Does Color Affect Website Conversion? Not If The Rest Is Bad

Do colors increase website conversions? Well, yes and no. They do, but not directly and not by themselves.

The answer is a bit more complicated and controversial than a simple “yes” or “no”. Color psychology is a complex and fascinating subject, especially color in design. It can indeed serve as an excellent marketing tool if used right. Using subconscious associations, colors can form either a positive or a negative attitude towards a brand or a product.

75% of consumers admit that they judge businesses’ credibility based on their website design. And it takes only a few seconds for a person to evaluate the site and decide whether to use it or not. If a designer chooses the website colors correctly, a user will remain, and thus, the colors will affect the conversion rate and lower the price of the lead.

But what colors are the best for websites? Color theory is an immense subject. We’ll touch on some features and insights of color theory and ways it applies to web design.

Combine color and emotions

Colors as we see them, do not exist in nature. What is color? It’s a product of the human brain processing the information that comes to us through the eyes in the form of a light wave. Light waves have different lengths, depending on which a particular color is formed.

The psychology of color states that colors and emotions are very closely interconnected. Color is a property of specific materials, objects, and phenomena, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. That is why every person has an emotional connection with a specific color. Naturally, any web designer wants to capitalize on this emotional connection.

Understand the basics of color theory

Knowledge of how to use colors in web design is not inborn. Color theorists have formulated rules that you follow when choosing the colors that match.

Various color theories using the color wheels started appearing in 17–18 centuries originating from both physics and mysticism. Today the science of colors includes a lot of such color wheels, so you can choose the one you like the best to determine colors that go together.

Go with simple

Color scheme affects the usability of the site. It controls the user’s attention but too much color at once is tiring for the eyes and psyche.

A website design made with a wide variety of colors is perceived as difficult and even repulsive. However, if there are very few colors, the site may look monotonous, and the user’s attention will be scattered.

The optimal palette consists of 3–4 colors:

  • Primary. The base color that highlights the main content.
  • Optional. The color for highlighting secondary information, that fits well with the primary one.
  • Background. A calm shade on which the primary and secondary colors are not lost.
  • Accent. A contrasting primary color that draws the visitor’s attention to the key elements of the website.

A/B-test various colors

You may start wanting to change something on your website, but how do you know that this change will be for the best? What if it’s better not to change anything?

For example, you have a yellow Add to Cart button on your website. You see that on other sites the button is usually blue.

The most useful option is to perform A / B testing. You create two versions of your website: one with the old button (yellow), the other with a new one (blue).

Next, you direct half of the traffic to the old version of the site, and the other half to the new one.

As a result, you are able to see what page gives more conversions and choose the best option.

The bottom line

No color is better. No color gives 100% conversion. There are too many variables. Colors do not exist by themselves. They are a good helper for conveying emotions, but they themselves do not convey anything. There are no bad colors. Only bad color combinations and only in this or that respect.

Apart from making a call to action blue or red, you should think about its shape, placement, and copy.

I believe that all colors are psychologically neutral, you just use them in accordance with a particular subject or association. This can be helpful and beneficial. Use the tips above and test, test, test.

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