Psychological Impact Of Website Colors

I have spent a great deal of time surfing the internetwith a critical eye bent on the psychological impact of websites to theviewer.

I have attempted to "feel" the verbiage and color choices ofcertain websites in how they make the visitor feel emotionally. Somewebsites go over the top with overt marketing copy, flashy photos andextremes in color. While many site designers choose the "minimalist"approach with overly subdued hues, small fonts, fewer images &less, but more descriptive words.

In my personal research, I have discovered that the mostimportant first-impression, psychological factor impacting websiteviewers is COLOR. The internet is truly a very visual and extremelypsychological medium. However, before reading a single word of yourmarketing copy, your website visitors are confronted with thebackground color of your website, the color of your header, the colorof your text and headlines, etc. Remember, colors, like words, can beused as a language of expression as well, sometimes to a greater degreeof emotional impact on the viewers senses.

Here is a simple guide list containing the common colors andthe types of first-impression, psychological emotion they may invokeupon the website viewer:

RED invokes feelings of love, passion, danger, warning, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure.

BLUE can invoke feelings of trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, power, professionalism.

GREEN can invoke feelings of money, nature, animals, health, healing, life, harmony.

ORANGE can invoke feelings of comfort, creativity, celebration, fun, youth, affordability.

PURPLE can invoke feelings of royalty, justice, ambiguity, uncertainty, luxury, fantasy, dreams.

WHITE can invoke feelings of innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity.

YELLOW can invoke feelings of curiosity, playfulness, cheerfulness, amusement.

PINK can invoke feelings of softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness, tenderness.

BROWN can invoke feelings of earth, nature, tribal, primitive, simplicity.

GREY can invoke feelings of neutralality, indifference, reserved.

BLACK can invoke feelings of seriousness, darkness, mystery, secrecy.

Here is a link for a comprehensive "color chart" that willassist you as to which web colors compliment each other, and which oneswill clash:

Visibone.com.

Colors help sell your website products or ideas. Colors candistract, even turn off the website viewer. Therefore, choose yourcolors wisely. Do not simply choose the colors you like or unusualcolors just because they are different. Keep in mind that you aretrying to appeal to the widest possible demopgraphic of websiteviewers. Be sure your website colors appeal to most, not just some.

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome.

About the Author:

Clyde Price Wharton III is ane-commerce entrepeneur involved in e-marketing since 1996. He is alsodevoted in many philanthropies for the arts: Whartoncenter.com.

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