Psychology of Colors:
How It Impacts Consumer Behavior

There is a lot going on under the surface when you analyze what prompts a consumer to part with their cash.

Understanding the psychology of consumer behavior can make a big difference to your sales performance. Subtle things like choosing the right color for your sale tags can have a notable impact when it comes to triggering buying signals.

Here is a look at the psychology of colors and how they influence what a consumer thinks and does in response.

Colors Can Influence Emotions

Our subconscious minds are processing all sorts of information and subtle messages. These messages are hugely influential with regard to our habits and how we feel about something.

Certain colors can make us feel happy, or calm. Other colors can have more negative connotations and even make you feel anxious or angry.

It makes sense to learn the psychology of colors so that you can align with these subconscious reactions and use them to your advantage in a retail environment.

Here is a general overview of the typical feelings and emotions associated with certain basic color groups.

  • White is often associated with cleanliness and carries a message of purity.
  • Red is considered a color linked with urgency and action. It is also a color that tends to be associated with love and passion.
  • Black is a color regularly used to signal authority and strength. It is also used to convey a message of formality.
  • Green is viewed as a color that symbolizes nature and the environment.

These are just some examples. The psychology behind each color can be quite complex but there have been plenty of studies that help reveal our primal emotional responses when we see these shades.

How Do These Colors Impact Consumer Behavior?

The fundamental point of understanding how colors impact consumer behavior is that it allows you to design your marketing strategy so that you have a chance of using this knowledge to your advantage.

It is estimated that over 90% of consumers are influenced by visual appearance when considering purchasing a new product. It has also been revealed that over 80% use color as the main reason for purchasing a product. It is also incredible to consider that about 90% of consumer impulse buys are influenced solely by color. This highlights how important it is to use colors to deliver the right sales message.

Is There a Color That Is More Likely to Make People Buy?

The short answer to that question is yes. It usually takes a powerful combination of different colors to persuade consumers to buy when they are in a store.

Yellow is a color that can be used to get their attention in the first place. Green is regularly used to create a relaxing environment. Orange is consistently used by savvy retailers to trigger a buy response. Red is often used to highlight what a saving a consumer could make if they bought today.

With this understanding of how influential colors can be in the retail sales process you can better design your layout and use these retail aids to persuade consumers to part with their cash.