Web Design - The Effect Of Colors The colors chosen during the design of a web page are as important as those chosen when we buy our clothes, decorate our homes and even when we plan out marketing strategies. After all, your web page is a virtual extension of your business. However few people realize the importance of colors and the effects they could have on a website's visitors. It is said that more than 80% of our visual information is based on color, with shape and texture comprising just a little over 10%. Colors influence our physical states, our emotional states and also our mental functions. However when it comes to web design, great care should be taken when choosing the colors featured on a web page. Color Roots The human approach to color is cultural and, perhaps on a deeper level, instinctive. Subconsciously we associate certain colors with certain emotional or mental states. Take for example the color red: traditionally it was always associated with danger, which is perhaps why most warning signs and stops signs are thus colored. However it is also a symbol of love (a red heart) and excitement ('Sale' signs). But this doesn't apply to all people from all walks of life. The very same red you and I might associate with love, the Chinese associate with luck, joy, vitality, etc. Although the associations here are similar, the same cannot be said when it comes to the color green. Where in the Europe and America we traditionally associate green with jealousy but also spring, safety, go (in terms of a traffic light), environmental awareness and nature, the Chinese associate it with exorcism and use it as a representation of infidelity. Choosing The Colors of a Website By now you should be aware that your choice of colors should be made with extreme care. After all, offending potential customers or even just using a color that could on some level be associated with negativity could well ensure that potential sales never happen. The issue becomes even more complicated in terms of online branding. The colors of your logo and your business might be those very colors that some cultures associate with bad things, and it could be that your target market is located within that culture. So how does one solve this problem? The Color Solution A crucial first step is to do a little research on your intended target market. Find out what colors they respond to positively and avoid those associated with negativity. Once that's done, the only remaining obstacle is using the available colors to the best possible effect. That means creating a color balance that is visually pleasing and one that your visitors will respond to with enthusiasm.
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