One important aspect of marketing - selling - is the use of color. Meanings are attached to colors in the same way meanings are attached to words.
Gold is the color of wealth.
White is the color of pure innocence.
Pink is the color of femininity.
Green is the color of nature.
Red is the color of danger.
Blue is the color the majority of the world population calls its favorite color. It represents to "trust".
Use of color to establish an image or a brand is nothing more than common sense in the marketing community, yet when you visit the websites of many search engine optimization professionals, it's obvious that issue of color has not been addressed. Some of the colors we found on SEO websites:
Baby Blue, a color which implies weakness.
Red, a color which implies risk, or danger.
Orange a color which implies cheerful "levity".(Orange is one of Americans’ least favorite colors.)
It would also appear that color research and consulting is a very rare occurrence within the SEO industry.
To be sure, red or black do have their uses. For example, when we designed BeartoothKawasaki.com we felt comfortable using black and red because of the nature of the product, and because of the strength of the Kawasaki brand.
Quick Guide to Color Use For Marketing
1. Know Your Market
Are they Asian? (Think red.) Are they Dutch? (Think orange.) Are they young? Old? High income? Low income? Male or female? African American or European American? You'll need to speak their color language to build a relationship.
2. Market Research
Market research and testing is of vital importance. If you are serious about maximizing your profits, research your target market's color responses. Design several versions of the site, and test those designs on the target market.
Also, solicit feedback and make changes if needed. Your aim is to use colors to build a website with which your target market relates.
3. Watch the Car Makers
Car manufacturers spend millions on color research so you don't have to. Watch the top selling car colors to see emerging trends. Lexus appears to be especially sensitive to colors.
4. Safe Colors
Unless you're dealing with a strong brand, stick with safe colors. Purple and orange will never have the positive color responses of blue, beige or green.