The science of colors is fascinating, in my opinion. Great designers – whether they’re automotive, home decorators, graphic designers, or even user interface developers understand the complexity of colors and the importance of them. From the color palette selected to ensure that it provides harmony – to the actual colors utilized – has a significant impact on user behavior.
Learn More About Colors and Color Palettes
Color increases brand recognition by 80%, leading directly to consumer confidence. Here’s how colors impact American consumers:
- Yellow – optimistic and youthful, often used to grab the attention of window shoppers.
- Red – energetic, creates urgency, increases heart rates, and often used in clearance sales.
- Blue – creates the sensation of trust and security. Darker colors are often seen with banks and businesses (like my brands).
- Green – associated with wealth. The easiest color for the eyes to process so it’s used in stores to relax.
- Orange – aggressive. This creates a strong call-to-action to subscribe, buy, or sell.
- Pink – romantic and feminine, used to market products to women and young girls.
- Black – powerful and sleek. Used to market luxury products.
- Purple – used to soothe and calm, often seen in beauty and anti-aging products.
For retailers, shopping is the art of persuasion. Though there are many factors that influence how and what consumers buy. However, a great deal is decided by visual cues, the strongest and most persuasive being color. When marketing new products it is crucial to consider that consumers place visual appearance and color above other factors such as sound, smell, and texture.
How Do Colors Affect User Choices and Purchases?
Here’s a fascinating infographic from KISSmetrics on color and its impact on purchasing decisions. Some of the insights:
- Impulse Shoppers – are more likely to react to red, orange, black, and royal blues. You see these colors in fast food, outlet malls, and clearance sales.
- Budget Shoppers – are more likely to interact with navy blues and teals, seen in banks and larger department stores.
- Traditional Buyers – are attracted to pinks, sky blues, and rose colors found in clothing stores.
One important note within the infographic is that different cultures are impacted by colors differently!
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