Introduction

Colours evoke emotions. It affects not just how individuals feel, but also what they do. The impact of colour is such that it may help enhance your brand, increase sales, and even direct users to certain pages or actions on your website. When it comes to marketing and branding, colour is widely employed to evoke the proper emotions from the audience, deliver certain messages, and impact customer behaviour. According to studies, individuals determine whether or not they like a product in 90 seconds or less, with colour accounting for 90% of the choice. According to research, colour may improve brand recognition by 80%. This implies that colour in marketing is so much more than the aesthetics and style that it may bring a brand. These colours are associated with how companies aim to connect with their audience and how the public perceives their visual identity. It's no coincidence that several major social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr) and technology businesses (Dell, IBM, HP, and Intel) use blue logos. However, this does not always imply that blue is appropriate for your website. Even if blue is the appropriate colour for your website, don't forget to consider what other colours you should pair it with. If you understand how colour affects people, you can make sure that the colours in your website design are working for you rather than against you. Let's look at some colour fundamentals. The Red Red is a high-energy hue that symbolises passion, excitement, and urgency. It may be used to capture consumers' attention and motivate them to act. For example, many e-commerce companies utilise red for their "Buy Now" buttons to encourage speedy purchases. Use Case: Coca-Cola's trademark red colour is recognised across the world as representing energy, passion, and action. This colour scheme has helped Coca-Cola stand out in the beverage business, being linked with refreshment and pleasure. Netflix - Netflix's use of vibrant red creates a sense of excitement and urgency, urging users to connect with their platform. This colour has become synonymous with leisure and binge-watching, helping Netflix establish itself as the world's largest streaming provider. The Green Green is typically associated with nature, health, and growth. It may be used to express ideas about environmental friendliness, relaxation, and freshness. Many websites in the health and wellness business utilise green to generate a sense of trust and well-being. Use Case: Starbucks: The green colour of Starbucks represents freshness, growth, and sustainability. It symbolises the company's dedication to quality and ethical sourcing, fostering a friendly environment for coffee aficionados worldwide. The Blue Blue is commonly linked with serenity. Blue is said to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. In business, color psychology often associates blue with stability, trust, security, intellect, and dependability. Many organizations, like Facebook and Twitter, utilize blue to project any or all of the attributes listed above to the rest of the globe. Use Case Facebook's distinctive blue colour represents trustworthiness, dependability, and connectedness. It promotes a feeling of community and communication, making users feel at ease and secure when interacting with the site. The blue colour has been inextricably linked to Facebook's brand, signifying the company's status as a global social networking powerhouse. The Orange Orange is a lively and brilliant colour that is frequently connected with joy, happiness, energy, warmth, ambition, excitement, and enthusiasm. It may also be used to convey caution. Draw attention to your call to action (subscribe, buy, sign up), clearance, sales, or any other material you want consumers to see. It's beneficial for ecommerce, automobile, technology, entertainment, food, and childcare. Use Case Swiggy The colour component is also personified: the corporation utilises a hue that rivals do not use but is extremely similar to the culinary theme. It is pumpkin, orange-yellow, velvety, suggestive of the colour of baked products, and gives a subliminal push to buy meals from this specific representative. The Purple Purple is connected with monarchy. It may be used to express creativity, inventiveness, authority, sophistication, power, riches, prosperity, mystery, knowledge, and respect. Dark purples provide a sense of grandeur and prosperity, while light purples evoke spring and romanticism. Purple is also suitable for beauty items (particularly anti-aging), astrology, massage, yoga, healing, spirituality, and material relating to teenage girls and feminine companies. Use Case Cadbury Purple has traditionally been linked with monarchy, wealth, and refinement, making it the ideal colour for a company looking to express a feeling of quality and status. Cadbury has used the hue purple in its branding and marketing activities for more than a century, and it has become one of the brand's most identifiable features. Choosing the Right Colour Schemes Now that we've learned how colours may affect emotions and conduct, the next step is to select the best colour schemes for your website. Here are some suggestions to help you make educated decisions: Know Your Audience: Understanding your target audience is critical. Different hues may appeal to different groups and civilizations. Conduct research or surveys to determine what colours your audience prefers and associates with your industry. Maintain Brand Consistency: If your website represents a brand, the colour palette should reflect the brand's identity. Brand consistency promotes user trust and recognition. Coca-Cola, for example, is synonymous with its famous red and white colour scheme. Consider the Emotional Impact: Think about the emotions you want your users to experience. If you want to instil trust, consider employing blue colours. If you want to promote activity, red or orange may be better options. Balance and Contrast: Effective web design frequently entails the use of colour combinations that balance and contrast with one another. This makes your website more visually appealing and easier to browse. Use colour wheels to locate complementary colours . Test and iterate: Web design is a continuous process. It is critical to test your colour schemes and solicit input from consumers. Conduct A/B testing to see which colour schemes are more effective in achieving your aims. Accessibility: Make sure that your colour scheme is accessible to all users, especially those with visual impairments. Use colour choices with good contrast, and think about alternate text and other accessibility options. Final Thoughts Throughout this article, we've looked at the many effects of colour in web design, from the psychological impact of colours on user behaviour to the strategic significance of colour in branding and accessibility. We've seen how colour can elicit emotions, transmit messages, and improve the user experience. The case examples emphasise the need of careful colour selection, as well as the need for continuous testing and refining. As web design evolves, maintaining current on colour trends and accessibility requirements will be critical for designing engaging and inclusive digital experiences. So, while developing or revamping a website, don't overlook the importance of colour in providing a meaningful and compelling user experience.