Not all websites are created equal but they do share one thing in common – they all hope to connect with a target audience and, in most cases, to convert visitors into customers.
Most people, when faced with the prospect of creating a business website, spend most of their time considering the content. What does your company produce or sell? How much experience does the company have? Are previous customers happy to endorse your service or product?
Fonts, headers and layout are also considered to be important, as are the quality and quantity of photographs and graphics on the site. Page load times are also seen as crucial to the success or otherwise of a new website. However, when it comes to colour, many business owners are missing a trick.
Rainbows are not always desirable
We’ve all come across those DIY sites where the general effect is of a paint explosion in a children’s nursery! Too much colour can be confusing, even disturbing, and it sends out a very clear message that the site is lacking in professional input.
In many cases, less is more, particularly with our reliance on smartphones and tablets for surfing the internet. The Next Web agrees endorses a limited palette of colours on a site, as this conveys a cool, professional approach to business.
The psychology of colour
Different colours actually have an impact upon our behaviour and can trigger certain beliefs. For example, an article in Forbes relates how people can actually feel warmer in a room painted in shades of red, orange and yellow, while they report feeling colder in rooms that are painted green, blue or light purple.
Orange is seen as a colour associated with good value for money, while red is purported to actually reduce an individual’s capacity for analytical thinking. Pink is seen as a calming colour, with many prisons around the world adopting it as their colour of choice for cell walls.
Of course, some colours have become inextricably linked to brands, such as a global brand of soft drink whose red and white logo is one of the best-known symbols on the planet. In the UK a particular shade of purple is forever associated with a certain brand of chocolate. Used well, colour can become a powerful marketing and branding tool.
Not every business manager or owner has the knowledge and skills required to select the best colours for a commercial website. Unless you have a very strong understanding of web design then it’s often best to call in professional graphic designers who understand the best way to promote your goods and services.
By using professionals you can ensure that whether you’re looking for the best Taunton web design solutions or a top-of-the-range website you will end up with a professional site which is appealing to your target audience. Companies such as http://www.somersetwebservices.co.uk ensure they are always up-to-date with the latest trends, which means that your website will be too.
Ignore the psychology of colour at your peril. Used correctly, colour can enhance your company’s image and drive sales, but used incorrectly it could actually put customers off – surely the last thing any good business manager wants for his company.