The Psychological Effects of Colors

The Psychological Effects of Colors#

The choice of colors on your website is vital to making your visitors feel welcome and increasing conversion rates. As Dr. Morton indicates in The Power of Color, people base 60% of their decision regarding whether they will accept or reject a particular object on its color alone. Different colors have different implications for different markets. It's important to remember that simply because you perceive a color to mean something, people on the other side of the world will not necessarily interpret the same color in the same way. Understanding your website's market is the key to choosing the right colors.

For example, red and yellow both act in similar ways on most Western visitors. Red speeds up the pulse and can give an impression that time is running out. This can make your buyers feel pressured which may lead to "shopping cart abandonment". Yellow tends to speed up metabolism and can make people feel frustrated and uneasy. Of all the colors, yellow is also the most fatiguing to the eye. Consequently, it should be used very sparingly in your website or promotional materials. If you are encouraging a consumer to purchase your product or sign up for one of your services, the last thing you want to do is make them feel rushed.

Colors also have unique social and spiritual connotations for different regions. However, not all members of a particular region are susceptible to color stimulation. For example, a Hindu is likely to associate red with purity and weddings. Unfortunately, you don't have the luxury of knowing the religious or cultural background of each person who visits your website. Similarly, some individuals will view the color blue very positively, and others may associate green with Islam or Islamic products. Japanese or Chinese visitors will often associate white with death and mourning.

One of the first things you should do when determining colors for your website is to decide what colors go best with your particular product. Start with a large selection of colors, and then narrow it down by factoring in your market age, gender (men generally prefer cool colors, whereas women prefer hot colors) and geographical location. This may prove to be a difficult task.

However, you can use the following general guideline when choosing the most important colors:

· Black & Deep Red - sophistication & class

· White - purity (death for Eastern visitors - offset with reds or hot colors)

· Red - strength or power (can anger visitors or appear unsophisticated, offset with a neutral)

· Blue, Green, Turquoise - calm, nature, peace (Green connotes Islam for Hindus)

· Yellow - attracts attention & focuses the eye (too much can be devastating so use very sparingly)

· Pink - love, romance, passion

· Purple - dignity, nobility (accepted by Catholics, but many cultures find this color offensive)

· Brown - confidence and comfort

· Orange - food images, promotes hunger

· Gray - neutral color acceptable for almost any market

Studies have shown that the manner in which certain colors are combined often has the greatest effect on an individual. For example, although Chinese and Japanese visitors associate white with the concept of death, the color gains positive connotations when paired with red. Remember to fine-tune your color selection after careful consideration of your market. Also keep in mind that too many colors or conflicting colors can make your web page very visually distracting. This means visitors may take longer to read your page. You run the risk of convincing them to click on to another more visually appealing site.

Colors play a very significant role in affecting the mood of your website's visitors. Therefore, you need to pay careful attention to the colors you choose when designing your online pages. In general, blue, white, gray and yellow used in moderation are effective colors for attracting a Western audience. If your goal is to attract many non-Western individuals, choose pinks, yellows and hot colors which tend to convey prosperity and passion. Avoid purple, as most international visitors will not only find this color discomforting, but also threatening. Make sure you paint the intended picture for your audience by choosing a palette of suitable colors!

Michael Ehlert, Creator of the Rev Up Your Web Business system, is an industry leader in showing you how to generate more profits from your website. Get 50+ Ways to Promote Your Business and Generate Quality Traffic here: http://www.RevUpYourWebBusiness.com

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