Marketing your products online is an art – in art, we need colors, and we need to use them correctly. Through the information you’re offering your potential buyers, the way that you present that information is just as important as the facts themselves.

Most entrepreneurs use color, but don’t quite think of how much of an effect color has on their customers and their moods. What’s your favorite color? Would you be more likely to buy a product if it were advertised in that rich, deep blue that you love?

Although you wouldn’t think so, color has a huge importance in marketing… Especially in ecommerce, where there are no face-to-face interactions, and your sales are relying on your initial appearances on the screen in front of your customers’ eyes.

The Psychology Behind Colors in Advertising

First impressions are quick to form, and color takes a huge part in them. Typically, over 90% of people believe that color has a powerful impact on them while looking to buy. In comparison, only about 5-6% of people said that their sense of touch had a major role, and only about 1% of people follow their sense of smell or hearing while shopping.

The main difference in advertising online as opposed to in person is the lack of face-to-face interactions, along with the lack of those senses of touch, smell, or hearing in buying. However, the vast majority of customers rely on sight while shopping, and you have the ability to provide just the right undertones and moods through various hues offered in your marketing.

And so, the correct use of color, depending on your product, can have the ability to not only catch your customer’s attention, but their interest as well. Each color has a different feeling and tone to it, and how you use them can shape the voice of your advertisements. Here are eleven examples of commonly used colors in marketing, and how they affect your potential buyers…

Brown

When your customers see brown, they’ll see a comforting color, letting them know they can depend on you. Brown isn’t your typical bright, cheerful color, but it gives off an aura of strength and confidence, allowing your shoppers to feel they are in good hands.

This color is both calm and bold – it’s different. You can pair it with other earthy tones to create a natural effect, or you can pair it with just white to create contrast in your ad. This will spot more light on the brown, allowing for your ad to stand out as confident, and potentially convert a one-time shopper to a loyal customer.

Orange

Orange, although a bright color, is one of the less common colors used in advertising. It’s bright, warm, and inviting. By using orange, your first impression with your potential buyers is likely to be energetic and ambitious. Orange also symbolizes originality, which supports that aspect of your products; it symbolizes passion, helping your marketing by painting your business to be loyal and caring, and orange is also known to represent fresh beginnings.

You can pair orange with cool shades of blue, which will give off a vibrant, exciting, and positive vibe. Even using orange in subtle accents can help liven up your advertising, making your customers feel welcomed and encouraged to buy.

Yellow

Yellow is a bright, cheerful, and very playful color. It’s typically the color most people correlate with happiness, and using it in your advertisements will definitely grab your customers’ attention. However, it should be used in moderation – too much yellow is a turn off, and it will likely drive your potential buyers away.

Pairing yellow with blue, its complementary color, might be a bit loud if too much of that contrast is used. It’s a lighthearted color and shouldn’t need too many accents. Darker shades of yellow, as opposed to neon-like shades, will also have a less loud effect, allowing your customers to feel invited, rather than forced in.

Green

Green is not only easy on the eye, but it feels natural. When customers see this color, they’re often thinking down an organic route. Green pairs well with relaxation, positivity, harmony, and even safety. Using this color can comfort your potential buyers, allowing them to feel welcomed and appreciated.

Green is also versatile in advertisements, regarding the amount that it’s used. If you use just a little green, your advertisement will be accented with calm subtleties, allowing your customers to feel at ease as they shop. Using prominent green advertisements also have their appeal, if they aren’t paired with clashing colors. If using mainly green, it’s a good idea to consider pairing it with bits of white or a light grey, which will ensure it isn’t overwhelming to your shoppers.

Pink

Pink is often linked with femininity or romance. And so, if your product relates to those in any way, pink would be a very effective way to color your ads. However, it can also appeal to audiences outside of those categories, including the male population.

In its soothing effect, pink can also represent kindheartedness and love, which aren’t terrible things to have linked to your business! However, you can also use more aggressive colors with pink, to offset any tones you feel are “too pink.” You can use black, red, or even orange to bring down the intensity of the pink and allow for your targeted audience to become larger. With the right color combinations, you can ensure a more versatile target population.

Red

If there was one color to reach into your customers’ hearts and pull out their deepest emotion, it would be red. This color is usually associated with confidence, love, and life, which can really relate to almost any product. If used correctly, red could potentially convert your potential buyers into lifelong, loyal customers.

However, red is not a color to be overused in advertising. If overused, it can be overwhelming, which will cause your customers to shop elsewhere. Use your red sparingly, and remember, especially with this color, less can be more. Allow this color to keep its power, which will grow your connections with your shoppers.

White

White is the most essential color in advertising. Even if your ads are primarily a different color, white is always needed to create blank, empty space around your content. By doing this, your customers won’t feel boxed in or crowded.

Often associated with clarity, wholesomeness, and purity, white is the epitome of essentiality for your marketing. It not only allows your customers space to breathe while shopping, but it can be threaded through to either separate or tie together your overall color scheme. For example, if you’re using cool colors in an ad, you can use primarily white with blue and green accents, or vise versa. Although the same colors, the amount will shape the boldness of the ad. Typically, the less white used, the louder and bolder of an advertisement.

Purple

Purple is generally a less-used color in advertising. However, it’s associated with power, affluence, and even royalty. And so, with such a rich color, quality is more effective than quantity. With just the right amount of use of purple, you can invite a customer into making a purchase that will benefit them.

The darker the purple, the less you need to use it. For example, if you’re working with lavender, you can use more of that throughout your ad than a violet shade. Typically, lighter shades are less overwhelming on the eyes. Darker shades of purple will be more prominent in your ads, so use them around what you really want to place emphasis on.

Blue

Blue is a peaceful color, full of trust – it’s typically more difficult to overuse, in comparison to other brighter colors. The internet is full of blue themes and it’s one of the most popular colors on the web.

However, if your product fits into the hospitality industry, especially restaurants, you should try and stay away from blue. It has been said that blue is known to decrease appetites. In any other industry, blue is effective, and a great go-to if you’re unsure which colors to use in your advertisements. Blue also works for most colors as small and subtle accents, always letting your customers know that they can rely on you for wonderful service.

Grey

Grey, although not standout-ish, is associated with seriousness, or even a higher level of professionalism. Grey can also be used as a backdrop for other brighter, more vibrant colors; adding grey to these colors can bring down the loudness of your advertisements, so they aren’t overwhelming for your customers.

If your ads are entirely grey-themed, consider adding in even small amounts of different colors. This will allow a bit of personality to show through, resulting in a more inviting atmosphere for your customers. Examples of colors that pop well with grey are orange, red, or a royal blue; using colors correctly with grey will help you gauge and present your voice through your ads.

Black

Black is a bold, intense, and dominant color. Using this in your ads will portray that you are a business with strength, and it will send confident vibes and messages towards your potential customers.

However, like all colors, black should be used in moderation. If you use too much, your ads could give off a dark, gloomy feel, driving customers away. You can use black similarly to grey, by adding bits of other colors into the mix, allowing a bit of brightness to show through. Excessive use of black can imply extreme high-end, if your advertisements are very well done – in most cases, black is confidence, and overuse may make you seem overconfident.

Conclusion

Overall, colors shape the tones of your advertisements. If used well, you can make a stellar first impression with your shoppers, which will encourage them to make purchases from your business.

Combining colors is an art – you want the hues to complement each other, but not too much. And so, through the Goldilocks of colors in your advertisements, it is important to catch attention and interest through blank space and shades. Finding the perfect recipe for your color scheme can result in increased sales, along with stronger connections with your customers.