Utilizing the Psychology of Colour to Enhance Web site Conversions

Color has a huge impact on our attitudes and emotions.

When our eyes turn color, they are communicating with a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which sends a cascade of signals to the pituitary, endocrine system, and then thyroid. The thyroid glands signal the release of hormones that cause mood swings, emotions, and resulting behavior.

What's even more interesting is that a case study showed that adjusting color, among other things, can increase conversion by up to 24%.

Studying all of this is called color psychology, and the bottom line is, use the right colors and you win.

What is color psychology?

Color psychology is the science of how color affects human behavior. Color psychology is actually a branch of the broader field of behavioral psychology. Suffice it to say that it is quite a complicated field.

Some skeptics even reject the entire field of color psychology because it is difficult to test theories.

My own research on the subject, as this article conveys, contains no scientific evidence to support any claim. However, this in itself is no reason to discard the profound and undeniable effect of color on people.

There are important facts in color theory that are beyond dispute. In a classic color study in a peer-reviewed magazine article, Satyendra Singh found that it only takes 90 seconds for a customer to form an opinion about a product. 62 to 90 percent of this interaction is determined by the color of the product alone.

Color Psychology is a must have for executives, office managers, architects, gardeners, chefs, product designers, packaging designers, shopkeepers, and even parents-to-be, who are painting kindergarten for the newcomer! Color is crucial. Our success depends on how we use color.

However, the psychology of color is often the subject of disagreement in marketing and website design because color preferences vary widely between individuals. For example, many people prefer red over blue, while self-conjoined twins prefer different t-shirt colors.

Where should you apply color psychology?

Colors affect everyone. It doesn't matter whether you're developing software, designing a book, developing a web design cover, or simply branding your business: colors define sentiment and influence reactions.

S.Since color is ubiquitous, we need to understand where to use these color tips. This article describes the use of color in website design. Specifically, it's about a website's color scheme, which includes the hue of hero graphics, heading types, frames, backgrounds, buttons, and popups.

In the example below, NinjaJump uses a green-yellow-red color scheme for the logo, phone number, video C2A, menu bar, graphic, category menu, sub-headings, and sidebar.

The tips we discuss below can similarly be applied in a variety of areas, including:

• Websites
• Logos
• Branding
• Homepage
• Menu bars
• Email Marketing
• Social media posts and cover photos
• Product design
• Videos

As you can see, color psychology can be used almost anywhere. So how do you get that right?

Using the right color psychology properly

Color is a difficult thing. You have to use it in the right way, at the right time, with the right audience, and for the right purpose.

For example, if you're selling jump houses – the things kids play in – you don't want to use a black website. Props, NinjaJump.com.

For the jump house site, you want lots of bright and vibrant colors, probably some reds, greens, and maybe a splash of yellow.

On the other hand, if you're selling a product to women, you don't want to use brown or orange. Perhaps that's why L’Oreal uses black and white with a purple overlay on its e-commerce website.

I will explain all of the tricks below. To successfully apply proper color psychology, you need to adhere to the following basic principles:

• The right way
• The right time
• The right audience
• The right purpose

Here are some tips the pros are using color psychology to improve conversion.

Proven Color psychology tips to drive conversions

CRO is an essential part of building a successful website. The goal is to get the best possible ROI and thrive, no matter how tough your competition may be.

With less than 5% of the population suffering from color blindness, color theory is an option that should be studied and tested.

Here are some color psychology tips to keep in mind.

1. Women prefer blue, purple and green

The sociological differences between color preferences are a whole branch of study in itself.

In a color and gender survey, 35% of women said their favorite color was blue, followed by purple (23%) and green (14%). 33% of women said orange was their least preferred color, followed by brown (33%) and gray (17%).

Other studies have confirmed these results, revealing a female aversion to earth tones and a preference for primary colors with hues.

Check out how this is played. Visit almost any ecommerce website targeting women and you will find these feminine color preferences confirmed.

Milani Cosmetics mainly has female customers. Therefore there is no hint of orange, gray or brown on the homepage:

Women's Day uses all three of women's favorite colors (blue, purple and green) on their homepage and invites their target group:

Most people think that the popular feminine color is pink. It is not. Only a small percentage of women choose pink as their favorite color.

While pink suggests femininity in color psychology, it doesn't mean that pink will appeal to all women or even most women. Use colors other than pink – like blue, purple, and green – and potentially make your ecommerce website more attractive to female visitors. This, in turn, can improve conversions.

2. Men prefer blue, green and black

When marketing to men, these colors should be kept away from purple, orange, and brown. Use blue, green, and black instead. These colors – blue, green, and black – are traditionally associated with masculinity. However, for some, it's a bit of a surprise that brown isn't a favorite pick.

Remember that gender preferences are not cut off and dry. Gender is a complex issue, and not all men or women will prefer the colors above. However, this information can serve as a starting point for A / B testing.

3. Use blue to cultivate confidence

Blue is one of the most common colors for a reason. Lots of people like blue.

Read the literature on blue and you will come across news like

• The color blue is a color of trust, peace, order and loyalty.
• Blue is the color of the American company and reads: “Chill. . . believe and trust me. . . trust what I say! "
• Blue evokes feelings of calm and serenity. It is often described as peaceful, calm, safe, and orderly.

There is great agreement in the research community about the psychological effects of the color blue. Your subtle message of trustworthiness and serenity is true. You can use this to your advantage on your website and landing pages.

The largest social network in the world is blue. For a company whose core values ​​are transparency and trust, this is probably no coincidence.

PayPal, a company that serves as a channel for billions of dollars, also prefers the color blue. Chances are that this will help improve their trustworthiness. For example, if they tried red or orange for the theme color and branding, they probably wouldn't have the same conversion level.

Indeed, blue is a color that is widely used by many banks. Here is CapitalOne.com, a major internet bank:

While blue is pretty much an all-round great color, it should never be used on food. Dieters have used blue plates to successfully prevent them from overeating.

The theory of evolution suggests that blue is a color associated with poison. There aren't very many blue foods – blueberries and plums almost cover them. So never use blue when selling foodies. (Use red instead.)

4. Yellow stands for warnings

Yellow is a color of warning. The color yellow is therefore used for warning signs, traffic signals and wet floor signs.

So it seems strange that some color psychologists declare yellow as the color of happiness. Business Insider reports that "Brands use yellow to show they're fun and friendly." There is a possibility that yellow suggests playfulness. However, since yellow stimulates the arousal center of the brain, the feeling of playfulness may simply be a state of heightened emotions and reactions, not pure joy.

Color psychology is closely related to memories and experiences. If someone has had a pleasant experience with someone who wears a yellow shirt, eats in a fast food restaurant with yellow arches, or lives in a house with yellow walls, then the association of memories can bring joy to the yellow color.

One of the most cited “facts” about the color yellow is that babies cry and people get angry. So far, I have not found any study to support this claim, although everyone is comfortable repeating it.

I've even read that "the color yellow can make you feel sick", although I have doubts about it.

If you find the study on moody babies and angry people living in houses with yellow walls please let me know. I'm pretty sure babies will cry and people will be tickled regardless of the paint color.

However, it seems to be true that "yellow activates the fear center of the brain," as reported by a color expert.

Increased levels of anxiety during a website experience is never a good thing unless it comes in small doses. A yellow call to action, therefore, can only induce the flicker of fear necessary for them to click on the call to action they want.

Use yellow in small doses unless you want to cause unnecessary anxiety.

5. Green is ideal for environmental and outdoor products and brands

Perhaps the most intuitive color combination is green – the color of nature, the environment, nature and the environment. Green is essentially a chromatic symbol for nature.

Aside from its fairly obvious suggestiveness in the open air, green is also a color that can enhance creativity. A peer-reviewed study dubbed the "green effect" showed that participants were more creative when presented with a flash of green color as opposed to any other color.

If the focus of your website has something to do with nature, the environment, organic, or natural then green should be the color of your choice.

However, green is not just about nature. Green is also a good call to action color, especially when combined with the "isolation effect," also known as the von Restorff effect, which says you remember things better when they stand out.

You remember the Statue of Liberty because it's big, tall, and green and there aren't many of them in New York Harbor. In color psychology, the isolation effect occurs when a focus element, e.g. B. a conversion step that is the only element of a certain color. The tech works wonders on calls-to-action, and green is an ideal choice.

This is how Conrad Feagin uses it:

All of Dell's conversion items are green.

The word "green" itself is a catchphrase for environmental awareness and appreciation. Using the word and color themselves can give your website a green feel and improve your reputation with those who are passionate about the environment.

5. Orange can create a sense of rush or impulse

The positive side of orange is that it can be used as a "fun" color. According to some, orange helps “stimulate physical activity, competition and confidence”. This may be the reason why orange is widely used by sports teams and children's products.

A good example is the Denver Broncos logo.

In fact, there are a ton of sports teams that use orange: Florida Gators, Clemson Tigers, Boise State Broncos, Syracuse, New York Knicks, New York Mets, Cleveland Browns, etc.

Amazon.com uses Orange in its "Limited Time Offer" banner. The color indicates urgency, which makes the message more eye-catching and actionable:

It makes sense. Orange means active. Orange means fun. Orange means togetherness because it is a loud and warm color.

Orange can be a bit overwhelming, however. A research report advises

Orange is used sparingly to get your attention but not to overwhelm the actual message of the ad.

Sometimes orange is interpreted as "cheap". If your product offering is cheap, or if you want it to be seen as such, orange might be a good choice. Vive la Big Lots.

6. Black gives luxury and value

The darker the tone, the more luxurious it is, says our inner color psychology. Black can also be associated with elegance, sophistication and power. This is exactly what luxury designers and high-end ecommerce websites want.

In a Business Insider article on color and branding, the author refers to the meaning of black:

“Black can also be seen as a luxurious color. "When used correctly, black can convey glamor, sophistication and exclusivity."

Louis Vuitton handbags aren't cheap. The website lacks colors and designs of whimsy and fun. This is a serious value:

Citizen Watch, better than the average Timex, also uses the dark website design:

Lamborghini does the same. Black is the name of the game:

If you are selling high quality luxury consumer goods on your website, black is probably a good choice.

7. Use light primary colors for your CTA

In rigorous testing environments, the colors with the highest conversion rates for calls-to-action are light primary and secondary colors – red, green, orange, yellow.

Dark colors like black, dark gray, brown or purple have very low conversion rates. Lighter ones have higher conversion rates.

Women’s Health uses a light, purple-tinted shade for their call to action popup. They have the feminine purple / pink tint, along with a light tone.

GreenGeeks uses a yellow button:

The largest retailer in the world uses this famous "Add to Cart" button. It's yellow:

Some of the best conversion colors are the "ugly" ones – orange and yellow. An article on ColorMatters.com stated:

Psychologically, the "anti-aesthetic" colors may attract more attention than those on the aesthetically correct list.

Since the goal of a conversion item is to get attention, this large orange button (BOB) is fine for you. Or yellow.

8. Don't neglect don't know

In most of the color psychology materials I read there is a forgotten function. Perhaps that's because color theorists disagree on whether or not white is a color. I don't care if it is or not.

What I do know is that making ample use of spaces is a powerful design feature. Take the world's most popular website, for example. It's basically all white:

White is often forgotten because it is mainly used as a background color. Most well-designed websites these days use a lot of white space to create a sense of freedom, spaciousness, and breathability.

Color psychology best practices to drive conversions

You may not be able to rewrite your style guide and choose your own website color palette or font colors in the email template. How can you use color psychology in these situations? There are a few options:

• If the colors really suck, advocate change. In some situations, you may need to make a difference. If you're a high-heeled designer who sells to upscale women but has a crappy orange logo, share your concerns with decision makers. People sometimes make terrible color choices. Please show them how a killer color scheme can make a conversion difference.
• Use psychologically appropriate colors that match the existing color scheme. Sure, you'll have to adjust to the color scheme, but you can still use a splash of strategic color here and there. For example, let's say you have a blue-themed website. Fine. You can create a popup to collect email addresses and use a bright yellow button. The button is psychologically appropriate and doesn't harm the company's color branding.

The more freedom you have in your color scheme, the better. Here are some key tips on how to implement color psychology in your website:

• Test several colors: Despite some statements, there is no right color for a conversion text or a button. Try a green, purple, or yellow button. Discover the advantages of a black background scheme over a white background. Find out which one is best for your audience and product.
• Don't just leave color choices to your designer: I have a lot of respect for most web designers. I've worked with a lot of them. However, don't let your designer dictate what colors to use on your website. Color is a conversion problem, not just an "oh it looks good" problem. Color aesthetics isn't everything. Color conversion effects are important! They should be heavily involved in the color choices of your landing pages to improve your conversions.
• Avoid Overloading Color: I just spent over 3,000 words telling you the importance of awesome color. Now you go out and color something. But don't go overboard. Remember my last point. I last said it for a reason. White is a color, and it should be your BFF color too. Dominate your enthusiasm for colors with a lot of white. Too many colors can create confusion.

Conclusion

The internet is a colorful place, and there is a lot that can be achieved when color is used correctly, at the right time, with the right audience, and for the right purpose.

This article naturally leads to questions about changes in the context of your business. What if your company has a certain color in your style guide? What if the logo color dictates a specific shade? What if the main designer dictates the color requirements? How do you deal with it?

How have your color changes affected your conversions?

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