Kicking off a website design project means nailing down the ideal color palette, a critical element that sets the tone for your site. To help you find inspiration and see what’s effective in the industry, we’ve curated a collection of 10 website color schemes that truly enhance their brands.
Let color psychology guide your website color scheme
Color psychology is the fascinating interplay between colors and their impact on our minds—each hue whispers different messages into our subconscious. Just like how color psychology interacts with your brand colors, the right color palette on your website can evoke specific feelings in your audience.
Take Facebook, for example, with its iconic blue hue—a choice influenced not just by Mark Zuckerberg’s color vision but also by blue’s broad appeal due to its association with trust. It’s no coincidence that over half of all logos splash some blue into their design.
Now, let’s navigate through the psychological undertones of colors and how they can align with your website:
- Red: Think urgency and vigor. Red captures attention and can trigger decisive action—perfect for e-commerce sites or food delivery services that thrive on quick customer decisions.
- Orange: Bursting with cheer, orange radiates a friendly and fun vibe, ideal for websites that aim to appear approachable and light-hearted.
- Yellow: Like a burst of sunlight, yellow offers a warm, welcoming glow. It’s associated with joy and energy, making it a prime choice for service-oriented businesses that want to project a helpful and positive aura.
- Green: Symbolic of nature and vitality, green stands for balance and renewal. Brands committed to health and sustainability can leverage green to communicate their allegiance to these values.
- Blue: Blue conveys reliability and trust, making it the color of choice for many corporate websites that want to foster a sense of security among users.
- Purple: A dash of purple brings a sense of creativity and wisdom, often utilized by brands that want to stand out as innovative and insightful.
- Pink: Currently enjoying a wave of popularity, pink exudes charm and spontaneity. It’s increasingly used to appeal across gender lines, signaling inclusivity.
- Brown: Brown is an earthy and robust color that evokes a sense of groundedness and reliability. It’s perfect for websites that want to reflect tradition and natural quality.
- Black: Sleek and powerful, black is synonymous with luxury and sophistication. Ideal for high-end products, it suggests elegance and precision.
- White: The epitome of simplicity and clarity, white offers a clean backdrop that can be easily complemented with other hues to enhance brand identity.
- Gray: Exuding professionalism and formality, gray is seen as authoritative and reserved, suited for businesses aiming to project a serious, corporate image.
Understanding these color implications transforms your website from a mere digital presence to a persuasive entity that resonates with visitors. By selecting a color scheme that aligns with the emotions you wish to evoke, you not only enhance the user experience but also reinforce your brand messaging. So, let the colors you choose do more than just decorate—let them speak.
And if you want to know about color theory and how it works in the world of marketing, check out our guide.
10 website color schemes for you to draw inspiration from
1. Trust the go-to eco-conscious color palette
When envisioning a color scheme for an organic hemp product line, green almost selects itself, doesn’t it? It’s not only the quintessential color of eco-awareness but also directly linked to the natural essence of hemp, weed, and CBD products. Complementing this vibrant green with softer tones, such as pale lemon and oatmeal, adds a touch of gentleness and approachability to the brand’s aesthetic.
Incorporating navy blue into the mix introduces a strong element of trust and reliability. This darker hue balances the lighter shades beautifully, grounding the palette and lending a serious, dependable vibe to the overall look.
Hemp-toned website color scheme by Tonitrix via 99designs by Vista: #f5eec2 #416a59 #39395f #73a24e #a9c25d
2. Infuse vibrancy into eco-friendly branding
For eco-conscious brands, steering away from the traditional palette of greens and browns can be a bold move that pays off by capturing the attention of a specific audience. For instance, if your brand caters to young, intelligent and health-oriented professional people, choose a palette that pulsates with youth and modernity instead of sticking to predictable colors.
Integrating shades like pale peach and mint, accentuated with vibrant orange and deep forest green, you can craft a color scheme that speaks to cheerfulness and friendliness in addition to the representation of nature from the greens. This approach not only underscores your dedication to sustainability but also ensures your visual identity pops in visually-driven platforms like Instagram, appealing directly to a trendy, eco-aware consumer base.
Vibrant website color scheme: #f6c453, #fefbe9, #f0a04b, #183a1d, #e1eedd
3. Trendset with a fashion-forward website color palette
Lilac has been making waves in today’s fashion scene, posing as a vibrant alternative to the overly familiar shades of pink. This fresh, invigorating color brings a creative edge to style-oriented websites.
A savvy ecommerce platform can harness this trend by crafting a website color scheme that includes the vibrancy of lilac, the earthiness of rust, the softness of cream and the solidity of coal. Such a palette ensures the site stands out, appealing directly to those who seek out the latest in fashion innovation.
A refreshing lilac website color palette: #e4ddf4, #943d24, #fffbf0, #2d2d2d, #282612
4. Captivate a young audience with a bold and playful website color scheme
For brands aiming to attract a youthful crowd, choose bold and playful colors. Using hues like baby pink, leaf green, orange and purple makes a website lively and fun, appealing directly to younger visitors.
These vibrant colors spark excitement and creativity, reminiscent of childhood joy. They create an inviting and dynamic visual environment that encourages interaction and exploration. Be aware of your audience, however. Due to the lower contrast of some of these colors, your font choice will make or break your readability.
Source: Funky and youthful website color scheme by Brent & Jo Studio via 99designs by Vista: #397754, #f0a3bc, #70be51, #eb6b40, #9b45b2
5. Invigorate with a creative and striking color combination
The vibrant clash between neon blue and primary yellow isn’t just bold—it’s a visual shout. This daring color duo goes beyond mere attention-seeking; it’s a vivid, almost shocking, invitation to look closer. The intensity of these colors can be almost overwhelming, yet when used thoughtfully, they create an engaging visual experience.
The scheme gains depth and balance when tempered with black, making it more approachable. Such a palette is ideal for a creative environment where energy and standout ideas are at the forefront.
Contrasting website color scheme for a creative business by e2infinity via 99designs by Vista: #5bccf6, #fcde67, #030e12
6. Soothe with a neutral website color scheme
You don’t always have to shock your website visitors with vibrant, high-contrast color combinations. A neutral website color scheme is just as effective for conveying your brand message, particularly a message of approachability, and resonating with your target audience.
Opting for a serene blend of peach and off-white sets a soft, inviting tone that’s easy on the eyes. This palette, enhanced with text in deep charcoal instead of stark black, provides a calming visual experience without sacrificing readability.
Soothing neutral website color scheme by Lovely Grit Studio: #ef9273, #fef9f8, #0d0d0d
7. Pick trustworthy shades of blue for a serious business
A palette that combines teal, gray, blue, bright white, dark gray and aquamarine is particularly effective for industries requiring clarity and trust. Online banking platforms, insurance companies, healthcare websites, legal firms and financial advisory services can all benefit from such a website color scheme.
These colors not only communicate stability and professionalism but also reassure users of the site’s credibility, fostering a reassuring environment that encourages engagement and builds confidence in the brand.
A website color scheme that features blue and teal tones: #2b6777, #c8d8e4, #ffffff, #f2f2f2, #52ab98
8. Experiment with robust yet calming vibes for wellness brands
Calming yet confident website color schemes are ideal for brands that balance tranquility with assurance, such as meditation software.
A palette combining the robust colors of coral and navy with a soothing blue and pale pink achieves this effect. Coral infuses energy and confidence, while navy adds a sense of reliability. This blend is perfect for mental health and well-being businesses, providing a serene yet trustworthy environment.
Relaxing yet assertive website color scheme by Spoon Lancer via 99designs by Vista: #fae5df, #f5cac2, #ed7966, #303179, #141850
9. Use a cheerful website color scheme to celebrate a good cause
Cheerful and philanthropic color palettes, combining pastel blue and green with a pop of yellow, are perfect for organizations focused on youth, health and education. These colors convey youthfulness and joy, ideal for children’s hospitals, educational nonprofits, and child welfare organizations.
The blend of gentle pastels and vibrant yellow presents a friendly, optimistic and caring image, enhancing the appeal and trustworthiness of services to improve community well-being.
Cheerful website color scheme to celebrate a good cause by Lovely Grit Studio: #1b4d89, #f9e45b, #6db784, #ffffff
10. Inspire abundance with a website color palette for fertility
For a brand focused on support for those with fertility issues, the website needs to come across as reliable yet gentle, bold yet compassionate.
This selection of powdery pinks, vibrant fuchsia and calming jade mirrors the wide range of emotions and experiences that the brand addresses. The softness of powdery pinks suggests a soothing presence, fuchsia injects a vibrant, energetic vibe, and jade offers a sense of stability and inclusivity. Together, these colors make the brand appear comprehensive, empathetic, and fearless when facing complex emotions, ensuring it resonates well with its audience.
Emotive and strong color scheme for Fertility Tribe by Lovely Grit Studio via 99designs by Vista: #eddcd9, #f2ebe9, #de5499, #264143 #e99f4c
You’ve picked your website color scheme, what’s next?
Selecting the right color palette for your website isn’t just about aesthetic appeal—it’s about communication. The colors you choose play a pivotal role in how your brand is perceived and influence visitor interactions on a subconscious level. Whether you draw inspiration from successful examples or start with a personal vision, aligning your color choices with your brand’s message and values is essential. Remember, a thoughtful approach to your website’s color scheme can make a significant difference in engaging and retaining your audience.
Remember these principles, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a visually compelling and effective website.
