How Strategic Use of Color in Web Design Can Increase Conversions
Some put up websites as a hobby, while many seek web design solutions to create websites to help promote their business. One thing that they all can agree on, however, is that they all want conversions.
Are you offering a newsletter? Then every person who subscribes to it is a conversion. You can say the same for visitors who willingly provide you with information through a contact form. And when someone buys whatever your website is offering, then you are at the receiving end of what many people call the ultimate conversion.
Of course, all webmasters want to get as many conversions as possible. Increasing conversions involve many factors, and the use of color in web design solutions is one of them.
Much of the buzz about color use in web design revolves around color psychology, a branch of behavioral psychology. According to color psychology, there is a connection between colors and the attitudes, values, and emotions of people.
For marketers and web designers worth their salt, the idea of people reacting to colors in their work is ripe with possibilities that will ultimately lead to conversions. It’s no surprise then that many of them are trying their best to have an understanding of how color psychology works so they can properly use specific colors for their work and help them reach their desired goals.
Let’s take a look at some basic colors and see which values and emotions are associated with which colors according to color psychology.
Red – Red is widely regarded as the color of passion. Love, sex, and even jealousy and anger readily come to mind when we see red. In the world of marketing, red is often used in material for clearance sales and other events that require a sense of urgency.
Blue – Many companies use blue in their logos and other corporate materials. The possible reason for this is that the color blue is associated with qualities like reliability, security, trust, safety, and intelligence, and all businesses would want to project themselves as possessing all of them. Blue is also regarded as the coolest color and is perceived to evoke feelings of calmness and serenity as well.
White – The healthcare industry is one of the biggest users of white, likely because it denotes cleanliness and hygiene. White also represents virtue, purity, and innocence in the western world, and it’s the reason why wedding dresses are almost always white.
Green – Green is already synonymous to the environment. In fact, the two words are often used interchangeably. So it would be completely peculiar if an organization that pushes for an environmentalist and conservationist agenda does not have a hint of green for its pages.
The color, however, isn’t just about the environment. The business world also likes green because it’s also associated with decisiveness.
One bonus fact about green: our brain processes it quite easily, and that’s why it’s often regarded as just as cool as blue.
Black – Never mind that in general, black will always be linked to darkness and death. Black is a very elegant color, which is probably why it is are often used in ads for high-end products. Black also projects power, authority, strength, and of course, beauty, hence the phrase “black is beautiful.”
Yellow – No other color projects as much joy and warmth as yellow. It is hands-down the most cheerful color of all, with some people claiming that they feel more optimistic and younger whenever they’re around something yellow.
Go easy on using yellow in web design though, because yellow can get overwhelming, and might cause visitors to leave your website.
Color psychology can help you succeed
As far as web designers and marketers are concerned, an awareness of which colors are associated with which human behaviors is crucial to their success. Whatever their goals—be it commercial, social, or political—choosing and using colors in keeping with color psychology help them stand a better chance of drawing the reactions and responses they want not only to get those precious conversions, but also to further their agenda.
However, we should make clear that the behavioral associations as espoused by color psychology are not in any way indisputable. In fact, our reaction to colors will likely be dictated by our preferences and experiences, and that means people may react to the same color differently.
Still, the associations with color being put forward by color psychology are close enough to be acceptable to most people. If they weren’t, web designers and marketers wouldn’t even bother working color psychology into their projects if those behavioral associations are the farthest things from the truth.
Tips for choosing colors to improve conversions
If the business you’re in or the agenda you’re pushing falls under the industry or niches mentioned above, then use the colors associated with them for your web design. Are you in the retail sector? Then red would be perfect for your website. Is your organization pushing for the use of sustainable materials in construction? Then no other color would be better than green.
Still, it would still be best if you do a little market research before anything else. Your target market will always have prevailing color preferences, and you would do well to understand them.
Women, for instance, have color preferences that tend to be quite different from that of men. If both genders make up your target market, you need to find out what colors they both like in general, then use those colors for your web design.
Aside from gender, age is also a factor that you should take into account in your market research. If your website is selling products for children, for example, then it makes much more sense if your website makes use of colors as vibrant as yellow, green, or orange.
Once you’ve picked your color and applied them to your work, perform A/B testing to determine the color combinations and placements that will prove to be more effective at generating leads and conversions.
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