Color Selection is Important!

John Bonazzo is spot on! His article “The Color of Websites Isn’t a Black and White Issue” outlines the need for a website with hand-picked colors that appeal to your target audience.

He documents examples of large online companies, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, using specific color preferences to appeal to a larger population. In the case of these companies, blue was used in their logos, a color reported to be the favorite of about a third of the population.  He also reports that global companies, ie McDonalds, will even change the colors and hues of their websites to capture different cultures’ color meanings. Furthermore, adding contrasting hues can allow for some pop in your website, as is the case with the “Add to Cart” button on Amazon.

As a psychologist expanding into the field of web design, I strongly urge the careful selection of colors for your website to evoke the right feelings from your target audience. While you certainly cannot capture everyone’s preferences as Bonazzo suggests, using colors associated with the feelings that you want others to associate with your website is crucial. Blue denotes tranquility, peace and relaxation, reds can evoke feelings of power, strength, and even anger, and yellow can be associated with sunshine, cheerfulness, and food to name a few.

Using pre-fab website designs from various online companies can be cost-efficient, but you may be sacrificing the choices in colors that are best suited for your website and the feelings you would like to evoke. Custom-designed websites can alleviate this concern and appeal to your consumers on many different levels.

Bonazzo, J. (August 30, 2016). The color of websites isn’t a black and white issue. Observer. Retrieved 8/31/16 from http://observer.com/2016/08/the-color-of-websites-isnt-a-black-and-white-issue/