Color Schemes
What do they have to do with sales?

When it comes to the design of your website, a good deal of attention should be paid to choosing its color scheme.

One thing I've notice is that if the visitor does not like the color scheme, you'll have to work much harder to get him or her to read on. The reaction is immediate; they may just click away at that point.

Personal or Commercial Website?
There is a huge difference between personal and commercial websites. With personal websites, you can do whatever you like. There, it's simply a matter of taste. Yours.

Business, especially e-commerce, is another world entirely.

There is general "think" about color association — blue is associated with serenity, red with impulse buying — and studies exist on this subject. However, without going into a dissertation on color and marketing, it is important to note that color causes an emotional reaction; that is, the color scheme you choose will have an effect on your website's visitors.

Suitability for your business purposes
There is also the matter of suitability for a particular subject or industry. Selling skateboards? Find out what skateboarders would find apt, exciting, compelling.

But if you have a brokerage firm, the skateboard color scheme will probably not work too well for your website. Day-glo colors or purple-satin-sheet backgrounds will drive away potential customers expecting a more subtle, conservative website.

That is, unless your website is an online trading firm marketing to Generation Xers and the more daring among us. The traditional dark blues against white color scheme would be found wanting.

So it is important to know your customers.

Know your target audience.
The questions to ask are:

• what business are you in, and who is your target audience?
  
  
• how do you find out what your target audience would find compelling?