Websites and Colours
Aesthetic needs have varying solutions, so website colour choice is an area we tend not to become involved in. The exception being where colour is clearly likely to detract from performance. On a business website, turning customers off before they get started is not a good idea.
Many leading sites adopt a surprisingly simple layout and neutral colour scheme, including international names such as Google or Flickr. Erring on the conservative side will rarely lose you custom if your website has much to offer, a risky colour layout can reduce time on site and visitor retention.
Avoid strident colours or making too much of a statement, being pleased with your website helps but this is built for your clients not for you. Above all ensure text is easy to read, layout and navigation simple to follow. Colour can assist with this, an opportunity to guide visitors as well as create an impression.
Choosing Website Colours
A good place to start is websites which are popular and appear professionally built, particularly in a similar sector. Choosing colours for a gaming site aimed at younger people will lead to different conclusions than an informational site targeting another generation. You should not look to be copying other layouts but they can provide inspiration.
Your business may have a colour scheme but don't feel obliged to stick to this rigidly. What is effective in print, or on the side of a van may not succeed on the web. If you don't wish to move too far away, there are plenty of online colour wheels and planners which allow you to adjust tone, or find complimetary colours.
No need to follow suggestions from these tools exactly, the human eye can help, make sure a range of people look at your design. Useful if they also look using a range of screen sizes and lighting, there are a few colour combinations which work in daylight but leave a very different impression under artificial light.
There are equally times when going against the grain is a good thing. If you want particular areas of a website to draw attention, opposing colours can achieve this. The idea is best in small doses and often works well using primary colours or close tones of them, a striking pink on a subtle site may just be too much.
The Effect of Your Choice
The result of colour errors often shows in a test intended to point out what is effective on a website. You may have seen eye tracking studies for web pages, with hot or cold colours to show where people look. Disruptions in the pattern were thought to be positive but linking these studies to current analysis of subconscious reaction suggests the opposite can be true. People also stare at what they don't like.
If in doubt don't be boring but play safe, the effect on your business is likely to be positive. Few people leave your website or feel unsure because this is calm but may do if colours are disruptive. A quiet colour scheme can bring trust and an overall feeling of a good experience.
Ensuring your users receive this is the focus of the technical side of our services:
- Investigation of website background or management.
- Site reports studying technical structure and content.
- Combined skills that would otherwise not be available.
We hope you found our article on colour choice helpful and are happy if you don't need our support. If you ever do, you are welcome to contact us.