Choosing the color of your site is a big deal. People are receptive to different colors and the moods that are attached to them.
Plus, it is risky if you opt for a stereotype because it can dissuade more people than it attracts. Stereotypes such as opting for hot pink when making a girl’s website may be a mistake, especially since some girls may associate such colors with things that do not apply to your website. Do you really want them thinking of the latest fad because your colors remind them of it?
Consider the moods that colors evoke
You may want to create a mood for your website. If that is the case, then consider the different types of moods that different colors evoke. The mood also depends on the context of the website. For example, if you were building a website to warn against the dangers of Islam, then you may want to add a lot of red as it is a warning color. On the other hand, if you were building a website about sexual attraction, then you may also like to use a lot of red because it is associated with seduction and sex.
Different cultures consider different colors to mean different things
Keeping with the idea of red, the Chinese think that the color red is a lucky color, and in North Africa, it is associated with blood and power. Again, you need to pick the colors based on the moods they evoke, the context of the website, and now on the thoughts, feelings and cultural background of your target audience.
Do those colors evoke the right feelings for your target audience?
The “right” feelings are the ones that benefit you the most. If you are setting up a website to warn people, then you want to evoke feelings that put people on edge. If you cannot achieve these feelings then you are failing. Colors evoke feelings, so find the right ones that affect your target audience.
You can risk it and go with your preference
If you are prepared to take a risk, then you can ignore your research and the opinions of others and just go with the color scheme that you like. You are the one that owns the website so it is up to you anyway, plus you can win people back with your content over your color scheme.
You can create numerous versions and see which is best
This is not a terrible idea. You can call it part of your market research. You create a large number of website versions with different color schemes and then do a little market research to find out which color scheme is the best.
Post your numerous versions on social media and poll people
You can poll people to find out if your color schemes work. You can poll people on social media and they will probably give you their opinion free of charge and without proper incentive (which is not a bad thing).
Do not use a consultant
There are a few things in life and business that are worthy of the attention of a consultant, but picking your color scheme for a website is not one of them.
Consider colors that are more neutral
If you want to play it safe, then you can use colors that are more neutral. They are less likely to be distracting and less likely to put people off in large numbers.
Do you have a brand color you can use?
If you have brand colors, then they should be a strong contender. But, remember that you need not smother your website with them. For example, the PayPal colors are blue and yellow, but most of their website is white with black text.
Shouldn’t content matter more than color
If you are very worried about your color scheme, then go for something conservative and maybe even neutral. After you have finished, you should start concentrating on content instead of color because the content should be what matters over anything else.
Make sure the color does not distract from the content
In other words, you should make sure that the bold or daring colors are not making it text more difficult to read. Do not forget that the path the eye travels on your website is important, which means you should not allow your color scheme to distract the eye from its intended path.
Are the colors similar to that of the latest toy or fad?
This is something to be careful of because you can accidentally tie yourself in with a current fad or popular toy if you use certain colors. Do not use such colors on purpose because the latest toys and fads will often die quickly and you do not want your website associated with such a short-term event.
