What blog color should I choose for my new theme?

I have finally decided to take the plunge and change this blog to a Genesis Framework (I’ve already changed my detox blog) and am trying to decide on the best color for the new theme.

I have never really been happy with the color I have now. I never actually said to myself “I want a pink blog”!  I had seen some blogs that I liked and tried to get the same color which was more of a red with pinkish hues but it didn’t turn out quite like that.

Everyone seems to have a preference when it comes to the color of their clothes, their car, and their homes but what about the color of your blog?

When you set up your blog did you know exactly what color you wanted?  Did you do any research into it first?

Internet Marketing and Blog Color Psychology

Did you know that color is more than just personal preference? Color actually has a strong influence on your thoughts and feelings.

Ever had color therapy? I had a massage once that was combined with color therapy. I had to choose a colored oil. Guess what color I chose? Pink! Got to be somethng in that don’t you think?

I’m not sure what it did for me but I enjoyed the massage.

Color psychologists say that color is a powerful tool that can create emotion and behavior in just a fraction of a second, without stimulating any of your other senses.

In today’s  world, almost all businesses have an online presence and consequently they have long been using blog color to elicit emotions from their buyers.

Just like store windows, the colors you use for your blog can apparently make a big difference to the success of your site.

If you want to attract your target market, it helps to know how certain colors can affect customer behavior.

If you are about to create your blog for your business, choosing the right color for your site is the most important decision that you have to make.

If you listen to what the the experts say your blog color could mean the difference between being able to catch your target market or not.

Choosing the Best Color for Your Blog

After some research into the subject it seems there is no singular best color for blogs, but the most commonly used is blue.

The three major social media platforms, which are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn  use the color blue.

And this isn’t just a mere coincidence. These sites use the color to elicit their brand image without using words.

Blue signifies authority, sincerity, trust, security, and intellect. It also has a relaxing and calming effect, making people want to stay longer in your site.

I have noticed that a lot of internet marketers choose blue for their blogs but I’m not sure if they base this on the psychology of color or not.

Red elicits a physical reaction from the body – it increases heart rate and stimulates the nervous system.

When viewers visit a red site they will experience a feeling of urgency, like they have to do something, since red stimulates the circulation of blood.

This color, surprisingly I think, is especially useful for food businesses as it increases appetite and for shopping, as it is best used for impulsive shoppers.

You can use this color on your Add to Cart or Buy Now button, to encourage your audience to buy.

Yellow is the brightest color and it is the first thing that people will see, whether they’re in a crowd or browsing through the net.

Yellow symbolizes cheerfulness, youthfulness and optimism. If you want to stand out from a crowd of other blogs online, use yellow.

Black is often used by websites that sell high end and luxurious products. Black symbolizes an air of mystery and secrecy, and can sometimes be intimidating, but it is very useful in giving a message of sophistication. If you’re in the business of luxury, then black is the best choice.

Personally. I hate blogs that are predominately black with white or grey text. I find them very difficult to read and a huge turn off. I leave immediately.

White is considered to be the best background color for blogs since it will make other colors pop out. Some popular internet marketing blogs I have seen use a mainly white theme.   Orange signifies affordability but too much of it can be seen as cheap, so be careful when you use this color.

Purple – If you are in the creative field, purple is the best color for you, as it elicits feelings of fantasy and creativity.

If you want to know more about using color for business I found quite a lot of information here.

So what about Pink?

There is plenty about what it means if pink is your favorite color but actually it’s not. I did find this though:

“Even though pink is usually associated with femininity, it can appeal to males as well since it exudes kindheartedness, romance, and love. If yours is a feminine blog, then pink could be a perfect choice.”

According to some research done by analytics company KISSmetrics that can be applied to websites:

Women love: Blue, Purple and Green

Men love: Blue, Green and Black

Women hate: Orange, Brown and Gray

Men hate: Brown, Orange and Purple

So, both men and women love blue and green.  Does this mean  I should go for blue?

I had no problems choosing the color for my detox blog. Green is always associated with health so I went for green.

KISSmetrics also created this amazing infographic on the science of how colors affect our purchases.

I asked in a few Facebook Groups what they thought about the best blog color for an IM blog. Bradley Will of Learn To Blog said this:

“I’m not sure anyone knows what the best color is for a blog. It’s one of those things that you just need to test for a while and see if you get the results you want. Then test a different color and see if it improves things.

I’ve heard in the past that the blue that icontact.com uses is one of the best converting colors for sales pages… Not sure how it works for blogs though. It’s all an experimental process. Different people’s followers will respond to different elements and variations. No one can tell you for sure what will work best for you. It just takes testing.”

I think it would be a hard thing to test because other things on the blog will have changed by the time you change the color. You will have written more posts and you may have been doing more blog promotion and got more traffic.

Not sure where all this leaves me. I think I will be pondering this for a while yet.

And then there is the question of the header graphic. I thought it would be a bit of fun but I’m not so sure about it now. Do you think it’s too gimmicky?

Do you think there is a best blog color for an IM blog? Any tips? Share your story of how you chose your blog color in the comments.