Andy Haskins
Well-Known Member
The Psychology of Colours on a Landing Page
In this guide I want to show you the importance of colours on your landing pages. After split testing pages it's very clear that different colours do different thing.
Landing Pages
Your landing page is one of your most important tools when it comes to working with a CPA offer, it can literally make or break a campaign and an aspect that is often overlooked is the choice of colours for the page.
There are many people that may say that this is thinking too much about it but if you want to take your campaigns to the next level this can be essential. Once you get to grips with the concepts in this post it will become second nature.
I will take the time to explain the psychology of a few individual colours before running through some examples that are in front of you everyday (although you may not realise it).
The Colours and Their Meanings
Each colour has both positive and negative reactions on a consumer and the effect will depend on the nature that they are viewing it, read on to find out more.
Blue
Blue is a colour that is often associated with trust and calmness. It is a colour that is easy on the eye, not too distracting or powerful and it makes the viewer feel a little at ease. There are many great examples of blue being used on websites (or in Microsoft Word)
All of the below ‘online accounting services’ utilize blue on their pages which (theoretically) instills trust in the service provided.
Of course, in the wrong context blue could have a minor negative effect if it's associated with coldness.
Red
This is a real ATTENTION GRABBER! Red is a colour that can cause all sorts of emotions and when used wisely can add some real punch to your campaigns. It is often associated with anger, passion and strength and can be a real winner when used to alert a user and work their emotions.
In previous work I’ve found that using the colour red in a design is best kept for call to action and alerts instead of using in large quantities (such as backgrounds)
If used incorrectly however, red could be seen as overpowering and aggressive and will scare your user away. It is therefore recommended that it is used sparingly.
Green
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word ‘green’? If you’re anything like me then I’m already looking at those dollars in my head. Green is a great colour to use to portray the feeling of wealth (moneysavingexpert) and trust. Take our previous examples for blue that also all use green on their websites, mainly for call to actions.
Another obvious meaning behind the word is that ‘Green means Go’. Give someone a green button and they’ll often relate it to progression and moving forward.
Green also has other psychological effects and is considered to be calming and relaxing as well as environmentally friendly. It brings thoughts of the outdoors which brings a sense of openness.
As with blue it isn’t an aggressive colour and does not require any adjustment to view.
Yellow
One of the best colours to lift the mood of a person (just think of the yellow smiley face
). Yellow, when used correctly can create an overwhelming feeling of happiness, friendliness and optimism. Just thinking of a bright sunny day can instantly make you feel better when you’re down and when used on a landing page can be utilized to persuade a user in to action as they want to feel happy.Yellow is also often used to create an alert of some sort without provoking any aggressive feelings, take for example road signs.
JUST REMEMBER – Too much yellow can be considered ‘cheesy’ (for want of a better word) so keep it under control. It can also be a tough colour to adjust too if used excessively (i.e. for a background)
Orange
Fun, energetic but maybe a little crazy? Orange is often instantly associated with health due to its name, which is of course taken from the fruit that provides you with much needed vitamin C.
Used correctly orange can be a great colour to attract attention, take for example road workers and highway cones! It can be a great secondary colour to provide users with information but not detract from your main CTA.
White
Clean, clear and uncluttered. White is associated with a sense of space and openness which when used correctly can help direct your user to your desired action.
White space on a landing page is a MUST in most cases (in my honest opinion). We create landing pages to guide people through their path of discovery towards an action. By utilizing white space you are able to create a ‘blank canvas’, a clean area that draws attention to the key aspects (including your call to action) and doesn't confuse and clutter a visitors mind.
Take our examples above (again) and see how they all utilize white space.
Black
The opposite to white, black is an extremely closed and hostile colour. It is often considered ‘shady’ and secretive.
Black, however, can have some positive effects on a user when used sparingly. It can portray a feeling of power and sophistication, take for example business men wearing black suits or black limousines.
Choose Your Colours Wisely
Below is just a small selection of colours available. Although it may not be obvious when building a website, colour can play a huge part in the user experience so it’s always worth considering.
Don’t spend all of your time trying to sculpt the perfect colour scheme but take the above thoughts in to account to help you increase conversions and ultimately increase your ROI and profit.
Last edited by a moderator:
