How many times have you heard the expression “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” And yet, when we go into a bookstore or library, most of us do exactly that. We browse through books with attractive covers until we find one that catches our attention – and then we read the back cover, or look at the first page, and discover if it is indeed something that interests us.
The same goes for online shops and content. The psychology of colour is significant in website conversion. Let’s take a look at how colours can affect conversions on your website.
Red Color Psychology
The colour red is often associated with emotions. It’s known that when people see red, it gets their attention and makes them want to act. This association between red and action is a good expression of the role of colours in general – colours can affect how people feel about your website, and can thus increase or decrease conversions.
Blue Color Psychology
Blue is associated with different kinds of businesses – for educational sites, the colour blue can give a sense of calm and security; on e-commerce sites, it’s frequently used as an accent colour to set off the brand. It should be noted that while this colour might make something feel bigger or more secure, it also gives a sense of coldness and distance. This is why it’s not a great colour to use for sites that have lots of emotional content – such as relationships, dating, or close family communication.
Green Color Psychology
Green is a great colour to use for e-commerce sites – in fact, it might just be the best one there is. The reason behind this is that green has been associated with money (and wealth) around the world for a long time. It’s not just the colour of standing grass and trees, but also of banknotes, leaves on coins – in other words, of money itself.
Orange Color Psychology
Orange is known to be a “warm” colour, meaning that it evokes different emotions depending on the shade used. For example, orange is often used in restaurants – it gives a sense of friendliness and comfort. It’s also a colour that makes people feel hungry – for example, pizza delivery companies use an orangish shade of yellow to get people excited about their fast food.
Orange is a great colour to use on websites that sell products related to sports, health and eating. On the other hand, it’s a terrible colour to use on sites that sell products related to politics or people. Thus, making it significantly important for your web design company or team to be well aware of color schemes and combinations.
Yellow Color Psychology
Yellow is another very warm colour – in fact, it’s considered a “hot” colour, leading many cultures to believe that yellow can increase feelings of warmth and happiness. On the other hand, it can also make people feel playful or curious – in fact, you’ll often see children’s toys in yellow colours.
Yellow is a great colour to use for websites that are selling products related to entertainment or communication. If your site sells these kinds of products, using yellow as an accent colour could also be a great idea.
Purple Color Psychology
Purple is known to be very calming and peaceful, but its role as the colour of fashion means that it can also make people feel self-conscious. It’s also associated with royalty – so if you have a site that sells products related to extravagance and luxury, purple is a good colour to use.
Brown Color Psychology
Brown is known to be associated with the outdoors – in fact, our brains use brown and green together with the concept of “nature”. Because it reminds us of nature, brown can make people feel relaxed. On the other hand, it also gives people a sense of security and trust, as it can remind us of the traditional colours of banks.
Brown is a great colour to use for websites that are selling outdoor or nature-related products – such as camping gear, gardening tools, ecological energy solutions, etc. On the other hand, if your site sells electronics or anything related to the Internet, it’s probably not a good idea to use brown.
All this shows the importance of colour psychology in site conversion rates. We hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide on how colours can affect conversions on your website!
