How to Choose a Color Palette for Your Web Site
By Hostway
Long before you get to the nitty gritty technical details of building a
Web site, you have the fun task of choosing a color palette.
We all have colors we like and don’t like on an emotional level, and those
preferences will help you make your decision—especially if you’re an independent
consultant running a one-person business. But personal preference can’t be the
sole determinant if you want your Web site to attract customers. After all,
they’re your audience, and the goal of the Web site is to communicate your value
to them with colors, images, words and other media.
Communicating with Color
Before you choose a color palette, think about your business and industry.
Are there any colors that figure in prominently with your product or service?
For example:
If your business does not have an obvious color associated with it, take a
look at the identity you already have. If you’re running a clothing boutique,
you have a sign, an awning or other markings around your business. Your Web site
should take the color palette of your business identity, giving people who’ve
visited your retail location a seamless experience shopping at your store and
online.
Some businesses fall into neither category—a financial consultant or a
contractor, for example. You can still choose colors that reflect your business.
Look at your brand promise and choose colors that subconsciously communicate
your value proposition to customers. Look at big companies that cater to the
same crowd you do, and ask yourself why they choose their colors. Could those
colors work for you?
Selecting a Palette
Once you have a general idea of the colors you want to use, you can select
varying shades and complementary and accent colors—the color palette.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do this on your own. There are plenty of Web
sites out there with ready-made color palettes to choose from. Take a look at
colorcombos.com and
colourlovers.com for
some ideas.
Hostway Corporation helps small- and medium-sized businesses
grow with innovative Web services that make advanced technology accessible and
easy to use. Founded in 1998, the company currently serves more than 600,000
customers across the globe with domain name services and Web hosting packages
that include an easy-to-use Web site builder and a built-in mechanism for
driving traffic. One of the world's largest Web hosting companies, it operates
over 250,000 square feet of state-of-the-art data centers with a direct presence
in 13 countries, 17 worldwide operation centers and more than 700 employees.
Visit Hostway online at
www.hostway.com.
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