People form an impression of a website before they have read a word of it. Colour does most of that work, which is why it deserves a decision rather than a preference.
Three things are worth getting right.
- Colour is what makes a brand recognisable. One consistent colour, used everywhere, does more for recognition than a logo does. An image registers all at once, while reading takes real time.
- The first impression happens before anyone reads. Visitors judge a page in the moment it appears, and colour is the first thing that lands. Get it wrong and the copy is arguing uphill.
- Decide what you want people to feel. Blue reads calm and dependable, green reads natural, which is why it is on every organic label in the shop. Pick for the feeling you are after, not the one you personally like.
In practice
Fewer colours than you think. One primary, one accent, and a set of greys. A limited palette looks deliberate. A wide one looks like nobody decided.
Check the contrast, not the vibe. Text has to be readable at arm's length on a phone in daylight. That is a measurable thing, not a matter of taste, and it is also an accessibility requirement.
Let the meaning do some work. If the association is obvious to your customer, use it. Green for natural products is a cliché because it works.
Where this usually goes wrong is not the palette. It is using it inconsistently, so the site feels like three different companies. Pick the colours once, write them down, and use them everywhere.
If you would rather have someone make the call, we do that as part of every build.
Builds websites and the systems behind them for small businesses in Spain and the Netherlands. Writes down the things clients ask twice.
