1.2.3 Brighten Your colors
[dropcap]Your[/dropcap] readers want to shake off the grays and browns from cloudy, muddy winters! They are longing to see bright green, warm coral, sky blue, sunny yellow and deep violet, so now is a great opportunity to update the colors on your blog and give them that fresh feeling they’re craving.
Here are two reasons to add spring colors to your site:
[dropcap]1[/dropcap]Studies show that making small changes to something causes people to stop and notice–and that is what we’re after, right? We want our readers to pause and pay attention to what we’re saying. Even our devoted followers (you know–the ones who visit your site every day and leave comments on every new post) can gradually become “blind” to your blog, meaning that they are so used to seeing it as it usually is that they quit paying attention. Even a simple change, like using a fresh color for your headings and subheadings, can refresh readers and draw their eyes to places they’ve been glazing past.
[dropcap]2[/dropcap] Colors communicate emotion. The vibrant colors of spring send a message of energy and vitality! Like spring-blooming bulbs, they hint at a promise of a new season. And believe me–after a long fall and winter your readers are ready for a new season–emotionally, spiritually and otherwise. So when you choose to add vibrancy to your virtual palette, it sends a message that says “hey! I’m excited about this space and what it offers! There is energy around this message that you want to hear! It will help usher you out of cold and drab and into a fresh season of inspiration and hope!”
Now what blogger doesn’t want to say that!?
Here is one thing to be cautious of:
[dropcap]3[/dropcap]Going overboard. Changing a header and subheader font color is good. Replacing your standard images with fresh, colorful ones is smart. But giving your blog a complete colorful overhaul is a bad idea. You don’t want your readers to come to your site and suddenly wonder if they typed in the wrong address. Familiarity and consistency is really important to the longevity of your brand, so make sure that your color updates are small and consistent with your overall theme.
[box type=”shadow”]
Spring 1.2.3. ReFresh checklist:
[custom_list]
- Review your static images (the ones that regularly camp out on your sidebar and “about” pages) and replace a few neutral photos with some that include spring shades like green, blue, purple and coral.
- Select THREE (no more than three!) spring font colors and start incorporating them into your theme’s styles, like your header, subheadings, and menu/navigation links.
- Rotate your header (if you have one) to include an image or background color that speaks “fresh!” to your readers
[/custom_list]
[/box]
The post 1.2.3 ReFresh Your Blog: Lesson One appeared first on Stephanie Hillberry.
