When designing a website, choosing the right color palette is crucial for creating an aesthetically pleasing and accessible site. Neutral colors are often a good choice for websites, as they provide a clean, simple backdrop that puts the focus on the content rather than the design. Neutral colors are also versatile and tend to work well with most other hues. But with so many neutral shades to choose from, how do you select the best one for your website?
Benefits of Using Neutral Colors
There are several advantages to building your website around neutral colors:
- Allows the focus to remain on your content and branding. Vibrant colors can be distracting, while neutral hues create a calming backdrop.
- Provides a clean, simple, and elegant look. Neutral colors are associated with sophistication and modernity.
- Improves readability and accessibility. Light neutrals like off-whites have high contrast with black text, making content easy to read.
- Appeals to a broad audience. Neutral colors aren’t polarizing or niche, allowing you to attract a wider demographic.
- Easier to pair with other colors. Neutral bases allow brighter accent colors to really pop.
- Conveys trustworthiness. Neutral palettes feel calming and honest, which builds user confidence.
With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why so many popular websites from Google to Amazon utilize neutral background colors.
Factors to Consider
However, not all neutral shades are created equal. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a neutral website color:
- Accessibility. Lighter neutrals tend to work better for accessibility than darker ones. Off-whites, beiges and light greys have high contrast with black text. Dark greys or browns can strain the eyes.
- Personal preference. Consider whether cooler or warmer neutral tones appeal to you more. Cooler grays feel sleek, while beiges are more earthy.
- Branding cohesion. Your neutral should coordinate well with your brand logo and palette.
- Industry standards. Some color palettes are more common for certain industries. Cool tones for tech, warm tones for hospitality.
- Purpose and emotions. Darker neutrals can feel more elegant or authoritative, while light neutrals are more friendly and casual.
Evaluating these factors will help guide you toward the most appropriate neutral for your brand.
Common Neutral Color Options
Some of the most popular neutral shades used on websites include:
| Neutral Color | Hex Code | Personality |
|---|---|---|
| White | #FFFFFF | Clean, simple, open |
| Off-white | #F2F2F2 | Clean, minimalist, modern |
| Beige | #F5F5DC | Warm, earthy, welcoming |
| Light grey | #D3D3D3 | Neutral, balanced, subtle |
| Charcoal grey | #808080 | Sleek, refined, professional |
White and off-white are extremely common background colors for websites, used by many large companies like Apple, Dropbox, and Evernote. Light greys are also popular for a more balanced and subtle neutral backdrop. Beiges lend a warm, inviting personality.
Choosing the Right Neutral for Your Site
The optimal neutral color depends on your specific branding, audience, and website objectives. Here are some examples of how to select the best neutral:
- An e-commerce site may prefer white or light grey to convey professionalism and let products stand out.
- A blog may choose a beige backdrop for an approachable, friendly aesthetic.
- A law firm might select a charcoal grey to feel refined and authoritative.
- A nonprofit could use off-white for an open, transparent vibe.
You can always A/B test different neutral shades with users to see which is most effective. Monitor engagement metrics like time on site, pages per session, and conversions.
Combining Neutrals in a Color Scheme
While a single neutral color will work fine as your website’s base, you can also combine neutral tones to add more visual interest. Some examples of multi-neutral schemes include:
- Light grey navigation bar with an off-white content area
- Dark grey headers and footers sandwiching a white body section
- Charcoal borders around beige content boxes
- Off-white typography layered on photography with greige muted backgrounds
When combining neutrals, make sure there is enough contrast between the tones. Avoid pairing extremely similar shades like greige and taupe that may be hard to distinguish.
Adding Accent Colors
While neutral backgrounds create a solid base, you’ll want to add some pops of color through fonts, buttons, icons, and other elements. Some accent colors that pair well with neutral schemes include:
- Blue – projects professionalism and tranquility
- Green – promotes health, trust, and renewal
- Yellow – feels cheerful and energetic
- Red – conveys excitement, passion, urgency
- Purple – looks creative, imaginative, and mystical
- Orange – gives a friendly, approachable impression
Aim for accent colors that align with your brand personality and industry. Color pairing tools like Adobe Color can help you find suitable accent hues.
Conclusion
From white and light grey to charcoal and beige, neutral background colors are an excellent choice for most websites. Focus on picking shades that complement your brand, appeal to your audience, and meet accessibility standards. Combine neutrals and add accent colors to complete the palette. With the right neutral colors, you can build an aesthetically pleasing website that puts the focus on your content and conversions.