Your website is the ultimate way to advertise your business. In order to do that effectively, you need to decide what your target audience is, and choose designs that will garner the best response. An important component of that is your color scheme. Studies have shown that specific audiences respond to colors very differently.
Colors and graphics will greatly impact your conversion rates. As web design experts, we are always concerned about the aesthetics of a website. However, some calls-to-action may not be beautiful, but will convert.
Deciding the best color scheme for your brand and website should be taken into careful consideration. Knowing who your audience is will be a big help in determining colors, but it is also okay to go the safe route and choose universally loved colors. Whatever message your brand sends should factor into your design choices.
How Specific Colors Influence Our Feelings & Decisions
It is vital to know your audience and how to speak to them. It is also important to first know what each general color symbolizes.
Yellow
Usually the color yellow makes people think of energy and brightness. However, it can be overwhelming to the eye.
Orange
Associated with levity, energy, and enthusiasm, orange actually tends to be one of the least favored colors by Americans.
Red
Red is often associated with warnings and danger, but also power, strength, and passion. Red can have very powerful effects when used thoughtfully.
Blue
Blue is a universal favorite color of Americans. Symbolizing calm, productivity, and honor, blue tends to speak very clearly to almost any audience.
Green
The color of nature, green is considered very pleasing to the eye. Aside from its symbolism of nature, green also signifies wealth and luck.
Purple
Conveying royalty, wealth, and spirituality, purple is a very effective color. However, it has been known to come off as artificial to some people so it should be used with caution.
Black
There are many associations with the color black. It can mean power and sophistication, but also death and mystery. It can be a powerful color to use, but very carefully.
Brown
Considered earthy, and confident, certain shades of brown also denote elegance.
Pink
Usually considered feminine, but also calming, pink is standard for expressing affection and tenderness. It should be used carefully as to not over target to female audiences.
Gray
Traditionally gray is associated with conservative and serious themes. It can also be considered boring, but professional.
White
Purity, cleanliness, and youth are conveyed by the shade white. It makes for crisp, sharp backgrounds.
Website Design for Your Target Audience
Everyone responds to colors differently, but there have been reported trends in various demographics.
Males: Men typically favor blue and orange.
Females: Prefer the color red and yellow.
Both Genders: Blue, turquoise, green, red, yellow, black, white, gray and silver are colors that are the most suitable for use in a business marketing to both males and females.
Adolescents: Modern teenagers have been proven to respond to the more sophisticated colors like black and gray. Younger females tend to respond favorably to pink and purple as they grow into adulthood.
65+ Years Old: The older audience tends to respond more positively to calming colors like blue or green. Intense and powerful colors like orange or yellow do not typically register well with this audience.