Color in Web Design: How to Pick a Website Palette

Color sets the mood of a website before anyone reads a word. A calm, consistent palette makes a small business look organized; a page with too many colors looks busy and harder to trust. You do not need design training to get this right.

Start with three colors

A simple method works for most small-business sites: a background color (usually white or a very light tint), a text color (dark gray or near-black) and one accent color for buttons and links. Use the background for most of the page, the text color for words and the accent sparingly, so it stands out where it matters.

Pick the accent from your brand

If you already have a logo, take the accent from it. If not, think about your field and your customers: deep blues and greens often feel calm and dependable, warm colors feel energetic and friendly. What matters most is using the same accent everywhere, so customers learn what it means.

Readable beats pretty

Light gray text on white, or text over a busy photo, is hard to read, especially on a phone outdoors. Check contrast between text and background with a free contrast checker; the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set minimum contrast ratios for normal and large text. If in doubt, make the text darker.

Test your palette in grayscale

Switch your screen to grayscale or take a screenshot and remove the color. If headings, buttons and links still stand out, your design works for everyone, including visitors with color vision differences. If the button disappears, it needs more contrast, not a brighter color.

Common color mistakes

Using a different button color on every page, putting important text inside images, relying on color alone to show errors, and copying a competitor's exact palette. Keep it simple and consistent, then let your photos and words do the rest.

Frequently asked questions