How do I choose brand colors?

Start by identifying your business personality, target audience, and the emotions you want to evoke. Then choose a primary color, supporting colors, and an accent color.

What is color psychology?

Color psychology is the study of how colors influence emotions and behavior. It helps businesses choose colors that align with their brand personality.

How many colors should a brand have?

Most brands use 3–5 colors: a primary color, one or two secondary colors, and one or two accent colors.

Should brand colors be accessible?

Yes, accessible color contrast ensures your website and marketing materials are readable for all users.

Can I change my brand colors later?

Yes, many small businesses refine their colors as they grow. A brand refresh is common and often beneficial.

Do brand colors affect my website?

Brand colors influence your website’s layout, buttons, backgrounds, and overall user experience. Consistent colors strengthen your digital presence.

What tools can help me choose brand colors?

Tools like Adobe Color, Coolors, and Canva can help you explore palettes and test color combinations.

Choosing Brand Colors for Your Small Business

Your brand colors play a major role in how customers perceive your business. The right palette can make your brand feel trustworthy, energetic, calm, bold, or creative. This guide will help you understand color psychology, palette structure, and how to choose colors that reflect your business personality. If you're new to branding, start with our brand identity overview.

Start with your brand personality

Before choosing colors, think about how you want your business to feel. Are you modern or traditional? Playful or serious? Luxurious or budget-friendly? Your colors should reflect these traits. Once you define your personality, explore how fonts support that identity in our guide to choosing brand fonts.

Understanding color psychology

Colors evoke emotions and influence behavior. For example:

Blue — trust, professionalism, calm
Red — energy, passion, urgency
Green — growth, nature, balance
Yellow — optimism, friendliness, creativity
Purple — luxury, imagination, sophistication
Black — elegance, strength, simplicity

Building your color palette

Most small businesses benefit from a simple palette:

Primary color — your main brand color
Secondary colors — supporting tones
Accent color — used for highlights and calls to action
Neutral colors — backgrounds, text, and subtle elements

Color contrast and accessibility

Your colors should be readable on screens and accessible to all users. High contrast improves usability and ensures your website meets accessibility standards. Learn how branding influences your website in branding for small business websites.

Tools for choosing brand colors

These tools can help you explore palettes and test combinations:

Adobe Color
Coolors
Canva Color Palette Generator
Khroma

Where to go next

Continue building your visual identity with these guides:

Call us today at Phone Number or reach out to our team.