7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website

7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website
7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website

 

 Right Color scheme usage is very significant
in website and presentation. Most importantly for a website, if you feel that
design and content make a website, you are only partially right.

One of the
most vital things that act as a colourizer in the success of a website is the
choice of colors or simply put right color scheme (. After all, the internet is
a visual medium and we all know that colors do have a striking effect on the
human psychology. Just imagine yourself entering a room with a great color
combination on the walls. It immediately soothes your mood and you feel like
staying there for some time. The same effect works here! Hence, to engage your
clients, you need to choose the right color scheme for your website. Here are
some great tips.

#1: Get Started with a Blank Canvas
Building
a color palette from scratch always helps. For your convenience, you may use
tools such as ColoRotate, Adobe Kuler, and Color Scheme Designer and so on.
There is no written rule stating the number of colors that should be used;
however, there is a 60-30-10 rule in case of design which can be applied here.
To
elaborate, the primary color, which would constitute the site’s unifying theme
should fill about 60% of the space. To create a visual appeal, a contrasting color
needs to cover 30%. The remaining 10%, called accent color, should complement
the primary or contrasting color.
Check
out the color combinations of these websites and you will able to grasp the
logic.
 

7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website
 (Source:  http://ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/decode.jpg,
http://ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cupcakes.jpg)
Again,
three to five colors can be used for websites with content-rich web pages. In
such cases, tints and shades can be leveraged for the additional color effects.
#2: Understand the Psychology behind
Each Color
Since
colors have a psychological impact, it is important to understand the inherent
meaning that the human mind associates with each color. For instance, yellow
stands for cheerfulness and fun, while blue is a representative of honesty and
trustworthiness. Again, white stands for cleanliness, simplicity and order.
Then there are black, pink, magenta, red, brown, and so on, representing
different moods. So, choose the color combination according to your business
perspective and the theme of your website. 
#3: Match the Colors with Your
Target Market
It
might seem a bit strange but yes, it is true. The color preference does vary
according to the target market. Women prefer different colors than men,
whereas, children have a liking for brighter as well as simpler block colors in
comparison to adults. Again teenagers do have their own preferences.
The
color suitability of your website also varies according to the business domain
in which you operate. Some colors suit corporate businesses, while some apply
to gift shops or beauty portals. Again still others are relevant for fast food
outlets.
While
you are choosing the color scheme for your website, also keep in mind the
following:
–         
Tropical inhabitants have a penchant for
warmer and brighter colors.
–         
Residents of cooler countries like
‘cooler’ colors.
–         
People who are well-educated have an
inclination towards sophisticated and tertiary colors that bear unusual names. 
#4: Know Where to Apply Your Brand
Color
Your
weakness towards your brand color must not make you apply it everywhere within
your website. There are certain areas where the brand color fits perfectly,
such as interface controls like menus, navigations, links, buttons, boxes as
well as search fields. The portions of your website where users go through the
text need to have high color contrast. Moreover, the colors used in that
particular area should not compete with the colors of your brand. Given this,
the best combination is black and white as they enhance the readability of the
text and do not compete with the rest of the colors.
Check
out the websites of Logitech and Nike and you will find that they make use of
this principle. Brand colors are used for interface controls whereas the text
areas have shades of black and white.
    

7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website
(Source:
http://uxmovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/brand-color-6.png,
http://uxmovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/brand-color-7.png)
#5: Use De-saturated Background
Colors
If
your site consists of product pictures or headlines delivering significant
messages, it is always advisable to go for a de-saturated background in order
to make the images stand out across the page. If you use a saturated
background, it will dominate the page, and the content as well as the images
would lose their distinct identity. The overall appeal of the website would be
lost due to decreased readability of content and ineffective pictures. Hence
you must keep the colors of the product images as well as the main messages more
saturated as compared to the background colors. Have a look at the color
combination below.
7 Tips for Using the Right Color Scheme for Your Website
(Source:
http://www.pallasweb.com/p/images/colorexample1.gif)
On
the left, the background is more saturated, while the right shows a less
saturated, lighter background, which sells the product in a more effective
manner. 
#6: Choose the Best Colors for
Images, Links and Text
Once
you can grasp the messages that your website colors send, you would be able to
use the colors to your advantage. With the help of the right combination of
colors, the visitor can be directed around the web page and encouraged to make
the purchase decision. Moreover, colors build up coherence and unity, leading
to a unique brand identity for the business. With that being said, it would be good to know that red is the
best color for actions required and directing the visitors. Again, green is the
color for decision making.
#7: Avoid Using Excessive Number of
Colors
One
of the most important things to remember while making your selection of colors
is the color harmony. Therefore it is recommended to go for a reasonable and
modest number of colors. Black and white used with four or five other colors
would be enough. If you apply too many colors, instead of enhancing the appeal,
it would simply distract the user by creating discord.
Life
is colorful, so a careful interplay of colors in anything works wonders for the
viewer. Colors are as important to a website as are the texts and the design.
The right color combination goes a long way in creating the first impression
when the user lands on the page while browsing, and is a crucial factor in the
user’s decision to stay on the page or move away from it.