The Psychology of Colour in Web Design: Dress Your Website Like a Confident Salesperson

The psychology of colour in web design: dress your website like a confident salesperson

If your website was a person, what would it be wearing?

A sharp navy suit that oozes trust? A bright yellow raincoat that shouts “fun and friendly”? Or a confusing mix of clashing patterns that makes people quietly back away?

That’s the psychology of colour in web design in action. Your colour choices are silently telling visitors what kind of business you are – before they’ve read a single word.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use colour on your website so it doesn’t just look nice, but actually helps you win more enquiries, bookings and sales.

Why colour psychology matters more than you think

Colour is one of the first things our brains process. Visitors form a snap judgement about your site (and by extension, your business) in a fraction of a second.

Think of your website like a shop assistant:

• The clothes they wear = your colour palette
• Their body language = your layout and spacing
• Their words = your copy

If the clothes are wrong for the role, the rest has to work twice as hard.

For SMEs, where you might only get one chance to impress a new visitor, the psychology of colour in web design can be the difference between:

• “This looks professional, I’ll get in touch.” and
• “Hmm… not sure I trust this. Back to Google.”

The basics: what different colours tend to say

Colour meanings aren’t set in stone – culture, personal experience and industry all play a part. But there are some common associations that are useful starting points.

Common colour meanings in web design

• Blue – Trust, reliability, calm
  Great for: professional services, finance, tech, medical, B2B

• Green – Growth, nature, health, balance
  Great for: sustainability, wellness, gardening, finance (growth)

• Red – Energy, urgency, passion, danger
  Great for: sales buttons, warnings, food, fitness – in small doses

• Yellow – Optimism, warmth, attention-grabbing
  Great for: creative brands, children’s services, hospitality – as an accent

• Orange – Friendly, energetic, affordable
  Great for: trades, e‑commerce, call-to-action buttons

• Purple – Luxury, creativity, sophistication
  Great for: beauty, premium services, creative agencies

• Black / Dark Grey – Premium, serious, minimalist
  Great for: high-end products, fashion, design-led brands

• White / Light Neutrals – Clean, simple, modern
  Great for: almost everyone as a base

Remember: it’s not just which colour you choose, but how much you use it and what you pair it with.

A simple angle: think of your site as a football kit

Here’s a less fluffy way to think about the psychology of colour in web design.

Imagine your website is a football team:

• The home kit = your primary brand colour
• The away kit = your secondary colour
• The captain’s armband = your call-to-action colour
• The pitch lines = your background and neutral colours

A good kit is:

• Instantly recognisable
• Easy to follow on the pitch
• Consistent every time they play

Your website should work the same way:

• People should know they’re on your site at a glance
• Their eyes should easily follow what matters (headlines, buttons)
• Colours should feel consistent across every page

If every player wore a different shirt, you’d have chaos. That’s what happens when websites use too many colours with no clear role.

Choosing a colour palette that actually works

Let’s keep this practical. Here’s how to pick colours without needing a design degree.

1. Start with your primary colour (your “home kit”)

Ask: What do I want people to feel about my business in the first 5 seconds?

Examples:

• Accountant / solicitor – trust, stability → likely a shade of blue or navy
• Landscaper / eco brand – natural, fresh → likely green or earthy tones
• Children’s play centre – fun, friendly → likely yellow, orange or bright tones
• Luxury beauty clinic – premium, calm → likely soft neutrals with a gold or deep purple accent

Pick one main colour that reflects that feeling. This should be used for:

• Key headings
• Icons and highlights
• Some backgrounds (sparingly)

2. Add 1–2 supporting colours (your “away kit”)

Supporting colours stop your site looking flat, but too many becomes noisy.

Use them for:

• Secondary buttons
• Sub-headings
• Small graphic elements

Rule of thumb: 3 brand colours max (1 main + 1–2 supporting) keeps things clean.

3. Choose your call-to-action colour (the captain’s armband)

This is crucial. Your call-to-action (CTA) colour is what you’ll use for:

• “Call now” / “Get a quote” / “Book a visit” buttons
• Key links you really want people to click

Make it:

• High contrast with your background
• Different enough from your main colour to stand out
• Used consistently everywhere

Example:
If your site is mainly navy and white, an orange or green CTA button will pop nicely.

4. Don’t forget your neutrals (the pitch)

Neutrals (whites, greys, beiges) are just as important. They:

• Make text readable
• Stop bright colours feeling overwhelming
• Give your design breathing space

For most SMEs, a white or very light background with dark text is the safest and most accessible choice.

Using colour to guide visitors (not just decorate)

Colour isn’t wallpaper – it’s a signpost.

Here’s how to use it to nudge visitors in the right direction.

Make actions obvious

Use your CTA colour only for things you want people to do.

• Primary buttons
• Key links (e.g. “View services”, “Book consultation”)

Don’t use your CTA colour for random decorations or big chunks of text – you’ll dilute its power.

Create a visual hierarchy

Hierarchy is just a fancy way of saying: what should my eyes see first, second, third?

You can use colour to:

• Make headlines slightly stronger or darker than body text
• Give important sections a soft coloured background
• Keep less important information in lighter, more muted tones

Keep it consistent

If the “Enquire now” button is green on your homepage, don’t make it red on your contact page. Your visitors should learn, almost subconsciously, that green = take action on your site.

Common colour mistakes SMEs make (and how to fix them)

1. Using every colour under the sun

Problem: The site looks like a pack of highlighters exploded. Visitors don’t know where to look.

Fix:

• Limit yourself to 1 primary, 1–2 secondary, 1 CTA and neutrals
• Remove colour from anything that isn’t important

2. Low contrast text (pretty but unreadable)

Problem: Light grey text on a white background might look sleek on a designer’s monitor, but your customers can’t read it on their old laptop or in bright sunlight.

Fix:

• Stick to dark text on a light background for body copy
• Use online contrast checkers to make sure your text is accessible

3. Colour that doesn’t match the business

Problem: A serious law firm with neon pink buttons. A children’s soft play centre in cold corporate navy.

Fix:

• Revisit that question: “What do I want people to feel?”
• Adjust your palette to match your real-world personality

4. Ignoring accessibility

Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of colour blindness. If your only way of showing something is important is “it’s red”, some people won’t see the difference.

Fix:

• Use text labels and icons, not just colour, to show meaning
• Ensure there’s enough contrast between colours
• Don’t rely on red/green differences alone

Simple colour ideas by industry

These are starting points, not strict rules – but they can help if you’re stuck.

Trades (plumbers, electricians, builders)

• Primary: Blue or dark blue-grey (reliable, professional)
• Secondary: Orange or yellow (friendly, energetic)
• CTA: Bright orange or green (stands out clearly)

Professional services (accountants, solicitors, consultants)

• Primary: Navy, deep blue or charcoal (trust, stability)
• Secondary: Soft grey or muted accent (e.g. teal)
• CTA: Contrasting teal or green for calls and enquiry forms

Hospitality (cafés, restaurants, pubs)

• Primary: Warm tones (deep red, rich brown, dark green)
• Secondary: Creams or soft neutrals
• CTA: A brighter accent (gold, orange or green) for “Book a table”

Health & wellness (clinics, therapists, gyms)

• Primary: Soft blues or greens (calm, clean, healthy)
• Secondary: Light neutrals, gentle pastels
• CTA: A slightly stronger shade of green or blue for bookings

How we use colour psychology at Los Webos

At Los Webos, we treat colour like part of your sales strategy, not just your branding.

When we design websites for UK SMEs, we:

• Start with your real-world brand – your office, vans, uniforms, tone of voice
• Map your key user journeys – what do we want visitors to do first?
• Use the psychology of colour in web design to:
  • Build trust quickly
  • Make next steps blindingly obvious
  • Keep your site clean, fast and easy to use

We also make sure your colour choices play nicely with:

• Mobile devices
• Accessibility standards
• Future marketing (social media graphics, email templates, ads)

Want your website dressed for success?

If you’re staring at a colour picker wondering whether that slightly different shade of blue will finally make people click “Enquire”, you’ve got better things to do.

Los Webos designs beautiful, fast, SEO-friendly websites for UK SMEs that don’t just look good – they convert.

We’ll help you:

• Choose a colour palette that matches your business personality
• Use colour to guide visitors towards calling, booking or buying
• Build a website that grows with your business (and doesn’t date in six months)

Ready to dress your website like a confident salesperson?
Get in touch with Los Webos today and let’s give your online presence a proper wardrobe upgrade.