website design and colour
The colour scheme that you use for your website can say a lot about your business and your brand. Therefore, it is important to put some thought into your website colour scheme. It can be a difficult thing to do, especially if you are not confident with using colour and are not a skilled designer. Colour, when use wisely, can enhance your business. Website design and colour should go hand in hand.
Brand Recognition
Colour can help with your brand recognition. When you think of ‘coke-a-cola’ the colour red comes to mind, when we think about the ‘dairy milk bar’, the colour purple comes to mind and so on. Colour can increase brand recognition by up to 80%. There is a direct link between brand recognition and consumer confidence.
Emotions
Colour conveys feelings and emotions. Greys can signify calmness and greens can denote health and growth. Blues carry feelings of trust while reds can mean boldness or even danger. Yellows and oranges can mean cheerfulness and warmth. So, if you run a yoga business, greys might be good colours to use as they show a sense of balance and calm.
Perhaps, if you run an organic food store, you may want to use greens and browns. Blue is considered the safest choice as research shows 57 recent of men and 35 per cent of women say it is their favourite colour! Think about what feeling you would like to convey to your visitors.
Choosing your colour scheme
It is good to have a sense of order and balance to your website. Picking and mixing colours can be tricky, so here are some things to keep in mind. Choose colours that go well together eg complementary colours (colours that are opposite on the colour wheel), triadic (3 colours that are 120 degrees from each other on the colour wheel ) or analogous colours (colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel).
Choosing your colour scheme (ctd)
Another way to decide on your colour scheme is to pick one dominant colour for your website. This should add a pop of colour to important places on your web pages eg menu, contact details and any other important information. Then, choose accent colours to highlight other pieces of information that are important.
You can use a tool like adobe colour CC tool (see image) to pick out these colours for you. It is free and easy to use. It also gives triadic schemes, complementary schemes and analogous colours schemes as I have mentioned above.
Don’t forget about the background
The background colour for your website is also important. This is just like painting a wall in a room. You want your visitors to feel comfortable and safe visiting your webpages. Always remember the user experience (UX) when deciding on your colour scheme. We have written a short, yet interesting article on user experience (UX) which is well worth a read. Too many background colours could make reading the information on your site difficult. Your background colour depends on the purpose of your website.
Most websites that have a lot of information eg eCommerce stores, have plain backgrounds. This helps remove distractions so that the visitors can just focus on the products. If you have a neutral background, your content will be the focus of attention. If your business is a creative one (fashion, art, beauty) most colours will work.
In conclusion, choosing a colour scheme for you website should be a considered process. It should never be a favourite colour or a gut feeling. It is not a random task but a precise and organised one. The team at Surrey Web Studio can advise you on the colour scheme that best suits your business.