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Every day we are exposed to color. It is everywhere, from flowers to art, that we see its beauty. It is the one that sets the tone in our most used rooms and offices. It can even dictate our behavior, especially when we use applications such as traffic lights.
Depending on the person you speak to, color psychology might be one of the most important aspects of digital marketing and web design. You might also hear that colors are irrelevant and that those selling the latter idea exaggerate the impact of color.
So just how much of an impact does color have when designing a website and creating online content for your brand? This is a complex question but we will try to answer it.
The Legitimacy of Color Psychology
This question requires us to examine the legitimacy of color psychology. Also, can certain colors cause mood changes, thinking, or behavior?
Short answer: Yes, colors affect human behavior. Numerous studies have clearly shown this. From a biological perspective, color is one way that humans can determine the edibility and taste of food. A golden brown packaging makes bread sell better. This gives it a fresher and more cooked appearance.
People tend to rate and describe the flavor of certain foods differently depending on the color of their food. For example, a cherry-flavored green beverage might be called “lime” by a large number of people.
The science behind how colors influence mood and human decision-making is more complicated. Although it is commonly believed that blue is associated calmly with red and excitement with red, it is not clear how widespread these effects are or if social culture is to blame. If “blue is calm” is repeated enough, it may be possible to see a shift in the public’s perception of the color blue.
This idea is further strengthened by the fact different cultures see colors differently. This is largely due to the way we describe colors in language and the words we use for different colors. Different cultures use different words to describe the same color spectrum, which can lead to different perceptions and associations.
This simple principle is apparent in studies that examine this phenomenon. If people use colors to describe positive qualities such as “clean” and “calming,” or if they like them subjectively, they are more likely than others to purchase products that have those colors.
What does all this mean for the discussion on color psychology in digital marketing?
The science behind color has not been proven conclusive. However, it can have an impact on thought processes, emotions, and actions. The perception of color can be affected by both biological and socio-cultural factors. People’s perceptions of any one color will likely differ between people from different backgrounds.
Consistency Branding
There is one area of digital marketing where color choice is profoundly important, at least to an extent: branding. The brand of your company serves many important purposes. It is intended to define and characterize your company’s brand. It is meant to be more easily recognized and familiarized over time. It is responsible for creating people’s first impressions about your company.
This is why choosing the colors for your company’s logo and brand is one of the most crucial marketing decisions you will make. Are you looking for colors that are soothing and comforting to your target audience? Or colors that inspire and motivate them? Are you looking for strong, contrasting colors or a group of colors that blend well together?
There are no right or incorrect answers, but it is important to know how your target audience feels about colors and key attributes associated with your brand before you make any final decisions.
After you have settled on the colors that are most closely associated with your brand you can start to use them throughout your website, landing pages, and other marketing materials.
While these strongly branded colors may not make much of an impact on consumer behavior in the earliest stages of your company’s development, as you continue to grow, they’ll serve to give people a much more consistent and familiar experience. Your messaging will become more appealing to people as they become more familiar with these colors.
The Role of Contrast
Studies have shown that people are more likely than others to click on landing pages (or convert to them) when the call to action (CTA), is of a particular color. For example, red is more likely for people to convert than green.
However, other studies have disproved these claims and found that the exact color of the call-to-action had almost no statistical effect on conversion rates.
But there is one principle that stands out: strong contrasts in colors can influence engagement. This idea should be obvious. You might not be able to see the button if it is on a lighter background than your surroundings. However, if you see a red button on green background, it will draw your attention and motivate you to act.
Because of this, marketers need to include contrasting colors whenever they want to guide their users’ attention.
Key Takeaways
If you’re interested in using colors properly in your web design and marketing, these are the most important takeaways to review:
While color psychology is important, it is not a fixed fact. Green, for instance, is not universally predictable and has a limited set of effects that can be predicted on humans.
Culture and individual differences can have a significant impact on how we perceive color. Someone from the United States might have a completely different perception of color. To use colors effectively, you must understand your audience.
Branding is the most crucial application of color in marketing. However, your company branding is perhaps the most important because it sets the tone for all future marketing and advertising.
Contrast encourages people to act. While specific colors might not yield a higher conversion rate than strongly contrasting colors, they will. Sharp differences can be used to grab people’s attention and motivate them to take particular actions.
It is important to experiment in order to succeed. Whatever you hypothesize about how colors will influence your audience’s behavior, you’ll need to test it in a live environment to make sure it works.
Before you can draw any conclusions, you should test a range of colors in different applications. Also, be sure to challenge your assumptions. Only by conducting your own testing can you determine if a color is effective for your audience.
The debate over color effects will not end in psychology, but marketing has some answers and direction. These concepts will help you win more customers and improve your marketing results.
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