
When to choose blueįor an e-commerce site, blue colour schemes can be a useful way of conveying trustworthiness. In the modern era, it is more often associated with internationalism and the Earth (when seen from space). In the European Middle Ages, blue was associated with royalty and the Church (particularly the Virgin Mary). Once associated with heat, and considered ugly by the Ancient Greeks, blue is now the most common “favourite colour” in Europe and America. They choose it for one simple reason: it signals trust.įrench historian Michel Pastoureau has traced popular perceptions of the colour blue through history. 6 of the top 10 B2B companies have blue as a primary or secondary colour in their branding. However, among B2B websites and communications agencies, it is by far the most popular. What a Blue Button Says About Youīlue is the third most common colour used for an “Add To Cart” button. Not only does beautiful design improve your branding, it also increases the usability of your product. The tones are distinct, but combine to establish a harmony. When balanced carefully, the colours you use can combine to create a “chord”. Triadic colours (those spaced evenly throughout the colour wheel) give a different effect. By using contrasting colours for a Call To Action button, you can make it stick out in a visitor’s memory. Her research described a principle known as the Isolation Effect, in which subjects remembered distinctive items (those isolated from a series) more than similar ones. In 1933 the German psychologist Hedwig Von Restorff published the research she had been compiling for her PhD. Using them for an “Add To Cart” button allows you to draw attention to it. The most common approach used for “Add To Cart” buttons is to incorporate them into a Complementary or Triadic colour scheme.Ĭomplementary colours (those opposite each other on the colour wheel) give the greatest contrast. Square: Four colours, evenly spaced throughout the colour wheel.Triadic: Three colours evenly spaced throughout the colour wheel.Analogous: Colours are next to each other on the colour wheel.Complementary: Colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel.Taking a colour wheel, the scheme you develop can be: To make sure it does, there are some basic principles to follow. Your “Add To Cart” button should integrate seamlessly within your website’s existing colour scheme. Even so, marketers have often wondered if there might be an optimal colour for the Add To Cart button. In the early days of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), experts promised their clients huge returns from simple website edits. They don’t make these claims anymore, and CRO has become a more rigorous practice. So, even if a colour can give some consumers a subtle nudge in one direction, it won’t have the same effect on everyone. In 1995, the Journal of General Psychology published a study identifying strong links between “favourite” colours and physiological responses. However, no experiment is able to remove the impact of context or conditioning. This is one reason why the world’s largest technology companies spend huge sums testing different brand and design colours. Some “Add To Cart” Buttons You May RecogniseĮxperiments have shown how colours affect both heart rate and blood pressure. The Best Colour For Your “Add To Cart” Button
