It has long been known that color can influence our moods; bright colors lift our moods whilst dark colors can darken them. When we see a color a signal is sent to an area of our brains known as the hypothalamus. Signals are sent from here via the pituitary glands, the endocrine to the thyroid glands. These glands release hormones which affect our behavior, in particular mood and emotion.
Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human behavior. It is part of the behavioral science field. Whilst there are many studies, theories and papers on the specifics a more general approach is sufficient when used in a business concept. There is no doubt that color does also have an effect on what people purchase.
To Successfully Use Color when Designing a Website, the following Principles should be Observed:
Where to Use Color
Various colors are needed to make a web page and these colors need to interact smoothly with each other. If you fail at this step the consumer will simply move onto another page. The web page should not be inundated with color and the color needs to reflect the item you are selling. A website selling children’s toys needs to be bright and full of color. Alternatively one selling women’s products should keep fairly neutral; black and white with a hint of color is good.
It is a fact that women like a different range of colors than men. Women prefer blue, purple and green to orange, brown and grey. On the other hand men prefer blue, green and black to brown, orange and purple. It is therefore obvious that a website designed for women should avoid orange, brown or grey. Likewise, a website with male products should use blue, green and black to maximize sales.
Blue Cultivates Trust
Blue is liked by men and women. In surveys it frequently tops the list of favorite colors by both sexes. Blue subconsciously creates a feeling of trust. It is associated with the American flag, something that can be trusted and believed in. Blue is also a calm, tranquil color. It calms the mind. Most sites will benefit from the use of blue and the trust that it imbues in the mind. Food sites are the only exception. Some diets associate blue plates with food portion control. There is also suggestion that it invokes a poison association.
Yellow Warnings
In nature, yellow is a warning sign of danger. In society we use the same color in the same context – slippery floor signs are one example. However, it is also seen as the color of happiness! It is believed that yellow stimulates an emotional response from the body. This feeling could transpire as playfulness and is potentially the reason why it is used extensively on websites selling toys or adrenaline fuelled products. Yellow is also a common color seen in the home and if someone has a pleasant memory of growing up surrounded by this color it will predispose them to it.
Green for the Great Outdoors
Green is in essence nature itself. It has been adopted as the color for eco-friendly products and is associated with creativity. The development of new ideas and technologies is often tied to green. Any website focusing on the environment or organic products should be using green. Green is also a call to action color.
Orange for fun
Orange is a fun color often associated with physical activity, competition and confidence. It is a loud, warm color and represents togetherness. It should be used in moderation as it can also be an overwhelming color. Too much use of this color has brought associations of cheapness.
Black for Luxury
Dark colors invoke a feeling of warmth, elegance and even timelessness. It is very much a tool for designing a high end website with the emphasis on quality. It is also used to convey an aura of expensiveness, a serious color with a serious price tag for serious people.
White for Freedom
White is often used as a background on websites. Partially this is because it allows the products or logos to stand out. It also creates the feeling of freedom, of space and being able to move around.
It has been shown that bright colors are good at creating a call to action. The all important sale hinges on this, so avoid darker colors and stick to primary hues if you want to have the coolest website design, like you get at http://www.hiddenobjectgames365.com/.