How To Effectively Use Colors In Your Website

Want your one page website to stand out from the crowd? One simple way to do it is through the effective use of color.

Choosing the right color palette for your website is one of the most important (yet oft-overlooked) elements in the design process. And it’s not just for aesthetics.

It is well known that colors affect people on a subconscious level. Blue, for example, is thought to evoke feelings of loyalty and integrity. Read more about the psychology of color.

The colors you choose for your website have the ability to generate an impact on your visitors. Whether that impact is positive or negative is entirely dependent on you.

Here are a few simple ways to determine which colors to use (and where to use them) on your one page website:

Using color on your website

The use of color on a website can be a powerful tool–but all too often, people don’t know how to wield it. Use too little color, and your website will look dull and boring. Use too much (especially on a one pager) and it can feel overwhelming and messy.

Today, most designers like to stick with two or three main colors:

1. A dominant color for your brand
2. One or two accent colors to create a color scheme
3. A background color (typically a neutral)

If you want to mix things up, you can use gradients of each of these colors to add in detail or create emphasis.

Choosing your dominant color

Your dominant color will be the one most associated with your brand. For example, Target is easily recognized with their red and white marketing schemes, even if you can’t see their logo or their name.

This color will help evoke certain emotions or feelings when people arrive on your website. It’s the color you want people to remember when they think of your brand.

Here is a quick list of some popular colors and their meanings to help get you started:

• Red: Energy, passion, and action
• Orange: Optimism and communication
• Yellow: Cheer and intellect
• Green: Balance, growth, and money
• Blue: Loyalty, trust, and peace
• Purple: Creativity and imagination
• Pink: Love and nurturing
• White: Purity and perfection
• Black: Mystery and sophistication

Choosing your accent colors

Accent colors should compliment your main color and add interest and depth to your design. They will be used to highlight important parts of your website, like buttons, subtitles, or information boxes.

For many people, color mixing isn’t necessarily a strong suit. No worries if that’s the case for you: there are dozens of free color matching tools, like Adobe Color CC, available online. They take the guesswork out of the process and ensure that you have a beautiful, professional-looking color palette ready for your website and other branding needs.

Remember: limit your accent colors to just one or two. Anything more will feel overwhelming.

Choosing your background color

Today, more designers are working ‘white space’ into their websites. What it is, essentially, is the absence of content. It’s negative space. Completely empty. And while that might sound boring, it actually helps emphasize key features and highlight important elements.

What’s important to know is that ‘white space’ doesn’t necessarily have to be white. It can actually be any color you want!

So, how do you choose the appropriate background color? Like accent colors, it should compliment your main color. It should also not be too loud or distracting, as you don’t want to take attention away from the more important elements.

Think about the overall vibe you’d like to convey and go from there. For example, if you want to a clean, modern feel, white is a good choice. If you’d like something a little warmer and cheerier, perhaps a soft yellow.

Just remember–never choose a color that makes your text or content difficult to read!

You Want Your Audience To Feel Good

Choosing the color palette for your one page website should be based on the wants and needs of your audience. Remember, certain colors can evoke certain emotions . . . and you want your audience to feel good!

The BoldGrid website builder makes it easy to create a website from scratch–including a custom color palette–with no design experience necessary. Reach out today to learn how you can get started.