The first thing a visitor notices when opening up your site is the design. You may think it is the layout and what you offer that stand out, but it is actually the colours. The wrong combination can actually turn a person off the site and they won't bother looking to see exactly what you have. That is why in website design, colour matters. But many wonder how does colour in my website have an impact on visitors?
Simply put, colours evoke emotions. Big companies and brand names know this and use it when selling their products. The right colours can encourage trust and make a person feel safe to buy a product or shop from a certain website. Even if your site has the perfect combination of products, words, and website design, the colours can still drive them away.
This falls into every category of your site design, not only the background, but the graphics and the text also. They affect the mood, emotions, feelings, and behaviour of those visiting your site. Some colours can have different affects depending on culture and life experiences, but there are some basic rules to follow.
Genarally speakin, darker shades tend to be more appealing to men and lighter shades to women. Since the dark shades convey a feeling of power, they should not be too overwhelming on a page, unless the page is all about power. To get and keep a man's attention the more powerful the colours, the more he becomes interested in the page and what it is offering.
On the other hand, with women, they do not want to feel intimidated by a website's design, which is why lighter colours are more appealing to them. Light shades give off a sense of gentleness and subtleness. Using lighter shades will coax a woman deeper into the site and make her feel more comfortable with what the site offers.
Do not be afraid to experiment with different combinations and shades when developing your website design. If you are unsure of which colours are best, check out similar sites that are popular to see what schemes and combinations are working for them. In answer to the question, does colour in my website have an impact on visitors? The answer is yes, if you want to evoke the right emotion, you need to use the right colours.
