How to choose the right colours for your website?

As a Toronto web designs agency, one of the biggest responsibilities we have is to choose the right colour scheme for our clients’ websites. A lot of our clients come to us having had a bad experience in the past.

We take the time to understand their business, their products and their target audience when choosing a colour scheme. So if you’re finding it hard to pick a colour scheme for your site, you’re not alone.

But did you know that colour influences the purchase decisions of 85% of shoppers?

Given how visually-driven we are that statistic makes complete sense. Visual stimulus influences almost all of our decisions. The same holds true for buying.

That’s why it’s important to pick the right colours for your brand identity and website.

Picking a good colour scheme for your website can be a daunting task, especially if you aren’t confident about your colour coordination skills. That’s where our Toronto web design specialists can help. We will work with you to choose a colour scheme that best works for your target audience.

In this post, I am going to share 5 essential tips on choosing a colour scheme for your website.

Know how colours affect emotions

It’s important to understand how colour affects our emotions.

Here is a breakdown of how different CTA button colours affect shoppers in North America:

Remember that the meaning of a colour differs from culture to culture. So identify the meaning of certain colours in the culture you are targeting. In some countries, for instance, red is considered negative while in others, it’s considered lucky.

Consider your target demographic

Now it’s time to identify your target audience.

Who is your ideal customer? What kinds of emptions do you want to evoke?

I suggest you look at the following graphics from Fast Company that explain the psychology of the most common colours:

Keep in mind the emotions and personality of your target customers to choose your website’s primary colour.

For instance, if you are selling health products, green would be the ideal colour.

Consider age

According to a study by Joe Hallock, our colour preferences change with age.

Younger people are drawn to saturated tones while older people may be attracted to natural shades.

So if you are targeting a specific age group, it’s important to choose a colour that will appeal to them.

Consider your offering

Consider the type of products/services you offer when choosing the colours for your website. Blue is usually considered to symbolize intellect. So it’s a great option if your content is educational in nature.

Warm tones like yellow and orange are great for food and restaurants offering spicy food. Pastels are an excellent choice if your website is about beauty products.

Choose your colours

When it comes to choosing your colour scheme, it’s important to consider contrast.

No matter what colours you choose, be sure to use a light coloured background with a darker foreground. This colour scheme is easier on the eyes and is aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

Having said that, there are many websites that have used dark background colours successfully.

In the end, it’s important to choose a colour scheme that your visitors will find appealing. So keep aside your personal biases when picking your website’s colour scheme.

Looking for a new website? Contact our Toronto web design team today for a free consultation.