subject: Choosing Your Website Colors [print this page] It is within us to be attracted to colorsIt is within us to be attracted to colors. Therefore it is important when designing your website to choose colors that will be appealing to your visitors and to choose the colors that are associated with the image you want to convey.
When choosing a color you will invariably affect the psychology of your visitors. Either through the color of the background, text, headlines and/or images, without carefully choosing the colors, your site will be boring, chaotic or just plain--either way visitors won't stay long.
As mentioned it is important to choose the right colors. You want to design your website with appealing and attractive colors, but to have the chosen colors to be associated with the products and/or services you are providing. Below are some colors that have a well established association with invoking a mood, feeling and/or presence.
Red: heat, love, power, warning, impulse, adventure or action
White: peace, purity, cleanliness, modern or simplicity
Yellow: joy, light, sun, hope, intellect and/or energy
Keep in mind the above colors are a base to work from and therefore the above colors may have specific meanings in certain cultures, regions and religious meaning. When choosing your colors you will want to understand your target market so that the combinations of the chosen colors neutralize any negative response to your website.
When designing a website the display should be complementary of the color arrangements: shades, tones and tints. A good rule of practice is to add texture to a chosen color to alter its shade--rough textures tend to make a color appear darker while smoother textures will make a color appear lighter.
The following link is a good starting point in choosing the right color combinations for you website:Color Scheme Designer
