Understanding Website Colors and User Engagement


Creating a website is without a doubt an exciting and important aspect of starting a business. However, have you ever wondered how the color palette of your site can affect user engagement or your brand overall? Color psychology is a real thing and it’s a key instrument when it comes to making an impact on your users.


The way you design your website is essentially the first impression a potential customer will have of you. While designing your website you must also take in consideration what colors to use, which include the background color of the site itself, all the way to the buttons customers will click. Proper color palette use can ease navigation for the user, improve site experience, and drive traffic.


Red is usually a color that signals urgency, alertness, passion, and survival. This color commands attention and demands immediate action. If you want to drive the user’s attention to a certain product, link, section, or just anything within your site, red is a vital color to get the job done. 


If you're trying to promote enthusiasm, fun, comfort and confidence, orange is a great choice. The urgency of red with the cheerfulness of yellow creates the perfect color to use when you want to call attention to something without being too loud. This particular color creates a more friendly and inviting effect for users. 


Yellow is often known as the color of happiness. It inspires excitement, friendliness, and optimism. This color tends to lift a person’s spirits and evokes inspiration and a cheerful attitude. However, try not to go too overboard on the yellow as it may also cause a feeling of anxiety and worry on people.


If your mind is on the money, green is the go-to color. This color is often associated with wealth, serenity, balance, and nature. If your business is on the environmental, organic, or natural side green is of course an essential choice. The use of this color often brings creativity, prosperity, and relaxation on people. 

Although sometimes people may refer to “feeling blue” as a negative thing, blue actually promotes calmness, productivity, and trust. The use of this color often affects the mental state of a user with a sense of peace and serenity. It’s considered a less “invasive” color and it’s less likely to become overpowering or obnoxious as it tends to be a more universally liked color. 


In order to make a bold statement, black believe it or not, is a top choice. This color represents authority, elegance, power, and sophistication. Although black is often associated with negative things, it is also very versatile and you can use it to make high contrast with brighter colors like white. If you want to exude exclusivity and luxury, black offers the perfect touch. 


Although colors play a big role in user engagement, keep in mind that color selection also varies according to the type of audience and gender you are trying to reach. Colors can be a bit subjective and blue is often associated with men as pink is associated with women. While you’re setting up the site, your number one concern should be the type of public you want to promote your business to and the meaning behind the first impression of your website.