We all love color. Our favorite colors are often determined by our personal life experiences. When it comes to web design, clients may want to create their website using a palette of their personal favorite colors.

However, it is important to keep in mind that colors often convey subliminal and even conscious messages with research showing that certain colors work better in terms of marketing a particular type of business.

Also, the colors that you choose for your website must be appropriate in terms of the product you are selling.

Here are some of my favorite Denver, Colorado based companies who have demonstrated an exemplary use of color in their website design.  I will focus on black, white, green, purple and blue.

Use of Black and White

• http://www.atelierid.com/   interior design
• http://www.coloradostyle.com/ furniture store
• http://www.hairsalondenver.co/hair-people-styling-products.htm

The Color Black Adds a Sense of Luxury and Mystery

The darker the tone, the more lux it is, says our internal color psychology. An article from Lifescript describes black as elegance, sophistication, power, which is exactly what luxury designers and high-end eCommerce sites want you to feel. The article goes on to describe black as the color of “timeless, classic” which helps further explain the use of black in high-value products.

In a Business Insider piece on color and branding, the author relates the significance of black:

Black can also be seen as a luxurious color. ‘Black, when used correctly can communicate glamour, sophistication, exclusivity.

Louis Vuitton handbags are not cheap. Absent from the site are colors and designs of whimsy and fun. This is serious value:

If you are selling high-value luxury consumer items on your website, black probably would be a good choice.

Black – expressing authority, elegance , sophistication , black is used as a symbol of intelligence, aristocratism, prestigious lifestyle.  It is a good matching color for automobile industry and jewelries. Black is often preferred by web designers as it symbolizes both luxury and proficiency.

Use of White

• http://www.mirojewelers.com/
• http://pinkchampagneevents.com/

Don’t neglect white.

In most of the color psychology material I read, there is a forgotten feature. Maybe that’s because color theorists can’t agree on whether white is a color or not. I don’t really care whether it is or not. What I do know is that copious use of white space is a powerful design feature. Take, for example, the most popular website in the world. It’s basically all white:

White is often forgotten, because its primary use is as a background color. Most well-designed websites today use plenty of white space in order to create a sense of freedom, spaciousness, and breathability.

White – embodying purity and  tenderness, white is preferable for charity associations, relaxation and spa saloons, wedding houses and technology items. It is also the main component of most other colors.

Use of Green

• http://paintdenver.com/
• http://greatecology.com/

Green – identified with health, tranquility, ecology and nature, money and wealth, it is used in the green industries, relaxation centers and environmental organizations, organic and eco friendly products. In relation to money and wealth, green is also a good decision for businesses specialized in accounting, financial securities, investments funds, etcetera.

Green Is Ideal for Environmental and Outdoor Products

The word “green” itself is a buzzword for environmental awareness and appreciation. Using the word and the color itself can lend an environmental aura to your website, improving your reputation among those who are passionate about environmental concerns.

Perhaps the most intuitive color connection is green — the color of outdoors, eco-friendly, nature, and the environment. Green essentially is a chromatic symbol for nature itself.

Apart from its fairly obvious outdoorsy suggestiveness, green also is a color that can improve creativity. Labeled “the green effect,” one study indicated that participants had more bursts of creativity when presented with a flash of green color as opposed to any other color.

If the focus of your website has anything to do with nature, environment, organic, or outdoors, green should be your color of choice.

Green isn’t just about nature, though.

Green also is a good call to action color, especially when used in combination with the “isolation effect,” also known as the von Restorff effect, which states that you remember things better if they stand out. You remember the Statue of Liberty because it’s big, tall, green, and there aren’t a whole lot of them in the New York harbor. In color psychology, the isolation effect occurs when a focus item, such as a conversion step, is the only item of a particular color. The technique works wonders for calls to action, and green is an ideal choice.

Use of Purple

Purple – symbolizing royalty, dignity, wisdom, purple is appropriate for businesses dealing with finance, higher education, relaxation.

Use of Blue

• http://www.premierpoolsandspas.com/denver/
• http://www.luxesalon.com/

Blue – used for all types of businesses, especially for those stressing on loyalty, stability, reliability. It is also a good move for tourist agencies, yacht companies, leisure and cruising business. Obviously blue is a favorite of mine, but here you can also see why it is.

Use of Blue to Cultivate Trust

Blue is one of the most-used colors, with good reason. A lot of people like blue.

Read the literature on blue, and you’ll come across messages like

• The color blue is a color of trust, peace, order, and loyalty. (source)
• Blue is the color of corporate America and it says, “Chill . . . believe and trust me . . . have confidence in what I am saying!” (source)
• Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness and serenity. It often is described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly. (source)

There is wide agreement in the research community on the psychological effects of the color blue. Its subtle message of trustworthiness and serenity is true. You can use this to your advantage on your website and landing pages.

The world’s biggest social network is blue. For a company whose core values are transparency and trust, this probably is not an accident.

Having trouble seeing my related infographic? No problem! Check it out on ImgUr, Behance.