While you may not realize it, there is a significant connection between color and how long readers will stay on your blog or whether they will come back again.
The Background
Color affecting your blog comes from the Color Theory, which is “The practice of using the meaning behind colors to bring about a sensory experience,” according to Sixrevisions.com. Though you hope that your words alone can evoke a sense of excitement or trust, it is important that you reflect on all aspects of your blog’s success.
Consider the following:
- How does color affect your readers?
- How can you make this work to your advantage?
Need to Know Basics
You may already remember from grade school the basic color connections: blue is cool, red is warm. While that is a great starting point, you’ll need to consider your color combinations much more in depth. Regardless of what colors you choose to use, just having color alone keeps your readers entertained two seconds longer than straight black and white.
Different colors evoke a myriad of sensations which affects how readers will take in your blog and content. Colourlovers.com found that blue and red are the two most prevalent colors found online. So what do these mean?
- Light blue will evoke a sense of calm, trust and security. Because this color is also used in a variety of popular logos, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, it is also associated with important aspects of your readers’ lives.
- Red is aggressive, and will cause stimulation and excitement. This color is known to induce a reaction, both positive and negative.
How to Determine Your Color Scheme
Something as basic as color should not be a reason to lose out on loyal readers. When it comes to creating good content, you go to the ends of the earth to keep your readers happy. Choosing the right colors is no different.
- Theme: What is the theme of your blog? If you are writing about fashion or design, you’ll want to use a much different color palate than someone writing about hiking or boating.
- Brand: Have you already created a brand for yourself? Consider what your brand says, and then choose the colors that best speak to that. You want to keep it cohesive and unified.
- Content: What do you hope your readers get from your content? You can affect how readers take in the words they are reading by changing the background or font color.
Go Color Crazy
Now that you’ve decided the important pieces of your blog, such as theme and branding, you can go ahead and choose what colors would best reflect them. While some colors can represent a number of things, other colors will make a strong statement.
- Yellow, orange, and other citrus colors are associated with excitement and passion. Consider how prevalent these colors are in your blog and whether it sets an appropriate tone.
- Pink should be approached with caution. While a blog about femininity or youth can benefit from a color scheme based around this color, it can set the wrong tone when used out of context.
- Any shade of blue will give a positive feel to your blog. However, variations on the standard palate will be what make the difference. Turquoise has been found to associate with tropical venues; therefore it elicits a positive feeling.
- Don’t confuse the boring aspects of white with bad. While it’s not ideal to base your entire theme around, consider it’s affect on creating a simplified and clean look.
Of course, it is always important to be sure you are creating excellent content. However, if something as simple as color scheme can affect how long your readers are willing to stick around, it is worth taking a second look.
About the Author: Amanda Greico writes articles for the small startup, Chonies. She focuses on sales and spends time marketing their products. She loves a good pair of designer shoes and is usually shopping in her spare time.
Image: thedalogs / Flickr