
Sight is one of the strongest senses. 90% of the information transmitted to our brain is visual. Even if your customers do not consciously notice the colors on your site, they will still be affected by them on a subconscious level. And considering that it takes them no more than 90 seconds to form an opinion on your site and decide whether or not to buy, getting the colors wrong can be an own goal.
The human eye can perceive 10 million different colors. This can seem daunting when it comes to choosing the right colors for your website. But you don't have to worry because science is here to help.
In the choices of colors for your e-commerce site you have to take into account that each color has its own meaning. Each color that hits our retina transmits specific sensations to us. If you want to move the emotional sphere of your customers, influencing their decision to buy, you should know the meaning of each color.
In general i warm colors (red, yellow, orange) convey vitality, energy and dynamism, all sensations that push to action. They are designed to attract customers who buy impulsively, without thinking too much about their choices, and are perfect for sites with highly competitive prices.
On the other hand, the Cold colours (blue, green, purple) convey feelings of peace, tranquility and serenity, giving the site reliability. They are intended to attract more thoughtful buyers, who want to decide calmly and weigh their choices carefully.
But let's look at the various colours in detail
Yellow is the brightest color and represents optimism and dynamism. It is a cheerful color, so it is often associated with sites dedicated to entertainment, but it is also used by many large brands such as Ikea and McDonald's to attract attention.
Orange is an aggressive color, but at the same time it inspires confidence. It is a dynamic color, which invites action. For these characteristics, it is very useful to use it in an e-commerce, where it is often used for product purchase buttons.
Red is a bright, sometimes aggressive color. It transmits passion in any context it is used. It is also the color of danger, which raises alarm. In an e-commerce it can be used to transmit a sense of urgency, useful when there are sales or products on offer.
Pink is a romantic and feminine color, typical of sites aimed at girls and young women. It is used to give a feeling of softness and serenity.
Purple represents creativity and wisdom. It gives the products sold a luxurious or artistic aura. It is also a calming color. It is used extensively in the cosmetics industry, especially for anti-aging products.
Blue is the color of reliability par excellence, which inspires trust in users, making them feel protected. It is the color most used by banks and institutional sites.
Green inspires calm, tranquility, security. It is an alternative choice to blue, because it transmits the same sensations. It is also the color of nature, associated with healthy and green choices. It is used to relax.
Black is a color that expresses wealth, authority, refinement, exclusivity and elegance. It is used by the luxury industry and by those who want to convey an idea of high quality of the product sold.
White represents purity. It is often associated with people's health and is widely used in the sale of medicines.
Now that you have learned what the various colors evoke in the human soul, let's see how to put them together effectively. We must resort to the color theory, which explains how to effectively combine colors for your e-commerce site.
Blue, red and yellow are the primary colors. By joining them together, we obtain the secondary colors. More precisely:
When we want to harmoniously combine several colors, we should worry about combine two complementary colors. Pairs of colors formed by a primary color and the secondary color obtained by mixing the other two primaries are complementary. Pairs of complementary colors are:
If you put two complementary colours together, you get an effect of maximum chromatic contrast and the two colours reinforce each other.
Now that you know everything about how to use colors to influence your customers' purchasing choices, all you have to do is analyze your e-commerce site to understand if it is transmitting the message you intend to send. And if it is not, do not hesitate to contact Pizero Design: we can help you make it more effective.
