Color and Conversion

[pcun]

What are peoples thoughts on the effect of the color scheme used through-out a website and the visitor conversion rate? Are they in any way linked? Can you alter the colors used on your site to improve the conversion rate?

According to Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg in their book book, 'Call to Action' (taken from the GrokDotCom articles) there is a definite link between the two. They reference Dr. Max Luscher and his work on the pyschology of color. His work and the color test he used is here.

Can anyone tell me if they have direct experience of this, i.e. did they employ a color strategy and what, if any, were the resulting effects on the conversion rate?

[pcun]

Is it fair to say that color is an area that is not given much attention?
I know myself that if I visit a site it is easy to know if the colors look really out of place and turn me off navigating that site.
For example I saw a site recently that had a back background and green and yellow text! Very difficult to read.
But what about best practice when it comes to color?
Apart from the standard black text on white background, are there any other color tricks that are used extensively to good effect?

[St0n3y]

I would say what was written in Call to Action is accurate. Coloring a size has many solutions, not just one right or wrong way, but research will help you determine how bet to proceed.

[Jeff Martin]

Research has shown that colors and music affect our buying habits and needs (like eating). I dont see why the web would be any different. So if your selling hotdog machines you probably ought to use yellow and red colors....

[Marcia]

I am just going through this very decision right now about color choices with designing a new site. I've done a rough layout and it's all muted tones of pale grey now, very low key. "Drab" is actually more like it to be honest, and though I'm kind of fond of it myself, it's unlikely to create the kind of "charge" that will motivate visitors to stay or act.

What I've been wondering is whether color should be more geared to the expected target market and what their likely color "influencers" would be, or whether it's the nature of the products being sold that would be a more likely factor to influence.

For example, take an example shopper who is a young mother. She may love bright primary colors on a site when shopping for her kids' toys or room stuff or clothes, but what color scheme would appeal to her if she was shopping for a $10 necktie for her husband or a $500 sport coat for him as a gift?

Is it only the target consumer, the product type, or does the cost bracket enter into color choices? Something like buying a $5 piece of costume jewelry at Target or a $5K diamond brooch at Tiffany. Both jewelry - same colors on the site?

Just wondering what the different factors are that determine color that encourages higher conversion.

[St0n3y]

Marcia, I think all of those factors play a role in deciding which colors to go with. Specifically, if you can find the balance between what speaks to the target audience while being complimentary to the products being sold, you've got it.

[Gurtie]

common sense applies I think - as well as standard colour psychology - and as a very very basic rule the more expensive/'classy' the product the more muted the colour scheme (can't see anyone buying a £4000 per head holiday from a site with a MacDonalds colourscheme)

But that doesn't always hold true so don't quote me on it