Updated Sep 26,2024
Web Design

Best Background Color for eCommerce Website: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Website Colors

best background color for ecommerce website

Even though choosing colors for your website might feel tough, finding the best background color for eCommerce website is actually fun and easy. You usually start with a main color and a few extra ones to make your store pop. Your eCommerce website background color should be light and not hurt people's eyes when they look at it, making everything simple to read. The goal is to have a good balance between colors so the products look nice and the text is clear.

Combining different colors can make your website stand out more. A soft background color with bold text lets your customers focus on important stuff like prices and product info. Adding pops of bright color for buttons helps people know what to click. Just like any good design, picking the right colors depends on how they work together. Keep your eCommerce website background smooth and easy so people can enjoy shopping without feeling overwhelmed. So, read on.

How Background Colors Impact User Experience (UX) and Conversions

Tricky color choices showed up to test my design sense, though I didn’t feel lost as long as I understood how different colors worked together and balanced the background to make the important stuff stand out. Choosing the right background colors for user experience (UX) can boost how people feel when they visit a site, and color options like contrast and brightness can help keep visitors focused on your page. Some eCommerce websites need deep thought for color options, but many are simple to use if you just want to make your store look clean and easy to navigate.

Creative motion or animations or smooth transitions when colors change can make the browsing experience fun for customers. Picking the right color isn’t just about making the website look good; it’s about making sure people can find what they need easily. A good balance of bright and calm colors can guide visitors, and this can lead to better conversions without making the page feel too busy. The focus is more on creating a pleasant experience for shoppers rather than overwhelming them with too many bold color choices – a tradeoff I’m happy with if it means better results for user satisfaction.

How Colors Affect Human Emotions and Decisions

Sometimes, focusing on the exact color for the background or text can slow down the design process, and the fun of picking colors gets lost. You start feeling like you're stuck between figuring out how each color impacts emotions and losing the excitement of making something look good. I found myself wanting to just pick colors that looked nice and move on, instead of getting too wrapped up in the psychology of it all, and focusing more on how people actually respond to what they see rather than what color theories tell us.

Why Color Psychology is Important for eCommerce Websites

That big part of using color psychology for websites might seem like enough, but surprisingly, it’s only part of what makes a good eCommerce site. The other part is how colors help guide people through the site and make them feel certain things when they see them.

While not the only thing to think about, choosing the right colors for your website’s background and buttons can really change how people shop. From soft blues that make people feel calm, to bright reds that get their attention, the right mix of colors helps create a smooth and pleasant shopping experience. Whether it’s a clean, simple design or something with more detail, using color psychology in the right way can make sure your website not only looks nice but also works well for getting people to buy things.

Guide to Choosing the Perfect eCommerce Background Colors

website background color

Once the first excitement of picking a background color wore off, I started focusing on all the other things that mattered when choosing the best background color for eCommerce website. Finding the right shade became the main part of my design process, as each day, I’d begin by matching colors to how I wanted users to feel when they visited the site. After that, I’d have to test different combinations, making sure the text was easy to read and the images popped. Sometimes I’d need to tweak the colors even more, maybe making the background lighter or darker depending on how it looked with the buttons or product images.

That whole process worked well to keep my attention on how colors work together, not to mention the impact a good color choice has on user experience and sales. Choosing the right background color can be a bit tricky, but don’t worry—there are some basic fundamentals to figure out the best background color. I always follow the fundamental rules, and you should follow them too to give your website an attractive look.

Key Factors in Choosing the Best Background Color for a Website

When I’m searching for background colors, I always try to match the color with the brand’s identity and the message the brand wants to convey. For example, blue feels professional, while red is energetic.

Another thing I keep in mind is readability. You might be wondering, what does readability have to do with color? Good contrast between the text and the background makes it easy for readers to read. Light backgrounds with dark text or dark backgrounds with light text usually work best.

I’m a bit choosy about colors, not only because of my taste, but also because I consider colors that are easy on the eyes. I try to avoid overly bright or distracting colors.

One of the most important things I focus on constantly is choosing a background that highlights my content. For example, if I’m working on image-heavy sites, I go for darker backgrounds, and if I’m working on text-heavy sites, I go for lighter backgrounds.

Based on all this, you need to find the one that fits. It really helps make the website more appealing and user-friendly. Plus, making sure the colors work with the brand’s style and message can help boost how people feel about the website and keep them coming back.

Common eCommerce Website Background Colors and Their Impact

ecommerce website background color

Given the wide variety of background colors available in eCommerce website design, it’s hard to say exactly how each one will affect the shopping experience in the long run, but nothing I’ve seen feels way different from what’s commonly used in online stores. Still, it’ll be interesting to explore further when more data comes in, and to see how people react in a real, busy shopping environment (and we’ll update this guide if some color trends suddenly break the mold). 

No matter what, I grew quite attached to the classic neutral tones and attention-grabbing pops of color, and by the end of my deep dive into website designs, I felt that this balanced approach to background colors holds up well compared to other current design trends.

White: Rich and Sophisticated

It might not be as intricate as some of the high-end luxury styles it draws inspiration from, and some of the repetitive choices in decor can sometimes make it feel a bit too familiar – but with its timeless appeal and so many ways to personalize and elevate your space, it was easy to find myself falling back into the captivating charm of white: rich and sophisticated.

Black: Elegant and Luxurious Tone

“It’s just black, don’t overthink it.” “You’re trying too hard to make it pop.” “Sometimes less is more.” Simple phrases like these often pop up in conversations about fashion, design, or even decor. It’s easy to dismiss such statements and think people are just overcomplicating things – but there’s a truth to it that keeps you thinking.

Gray: Neutral and Balanced Look

It’s pretty obvious that the color gray takes cues from classic styles, minimalist art, or even industrial designs, all of which mix neutral tones with an understated balance that speaks without being loud. You could use those references to quickly sum up what gray is all about, but the more you dive into it, you realize it’s much more than just a mixture of black and white.

Blue: Trustworthy and Calming Effect

You spend most of your time looking at blue, one of the main colors that often represents feelings of trust and calm. Blue isn’t just any color, though; it’s like a leader in the world of design and emotions, always making us feel safe and at ease.

Green: Eco-friendly and Relaxing Vibe

Changing how you see it—from wide landscapes to small plants in your home—green draws you in with its purpose and peacefulness. Whether you’re looking at a huge field or tiny leaves, green always brings a sense of eco-friendliness and calm that breaks away from the usual hectic world around us.

Red: Bold, Urgent, and Attention-Grabbing

The color red grabs attention and creates energy, urgency, and excitement. It is much like a bold center, similar to the heart of a city. Normally, red makes key elements stand out. Spending time surrounded by red, whether in fashion or design, pulls you closer to its loud, confident nature, revealing little things that make it stand out in any setting.

Even in moments where red feels too strong or too striking, it has a way of drawing you in, creating a feeling of urgency that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Red isn’t just a color—it’s a statement, a powerful force that commands the space it’s in.

Yellow: Warm, Friendly, and Energetic Appeal

Yellow is often rooted in cultures where warmth and friendliness are celebrated, like the sun shining down during a joyful festival. Even when there are specific references to traditions I wasn’t familiar with (but was always eager to discover), there was still something deeply comforting about it, as if it could have easily been my own family’s story, just told with a different set of customs and expressions. It’s a vibrant and authentic reflection of the common experiences shared by people who seek connection, extending to anyone who’s ever felt the joy of being in a loving community.

Yellow invites us all to celebrate life, offering an open and energetic space for those curious to see what life is like when it’s filled with warmth and light. It's a reminder that the local is truly universal, and yellow’s glow connects us all.

Website Background Color Combinations and Their Influence on UI

background color for ecommerce website

In my background color combinations review from earlier this year, I mentioned that their influence on UI design put a lot of the recent challenges and insights in my design journey into perspective. 

By the time I had explored a range of color schemes, it had done the same but in a way that felt more targeted. From the feeling of “getting it right” when you’ve selected a subtle color gradient for a minimalistic interface to the visual cues that designers use to keep users engaged and guide their focus, these are aspects of design so many of us have worked through. 

Background color combinations are a representation of how we reflect on our design choices and recognize the ways they shape the user experience for better and worse, which is perspective that only comes with time and refinement of our craft.

Contrasting Colors for Readability and Engagement

To fully understand the role of contrasting colors is to also understand visual accessibility, the strain poor design places on users, and the broader impact it has on engagement and satisfaction.

Enhancing usability requires intentional design choices, and whether that means refining color pairings for clarity or redefining the visual hierarchy to capture attention, this is a design philosophy that believes, and demonstrates how, these two must be closely intertwined.

Harmonizing Background and Text Colors

There are references to the psychology of color perception that are sometimes used as a basis for why harmonizing background and text colors is essential, but like many design principles, that’s only the starting point as the strategy evolves.

Examples of successful color harmony are abundant in modern interfaces since they offer clear readability, but rarely do you see a design walk you through the nuances of visual balance on such a subtle level – harmonizing background and text colors is the perfect demonstration of “show, don’t tell.” It’s thoughtfully crafted to appeal to our visual comfort rather than just adhere to aesthetic trends, and it’s far more impactful when the responsibility lies on the designer to understand the subtleties of what it conveys. That speaks to how effectively seasoned designers use color theory and user-centered design as a foundation to create interfaces that are both functional and visually soothing and aren’t afraid to show how critical and complex this process can be.

Using Gradients and Subtle Patterns in Backgrounds

Using gradients and subtle patterns in backgrounds doesn’t shy away from the complexities, challenges, and unintended consequences of enhancing visual appeal while maintaining readability. And it’s strategic about where it draws its balance, expertly identifying how visual clutter can manifest in subtle and distracting ways.

It’s easy to use bold patterns and gradients to make a design stand out, but watching poorly executed visuals overwhelm content (and confuse users) is just as troubling to witness. So, what happens when these visual elements are pushed to their limits, and users begin to feel overwhelmed or distracted? These are just a few of the challenges that using gradients and subtle patterns in backgrounds to navigate effortlessly.

Industry-Specific Color Recommendations For Websites

ecommerce website color

It’s often technical, with an underlying complexity woven into its broader design principles. However, that wouldn’t work as effectively as it does without the industry-specific color recommendations that shape these choices.

In just a few guidelines, carefully tailored suggestions emerge, with thoughtful pairings that anchor the design’s practical objectives. Without that attention to context, there is no cohesive design, but this goes far beyond the simple color theory often applied to create aesthetically pleasing palettes.

These are carefully considered recommendations based on real-world requirements and challenges. Constant adjustments and real-time feedback test their effectiveness as the needs of the industry evolve, and during the implementation phase, there are valuable lessons in how to balance creativity with functionality.

Fashion Website: Bold and Trendy Choices

It trades flashy buzzwords for something genuine, and it’s far more effective for what this brand is trying to communicate. This helps ground its appeal, so when models flaunt bold outfits or style tips are shared, there’s a real sense of inspiration rather than superficial trend-chasing.

Electronics Website: Sleek and Modern Shades

The fact that the product details aren’t delivered through overwhelming specifications, lengthy descriptions, or cluttered technical jargon is a testament to how this electronics eCommerce website is purposeful in its messaging and doesn’t waste time. But that’s also a credit to the strength of its page layout design and visuals.

The composition of each product page and the edited photography of its items communicate so much without needing to say too much. This platform may not boast the flashiest website, but it is certainly an aesthetically pleasing one. Colors are used strategically, setting the tone for each product by allowing sleek, modern shades to pop in key moments.

Health and Wellness Website: Calm and Inviting Hues

“Sometimes, just a moment of peace is enough.” “You should value the things that bring you clarity.” “You must learn to embrace the balance in your life.” Simple one-liners like these powerfully encapsulate the defining essence of a health and wellness eCommerce website.

Food and Beverage Website: Appetite-Enhancing Colors

When all the pieces fall into place, a creatively designed food and beverage eCommerce website paints a beautifully vibrant, often bold, but irresistibly appetizing picture of what we crave. It’s an invitation to experience a deeply personal and sensory reflection of culinary culture, elevating the shopping experience to something much greater than simple convenience.

EndNote

Over the last two weeks, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with and engrossed in the nuances of selecting the perfect background color for eCommerce website, so much so that it’s no surprise it has started to seep into my everyday thinking (distractions notwithstanding).

At first, I thought this was just another simple decision about choosing trendy color schemes for online websites. I’m not so naive anymore. I’ve gone into full design mode, covering pages of notes with color swatches, gradient examples, and complementary palettes in my quest to perfect the visual flow of each page. I’m deep, deep into the world of eCommerce website design, and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

That’s all for today. I was too deep in sharing my own experience with you all. Still, if you guys have any questions or if you want to know something more about the background color for eCommerce website, feel free to ask. Our team or I will get back to you anytime soon.

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