There are about as many ideas as there are people when it comes to choosing a color scheme for your website. But being the logical minded person I am I figure I'll share some of the tips I use when selecting color schemes.
To start, you really should choose a color scheme when you launch your business. Chances are you're going to spend some time and money promoting your business on more than just a website. Things like your color scheme and logo are going to be a foundational part of your marketing. You don't want to waste time and money promoting a color scheme and logo - just to change it later. Your better off to stick to what you have any if you think it's ugly. It's more important people can recognize your business without having to think than having a pretty logo.
So here we go...
Tip #1. Consider The Meaning Of Each Color
Over the course of our life we've been taught to associate colors with specific thoughts and feelings. Here's a quick list of what each color tends to represent in our culture.
Red - Red is used to alert or alarm people. Some common uses of red are on stop signs and warning labels. Red is good for standing out and catching people's attention. Red triggers Red stimulates our minds and arouses our senses. Red is known to enhance or appetite which is probably one of the reasons we see red so frequently used in the fast food industry. Think about these companies and their logos... McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Jack In The Box,... need I go on?
Word to the wise. When it comes to red you don't want to over do it. Large doses of red can trigger make people feel overwhelmed or intimidated.
Blue - Blue is frequently used to convey trust and loyalty. Blue is a safe color. Blue is a cool color and is frequently used to convey lower temperatures. Blue is often a soothing or calming color. Careful though - if you use too much blue your design may appear boring or stale. Studies also show blue is likely to decrease our appetite. Over the history of mankind we've come to find in nature foods which are blue are often times toxic. This is a suspected reason why blue is shown to decrease or appetite.
Green - Green is an earth tone and frequently represents nature. We tend to associate green with products that are good for the environment. One common use of green is to show that a product is healthy. Think fat free, reduced calories, or no trans fats. Studies show the color green has a calming effect. I remember when I was in school all the hallways being painted green. Did you ever wonder why? I'm sure it was to help subdue already excitable children.
Yellow - Yellow is a positive color. It can make people feel cheery or warm. We associate with things which are bright like the sun. Yellow is a good accent color but here's an important warning about yellow... It's not to be used in text. Yellow text on a white background is about the hardest thing to read. So avoid putting yellow text in any scenario.
Black - Black conveys authority. Think of priests, policemen, FBI agents, etc. Black is the best color for text. Nothing is easier to read online or offline than black text on a white background.
Brown - Brown is an earth tone and is good for conveying something is earthy or natural. It's also a warm color so it tends to balance out cool colors like blue.
Pink - Pink is generally associated with femininity. When baby girls are born we buy them pink clothes for example. Pink can also convey love and romance. Think of Valentine's Day for example.
Orange - Is a bright, cheery color which conveys similar feelings as red. In fact, red and orange are often too similar in color for people to notice a difference. Just like red you don't want to over do it with orange. Try to use it sparingly, in order to draw attention to something specifically.
White - White represents purity, cleanliness, innocence, and sterility. For example we're used to seeing doctors in a white coat because we perceive the environment as being clean and sterile. If I was building a website for a doctor or dentist I'd definitely use plenty of white.
Tip #2 Consider Your Target Audience
Now that you know the meaning behind each color you need to be able to choose colors that convey the appropriate message to your target audience. If you were selling cigars you probably wouldn't want to use pink for example unless the cigars were specifically to celebrate the birth of a baby girl. This part can be a little tricky simply because you'll have to know something about who you're trying to reach. Many of the e-commerce sites I've built over the years have a touch of blue to convey trust.
Tip #3 Choose Widely Available Colors
Over the years I've seen people choose some wild colors for their business, and specifically their website. It's natural to have the desire to be unique and creative. In fact, the ability to make something original and creative is the biggest thing that sets WebStarts apart from the competition. But you have to remember you're running a business and unfortunately running a business costs money. When you choose a color that's not widely available each time you go to print a business card, brochure, t-shirt, or whatever you're more likely to pay more for the work - and less likely to be able to match your color. Furthermore when it comes to the web you'll want to try to stay with what are called "web safe" colors. Computers and web browsers are still evolving and cannot accurately depict every color. In fact, there are only 256 colors which are considered "web safe". A safe bet is to pick a shade or two of those colors.
Tip #4 Keep It Simple
Lastly I want to remind you to keep it simple. Choosing too many colors for a web page or logo can be confusing or overwhelming to your customers. These days more than ever people are constantly being bombarded with information and will simply move on if they feel overwhelmed by your color scheme. Just think of all the fortune 500 companies you can and then think of their color schemes. Most of them use one or two colors in their logo. You would be best advised to do the same.