I’ve been told that my web site colors are a little bold (rhyme not intended!)  Some people feel this much color is too risky and other say it works for me.  I guess I don’t see the risk – will people choose not to do business with me because my web site is blue and yellow?  Is that how you would choose a web developer?

Don’t get me wrong.  Web site colors are very important to me.  I think the bold colors of my web site scream creativity – isn’t that a good trait for a web designer?

If you are afraid to over do it, try adding just a splash of bold color to your web pages.  A little touch of color here and there can really take a dull design and make it pop!  Clients are often pleasantly surprised at what a difference a little bit of color can make.

Colors become very critical when a client decides that they don’t want any photos on their site.  Humans are both emotional and logical creatures.  The photos and colors appeal to their emotional side and the copy appeals to their logical side.

I like to tell clients to go with their gut.  How does your web site make you feel?  If you’re not feeling anything, then your clients won’t either.  Maybe it’s time to add a little POP!

Color is an important design component of your website.  The colors you choose for your website and logo design can inspire different emotions from your audience and set the mood for your website.  The same color can have different effects – both positive and negative – on different people, so knowing your target audience will help to choose the color scheme that’s right for your business. 

Colors can be divided into warm, cool and neutral categories.  You can create powerful effects by creating themes with colors from different categories, such as a cool blue with a warm orange or yellow.

Warm Colors:

Red:  Red is a very powerful color and can actually raise a person’s heart rate and blood
pressure.  It grabs the reader’s attention and can motivate someone to take action.  Red is associated with love and passion, power and strength, fire and heat.  It can also symbolize anger, danger and violence.

Pink:  Pink is the softer side of red and can symbolize romance, femininity, happiness and compassion.  Pink is gentle, delicate and youthful.

Orange:  Orange is vibrant and warm, comforting and friendly.  It can make you feel energetic and enthusiastic.  As a combination of red and yellow, orange has the warmth of red, only less intense, and the cheerfulness of yellow.  It can symbolize courage, confidence, and success.

Yellow:  When you think of yellow, you think of warmth and sunshine.  It symbolizes hope and happiness.  Like orange, it can make you feel energetic and cheerful.  On the downside, it can also denote cowardice, weakness and deceit.

Cool Colors:

Blue:  Blue is calm and cool, refreshing and youthful.  It symbolizes intelligence, trust and stability.  It has long been considered a “corporate” color and can convey importance and confidence.   Too much blue however can dampen the spirits – hence the saying “feeling blue.” 

Green:  Green is the color of life, nature, environment and health.  Green feels fresh and can symbolize money, wealth, prosperity and generosity.  On the downside, it can signify jealousy, envy (“green with envy”) or inexperience.

Purple:  Being a combination of red and blue, purple offers a mixture of both warm and cool emotions.  Deep purple signifies royalty, nobility and luxury, while the lighter versions of purple such as lavender can symbolize grace, elegance and romance. 

Neutral Colors:

Black:  Black is a classy color and can be very formal as in a “black tie” event.  Use black to convey elegance and sophistication, or to create a dramatic effect.  Black also has a mysterious side and can indicate evil, secrecy and death.

White:  The meaning of white varies for different cultures.  In the West, white is worn by brides and is meant to convey innocence, purity and goodness.  However, Eastern cultures often associate white with funerals and mourning.

Gray:  Gray is a corporate, conservative color.  A mixture of black and white, gray can be a gloomy color, associated with mourning or sadness.  It can also be sophisticated and signify security, reliability and intelligence.

Brown:  Brown is warm, friendly, relaxed.  Brown is a down-to-earth, outdoorsy color.   It represents wholesomeness, stability, and dependability (think UPS.)

How do these different colors make you feel?  Please share your feelings about the use of color in the comments below.