audience in mind!
As mentioned earlier, blue is a favorite color for many people. But men and women have much different preferences, according to the Colour Assignment survey.
Whereas blue is a corresponding favorite color, men also prefer green and black. While women like purple very much. In addition, men like bright colors. Women often like a softer color palette and warm colors better.
Choosing colors with the color wheel
Have you been able to choose a main color for your website based on color psychology? Nice, but you’re not quite there yet.
Most house styles consist of two to four colors. One or two of these colors are your main colors and the remaining colors are secondary colors. Using the color wheel, you can arrive at the right color combinations. The three main color schemes that can be distinguished are as follows:
- Complementary colors: two colors that are opposite each other in the color wheel. The colors reinforce each other and create a powerful contrast. Think green and red (Heineken) or blue and orange (Coolblue).
- Analog colors: in this case you use two or three colors that are next to each other in the color wheel. The colors share similar hues and form beautiful combinations, creating a soft transition between colors. An example is dark green, light green and yellow (BP Netherlands).
- Triadic colors: three colors equally scattered on the color wheel. The combination of these colors creates a balanced contrast. An example is pink, green and orange or blue, red and yellow (Redbull).
Note! You have now chosen two to four colors for your corporate identity, but don’t forget to add neutral colors, such as white, black or gray, to your web design. These shades provide balance and can be applied well for textual elements.
Another important consideration! Don’t choose more than a maximum of four colors. This is one of the most common mistakes.
3 tools for choosing colors
Choosing the perfect colors for your Web site can be a daunting task. Fortunately, knowing about color psychology and color preferences can help you tremendously. But how should you proceed?
Fortunately, there are a number of tools to help you choose the colors for your business. These are our three favorite tools!
- Adobe Color
Adobe Color is an online tool that allows you to create and discover color palettes based on color theories and color psychology. It offers customizations such as complementary, monochromatic schemes, and is ideal for designers.
- Colormind
Colormind is an AI-driven tool that automatically generates color palettes. It learns from visual data, such as photos and movies, and provides combinations for Web design, UI design and branding.
- Coolers
Coolors is an easy-to-use tool for creating and discovering color palettes. You can quickly generate, modify, and export palettes, which is ideal for designers looking for color inspiration.
Well, now you finally know how color psychology can be applied to web design! Colors and emotions are very strongly connected. So take advantage of this while developing a corporate identity or designing a website or webshop. Delve into the psychology of colors, get to know your target audience and boost your business!
