Colorful Shacks on a Beach

If you take a look around the web, you’ll see a rainbow of color. Businesses are painting their sites in blues, reds, yellows, and oranges. Look at this post. You're looking at a green and black Grasshopper logo, as well as an image of bright beach huts bathed in different hues.

Some of the colors around the web are chosen deliberately, while others come from the “web status quo.” Links, for example, are usually represented in blue. When people see blue-colored text, they know what to do—click, click, click.

Keeping the “web status quo” can be a great choice, but it should always be done deliberately.

If you’re in charge of design decisions for a startup or small business, how do you choose which colors to use?

Here are 6 great resources that can help you use color to jazz up your stuff. If you do color right, you’ll see more online conversions.

1. How do colors affect purchases? by KISSmetrics

If you’ve got an ecommerce site, colors can persuade your audience. In this infographic, KISSmetrics compiles data that shows how visual appearance trumps texture, smell and sound when it comes to buying. Royal blue makes customers trust you, while red and orange are the best colors to reach impulse shoppers.

Kissmetrics Color Quiz

2. What Color Should Your Branding Be? Take The Color Quiz! by Grasshopper

Don’t think you have to choose a color all by yourself. Consider taking a color quiz to figure out how to color your brand. At Grasshopper, we created an intuitive quiz that asks you a bunch of questions about who you’re marketing to and why you’re doing it, and then spits out the color that’s right for you. Bonus: we'll show you the big brands that are using that color, too.

The Brand Color Quiz by Grasshopper

4. Psychology of Color in Logo Design by The Logo Company

This infographic shows how logo color can conjure up certain emotions. If you’re trying to come off as friendly and confident, you might pick orange, just like Nickelodeon and Firefox. If you’d rather infuse your visitors with calm, take a hint from Honda and Apple- they both use black and gray.

Psychology of Color in Logo Design

5. Color Theory Presentation by OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab

Ok, so you’re not a student anymore, but you can still take advantage of great resources from universities. This online presentation leads students through the basics of color theory, and is a great foundation for understanding how color might affect conversions. It’s helpful to check out a resource like this if you’re unfamiliar with how to use color.

Just because you weren’t an art student doesn’t mean you can’t get a solid grasp on color. According to the experts, doing so will catapult your brand to the top. Using reds and oranges for call-to-actions is just the beginning. Check out these resources to figure out how to rainbow your website.

6. Why Is Facebook Blue? The Science Behind Colors in Marketing by Fast Company

According to Leo Widrich, CEO of Buffer and Fast Company contributor, changing the color of one button on a website can change user behavior. In this resource, Widrich offers a number of color schemes, and asks readers to identify the brands they represent. He also explains how colors trigger certain feelings. Black, he explains, signifies credibility, power, and precision. Widrich expands on a number of resources to present a comprehensive explanation of how businesses can better use color.

So, why is Facebook blue? You'll have to check out the resource to find out.

Science Behind Facebook Choosing a Blue Color

It's up to you to decide what colors are best for your website, logos, branding, and other company materials. Just remember that the colors you use reflect certain ideas and play into the emotions and psychology of your customers.

What colors do you use for your business? Why did you choose them? Please share!