1. Understand Your Brand Personality

Before deciding on colors, understand what your brand represents.

Ask yourself:

Is your brand modern or traditional?

Fun or serious?

Luxury or budget-friendly?

Youthful or mature?

Each personality aligns with different color directions.

Brand Style Color Suggestions

Playful, Fun Yellows, bright blues, orange

Professional, Corporate Navy blue, gray, white

Eco, Natural Greens, browns, beige

Luxury Black, gold, deep purple

Tech/Modern Teal, electric blue, charcoal

Your color palette should visually express who you are.

2. Learn the Basics of Color Psychology

Colors trigger emotions. Understanding color psychology helps you influence users.

Blue → Trust, professionalism

Green → Growth, eco-friendly

Red → Energy, urgency

Yellow → Happiness, friendliness

Purple → Royalty, creativity

Black → Power, luxury

White → Clean, minimal

Use psychology to reinforce your message and connect with your audience instantly.

3. Use the 60–30–10 Rule (Golden Rule of Design)

This classic rule helps create balanced, professional-looking color palettes.

60% → Primary color (background, large sections)

30% → Secondary color (cards, sections, header/footer)

10% → Accent color (buttons, CTAs, highlights)

It ensures the colors look clean and not overwhelming.

4. Pick a Primary Color First

Start with one strong base color that represents your brand identity.

This color will dominate the website and set the tone.

Examples:

A finance website → Blue

A spa website → Soft green

A kids’ brand → Bright yellow or orange

A luxury store → Black + gold accents

Once chosen, build secondary and accent colors around it.

5. Choose Colors Based on Your Target Audience

Different demographics prefer different colors.

Gender preferences

Women prefer: purple, green, blue

Men prefer: blue, black, green

Both dislike: orange and brown (in most studies)

Age preferences

Young users: bold, vibrant colors

Older users: muted, calming tones

Industry trends

Tech → cool tones

Food → warm tones

Health → soft greens/blues

Your audience should influence your design choices.

6. Create Color Harmony Using the Color Wheel

Use the color wheel to pick colors that work well together.

Color harmony types:

Analogous: Colors next to each other

Example: blue + teal + green (calming)

Complementary: Opposites on the wheel

Example: blue + orange (high contrast)

Triadic: Three evenly spaced colors

Example: purple + green + orange (vibrant)

Monochromatic: Same color, different shades

Example: light blue + navy + medium blue

The color wheel ensures your palette looks visually consistent.

7. Ensure High Contrast for Better Readability

Readable content improves bounce rate, engagement, and SEO.

Checklist:

Dark text on light background

Light text on dark background

Avoid low-contrast combinations like yellow on white or red on black

Buttons should stand out from the background

Use tools like:

Contrast Checker by WebAIM

Google Material Color Tool

Aim for WCAG AA or AAA contrast standards.

8. Use Tools to Generate Perfect Color Palettes

These tools make color selection easier:

✔ Coolors.co – Auto-generates color schemes

✔ Adobe Color Wheel – Perfect for harmony rules

✔ Canva Color Palette Generator – Upload an image and generate colors

✔ Khroma – AI-powered color recommendation

✔ Material Design Colors – Good for modern UI design

These tools help refine and visualize your palette quickly.

9. Keep Colors Consistent Across All Branding

Your website colors should match:

Logo

Social media graphics

Brochures

Email templates

Mobile app

Advertisements

Consistency builds trust and strong brand recall.

10. Test Your Color Palette on Real Users

Before finalizing your palette:

✔ Test on dark mode

✔ Test on mobile screens

✔ Test on different lighting conditions

✔ Get real user feedback

✔ Create sample sections (buttons, cards, hero banners)

Sometimes the color that looks great on paper may not work well on the screen.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best color palette for your website involves creativity, strategy, and understanding human behavior.

A good palette helps you:

✨ Build a strong brand identity

✨ Improve user experience

✨ Boost conversions

✨ Increase trust