In today’s world, with technology of all sorts at our fingertips, along with a plethora of programs and resources, it should be no surprise that the use of colour in business documents is growing. What may be surprising is that the use of colour has been shown to increase the success of a business when used appropriately in documents, on websites, and even through basic branding.

Monochromatic businesses are a thing of the past. Adding the vibrancy of colour to your business can boost your success several times over. Even when I dress, you’ll see hints of orange, green, purple and more peeking out from my socks, ties and shirts! Here are a few things you should know.

Colour grabs attention

It should go without saying that colour will stand out among a sea of black and white. Anything that is highlighted in colour will grab the attention of the viewer over the rest of the print. Keep this in mind as you build your websites, forms and brand. Using bright colours will draw the eye to your business.

The use of colour is also known to keep a certain level of positivity in the viewer’s mind. This will be useful in ensuring your business is leaves a positive impression with potential clients.

Colour emphasises area

Using colour in your branding can allow you to place emphasis on the most pertinent information you want to be absorbed by your viewers. If you are information heavy in a blog, invoice or website, keeping the take-home points highlighted in a colour different from the rest of the text will ensure that these points are recognised by the viewer.

The more a specific area stands out to a viewer, the greater the chance that they will remember that information. If this information is memorable, there is a greater chance a viewer will come back to revisit the information again, refer the information to others, and thus increase the traffic on your site or blog. Should this be the case, your business will gain exposure and will have a greater potential for growth and success.

Colour can promote sales

Brand recognition can go a long way in boosting product sales. The use of colour within your logo can keep the brand in the back of the customer’s mind, making it quick to find when the customer sets out in search of your product. Think of the brands you recognise the most. They all have distinct colours by which they are recognised. When branding yourself, you can become like those big-box brands — you will be remembered based on the colour and logo you promote.

In addition to keeping your brand recognisable, colour can be used within your site to boost the sales of particular products. Promoting the most popular products by highlighting them on your website in a bright colour allows them to stand out, increasing the likelihood that viewers will pause and look at them more closely. This then increases the chances that the viewers will purchase the item, thus promoting sales.

The use of colour has been shown to increase the success of a business. Here’s how to use it to its maximum benefit (via Xerox).

Colour increases efficiency

The use of colour enables clients or potential customers to quickly find things as they browse through your website or blog. Assigning important sections or phrases within your webpage as bright colours will help your viewer see those points and will likely decrease the questions they have as they go. If all of the information is monochromatic within your site, the important details could get lost or bypassed because they don’t stand out.

Ultimately, it is important to keep in mind that colour is a useful tool to help grow your business. Keep in mind that it should be used strategically, with a purpose for it to keep documents readable and to remain aesthetically pleasing. Too much of a good thing can become muddled and confusing, so take great care in how you use colour in your business branding. Too bright can be distracting, too many colours can be confusing, and too much colour can negate the effect you are aiming for.

Plan accordingly to the needs of your business. Know what products you need to incorporate colours into, what style and materials you are using, and what all will be needs for any printing or publishing purposes. A well thought out plan will keep your colour scheme and use professional and efficient for your business and your pocketbook.

Altron Bytes Document Solutions
Altron Bytes Document Solutions (Altron BDS) is Africa’s leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world. It is the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan countries offering the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. BDS forms part of JSE listed Allied Electronics Corporation Altron.