Nigel Wilkinson
Managing Director of Daneswood. Nigel has been in sales and marketing since the 1980's and run digital marketing agencies since 2000.
The use of colour in website design is interesting and fraught with danger. How can colours be dangerous? I hear you cry. Well, in themselves, they can’t, but the response to assigning meanings to colours can be. Especially in this world of social media outrage, “I quite like purple!” often will get the response, “So do you plan to destroy all greens, you greenophobic!” OK, I exaggerate for comic effect, but you get the point.
Even psychologists argue on the subject! Some studies have found correlations between colour and mood or behaviour in controlled experimental settings. For example, research has shown that warm colours like red can increase arousal levels and attention, while cool colours like blue may have a calming effect. However, the results of such studies are often nuanced, and the interpretation of findings can vary.
There are some generally accepted trends: blue is professional, green is environmental, and red is both passion and danger (there’s a blog for another day!). But how rigidly should you stick to these colours? Well, not too much, I would suggest.
It should start with your brand. You may be an accountant, and tradition says you should use blues to give a feeling of trust and calmness. But, if your brand is that you are an environmentally friendly accountant, then green might be the right colour choice. And what if you want to really stand out? Then using purple, orange or pink might be a choice to show your unique slant.
Creating a strong brand with clearly defined brand guidelines and giving you a colour palette to work from is the correct way forward. Giving your designer a single colour to work with is going to create a very odd website, with nothing standing out. Having 3-4 colours (not too many please!) means that you can bring contrast to your design.
Effective use of colour contrast can also improve readability and user experience. High contrast between text and background colours enhances legibility, especially for users with visual impairments or when viewing content on mobile devices in various lighting conditions.
Having the important Calls to Action in a colour that stands out from the rest of the design will increase website conversions by drawing in the user and showing them clearly what they need to do next. Research suggests that colours like red, orange, and green often perform well for Calls to Actions, but the most effective colour can vary depending on the context and target audience. A/B testing is crucial for determining the optimal colour for Calls to Actions.
In summary, begin with your brand and go with what works for you. Test everything: text, images, and colours. Find out what gets the best results for you. And, if that’s a nice safe blue, happy days. And if it’s purple with pink and yellow dots, rejoice that you are standing out from the crowd and getting the results you want.