Website Colors and What They Say About You

Color Wheel

Have you ever really thought about the relationship between the colors of your website and how it affects  a potential customer’s first impression? Color can communicate ideas and impressions without the use of language.  This is why its so important to understand the meaning of colors and how to implement them effectively. Points to keep in mind when choosing colors for a website: clearly define the results you want to achieve with your color choice,  select a main color that reflects the feeling or emotion you want to convey,  select a color scheme that is based on that central color choice,  and refine available color choices so they meet particular needs, style,  and sensibility.

Results you can achieve with color

The problem with color is that it is both simple and complex. Various colors mean different things to different people. Color can be defined in 4 different categories: hot, cold, warm, and cool.  Hot colors are fully-saturated reds which cause them to project outward and attract attention.  Hot colors are strong and aggressive and can affect in ways such as increased blood pressure. Cold colors refer to fully-saturated blues, which give off feelings of relaxation. Cold colors are dominating and strong also but affect people by giving a calming feeling and slowing one’s metabolism. Warm colors are colors that contain red with the addition of yellow. Warm colors give off a sense of comfort, and are spontaneous and welcoming. Cool colors are based on blues.  As with warm colors, the addition of yellow makes them different from cold colors.  Cool colors make you feel soothed, calm, refreshed and often have a tropical feel.

Selecting a color that reflects a feeling or emotion

Whether you want to convey power, wealth, energy, or professionalism, it can be achieved with color. Even though there are hundreds upon thousands of color combination possible, there are a few rules of thumb you should follow. When choosing a color to define your website, there are some feelings associated with color. For example, reds are associated with power, richness, romance, and vitality. Combining red and various shades and hues with other colors, such as a deep forest green and golden accents, gives the sense of wealth and high status. Oranges often portray an earthy, friendly, welcoming feel. Orange colors can also create the element of movement and energy without a sense of power or control like red. Yellows can portray a welcoming feel as well as a sense of movement and  elegance.  To give yellow an elegant feel, using a very pale tint of yellow combined with other muted colors can create a mood of ease and classic understatement. Green can be trendy, fresh, or traditional depending on the shade.  A hunter green often seen in banks and legal offices suggests permanence and value.  Blues are thought of as classic, authoritative, dependable, regal, calming, and sometimes tropical.  Navy blue, often seen on police officers, naval officers, and court officers, is associated with dependability and safety. Purples often give a magical, nostalgic, and energetic feel. When combined with a yellow-green, purple gives off enthusiasm and provides an energetic color scheme. Lastly, shades of gray combined with a single accent color provide a professional feel with a little flair.

Making a color scheme to meet your needs

So you want your website to say certain things with your color choices, but how do you make them work for you? By using lighter or darker shades of colors you can bring out your most prominent choice and still keep the meaning behind the other colors. If you don’t want that aggressive red in your reader’s face, darken it and make it a background color.  It’s still there, the customer’s still sees it, the red just isn’t as aggressive and overbearing.  Another example would be taking yellow and lightening it to give a brighter, less aggressive feeling.  By a simple lightening or darkening of a color,  you can give your color and your website a whole new meaning.

Still in the dark about color? Give NuRelm a call and we can discuss options for you website.  Call (877)2NuRelm, ext.204 or email us at info@nurelm.com to get your free Web site assessment today!