Colour Psychology and Online Marketing — A Guide To Success

Colour Psychology is a truly fascinating field which, when used well, can help you build a remarkable and memorable online brand.

So what is colour psychology?

Colour Psychology is the research into how different colours and colour palettes affect human behaviour and decision making. This research and knowledge have been used by brands, marketing specialists and advertising companies for decades to encourage consumers to buy their products.

What does each colour mean?

Some colours have more than one effect and different shades and palettes may create a different reaction from consumers. But here is a general list of the basic colours and what they mean.

Black

Black is bold and simplistic and is often synonymous with power and luxury. High-end fashion brands and designers often use black to convey authority, elegance and sophistication.

It does sometimes have a tendency to come across as heavy and oppressive in the wrong context however and should be used carefully. Using black in contrast with other colours is often effective.

White

White is modern and simplistic and can represent cleanliness and purity. Used poorly, it can come across as cheap and tacky but used well, it looks smooth, sleek and elegant.

Magenta

It should come as no surprise that magenta is often used to portray femininity. It can however also be used to represent hope, comfort and youth. Bright and bold, it is often seen as a positive colour which is great for use in marketing strategies.

Green

Green is also strong and bold and is predominantly seen as a positive colour linked to health, wellness and nature.

Yellow

Warm, optimistic, youthful and fun, yellow is often associated with sunshine and summer.

One issue with yellow, however, is that it can sometimes be difficult to see on light surfaces or backgrounds. It’s therefore often used in contrast with darker colours or on a black background.

Purple

Purple is often used to target female consumers as certain shades are associated with creativity and femininity.

It is also widely associated with superiority and royalty which is why many brands use it to seem important or a cut above the rest.

Orange

On one hand, orange is the colour of cozy autumns and is used to create a feeling of warmth and familiarity. On the other, it is also the colour most people associate with “cheap”. This can be a positive thing if you are targeting a certain demographic but if you are trying to sell high-end products to the rich and privileged elite, you may want to stay away from orange.

Red

Red can cause both extremely positive and extremely negative reactions and should be used carefully.

It’s great for causing a sense of urgency which is why you’ll see a lot of red used by sales companies. It’s also used to trigger hunger or to encourage a sense of appetite. It should, therefore, come as no surprise when you start noticing red splattered across the fast food industry.

Blue

Blue is considered as a colour of strength, wisdom and trust. It has a calming effect on consumers and also plays very well among men. For these reasons, blue has traditionally been a very popular colour for company logos and branding so it may be challenging to stand out amongst your competitors with this colour.

How can I use Colour Psychology for my brand?

The use of colour psychology doesn’t have to stop with your logo. Of course, your logo is a key part of your branding and your choice of colour here is extremely important but, colour psychology can also be utilised across your website and online marketing strategies to help you elevate your brand and reach the right customers.

Let’s look at an early education childcare center as an example.

Notice how the main text on the website is displayed in white to the photo backdrop. This isn’t just a way to make the text stand out. It symbolises the youth, purity and innocence that you would associate with young children.

When you scroll down through the website, you’ll notice that each of the key areas of their program and services has been highlighted in simple, bold colours. Again, this follows a youthful theme as it’s a palette made primarily of primary colours.

‘Nutrition’ is displayed in green, a colour synonymous with health and wellness.

Red is used to display ‘Languages’, creating a sense of urgency in parents to provide their kids with these vital skills.

Yellow is used for ‘Art’, creating a sense of fun and play whilst a youthful light blue is used for ‘Music’.

Their ‘readiness program’ is displayed in purple which combines creativity with a sense of superiority. Parents want their children to be the best, to go to the best schools and to have the best life skills.

Orange is then used sporadically around the website which adds a sense of warmth and coziness whilst also hinting at affordability, which is rare in childcare and a huge selling point.

Conclusion

Colour psychology is not only fascinating but also presents endless opportunities to get creative and win over your customers.

Some areas to think about utilising colour psychology are:

• Company logo
• Product logo (if different from your company logo)
• Banner Ads
• Landing pages
• Call to action buttons
• Email blasts and newsletters

You can achieve all sorts with colour psychology. Don’t be afraid to get creative, play around with different options and have some fun with it!