| FEATURE GUEST
ARTICLE
The Real Color of Money
by Ernest
Seger, Internet Business
Marketing
When was the last time that you read an article discussing what colors to
use in your web-site design?
Can't remember? Neither can I.
Yet the colors you use on your site can greatly impact your bottom line!
First let's talk about colors... then how we can use colors to make money on the Web.
About Colors
RED
Let's play an association game. What is the first thing that pops into your mind
when I mention…
"red negligee"
or...
"red sports car"
Red is the color that will get your blood going. Red is the color of action, which
is why it is the predominant color in most Casinos. Studies show that people will gamble
more and make riskier bets when under a red light as opposed to a blue light.
Red creates a high arousal threshold.
GREEN
"Being Green" today is to be concerned about the environment. In the minds of
many, green tends to represent good not evil - when dealing with the environment.
A solid green is the color of life. It can represent optimism and a feeling that things
are prosperous.
But Yellow-Green is negative. Think of slime.
Light Green is calming, and is sometimes referred to as Institutional Green. Have you ever
visited a jail or a Psychiatric hospital? They're usually painted in this color because of
the calming effect on people.
BLUE
Blue is the number one corporate color in America. Reflex Blue. Stability Blue.
Ford, "Big Blue" (IBM) and Benz, are all blue. When Exxon and Mobile
merged, their color became blue.
Take a look at a list of the major corporations in America and their colors. You will have
to go a long way down the list to find a color other than Green or Blue. (That color would
be Red… Coca Cola… Chrysler… excitement).
BLACK
Black today makes a statement that says "I'm state-of-the-art and in control".
Consider black as much as an attitude as a color. We'll give you an example of a
"black" site later.
Now, Let's Make Money With
Colors
Match the colors of your website with your audience, and you just might make more sales
(money). Here are examples:
If your audience is mostly men:
Our first Secretary of the Treasury was a man, Alexander Hamilton. He picked light green
for government documents. Green later translated into our paper money.
Men are the heads of most of the major corporations that have blue as their color.
For men, Blue and Green are favorite color choices. (I chose blue as our predominant site
color without knowing
why until later I just liked it).
If your audience is mostly women:
Women are 10 times less likely to be color blind than men. It has been scientifically
proven that women have much better color vision than men (I say Red, my wife says
"Rose". I say Pink, she says "Peach").
For women, you need spring pastels, fall earth-tones, and more subtle colors. Here is
Sharon Lambkin's site as an example of subtle colors chosen by a woman: http://starterkithaven.com/
If your audience is mostly Seniors
You will need bright colors, such as Bright Red, Orange, and Yellow.
As we age, our vision changes. Not just in sharpness of image, but in the way color is
perceived. Which is why on Senior Citizen Day at the golf course you'll see colors that
exist nowhere in nature.
Look at the AARP site and their accent color (http://www.aarp.org/)
If you want to be on the leading edge
Consider Basic Black, it's a great color right now. Black's message is
"when-in-doubt, don't worry". How would you design a site in black? Here is an
excellent example of a site that uses black tones to convey a powerful message: http://makingyour.sitesell.com
Use colors wisely, and you'll make money wisely. For more information about colors, go to http://www.pantone.com/
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Internet Business Marketing,
by Ernest Seger, specializes in Internet
marketing
techniques
designed to drive targeted traffic to your site without risk.
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