As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience building websites, I can tell you that choosing the right background color is crucial for creating an engaging user experience. In this in-depth beginner‘s guide, I‘ll show you multiple methods for changing the background color in WordPress along with tips for selecting the perfect hue.
Contents
Why the Background Color Matters
While it may seem strictly cosmetic, your website‘s background color impacts several key factors:
Branding
Your color scheme plays a big role in brand identity. Using your brand colors consistently throughout your site builds recognition.
For example, LinkedIn uses a blue background to reinforce its brand.
Readability
Background colors significantly affect readability. Dark text on a light background is easiest to read. Bright colors make for poor text legibility.
Visual Hierarchy
You can use color to create visual hierarchy, draw attention to calls-to-action, and differentiate between elements.
Emotions
Colors elicit emotional responses. Cool tones like blue evoke professionalism and calmness while warm hues like red suggest excitement.
Responsive Design
With mobile usage at an all-time high, you need to ensure your background works across devices.
So carefully testing different colors is well worth the effort. But don‘t worry, I‘ll guide you through the process of changing the background color in WordPress.
Methods to Change the Background Color in WordPress
There are several ways to modify the background color on your WordPress site:
1. Using the Theme Customizer
The Theme Customizer allows you to change your theme‘s design from within the WordPress admin dashboard. It‘s a user-friendly option for beginners.
To access it, go to Appearance > Customize. Next, navigate to the Colors section.
You‘ll find options here to change the background color site-wide. Click on Background Color and pick your desired hue using the color picker.
That‘s it! The changes apply instantly on your live site.
2. Through the Full Site Editor
Themes that support full site editing allow you to modify the background of each section or block.
First, select the block you want to change. In the Block Settings sidebar, go to Background and choose your color.
You can also add a full-width Cover Block with a colored overlay that will act as a background for other blocks.
3. Using Custom CSS Code
For advanced users, adding custom CSS lets you target any element and change its background color.
In the Theme Customizer, go to Additional CSS and add code like:
.site-header {
background-color: #BD8D31;
} Update the CSS selector and color value as needed.
4. For Individual Posts or Pages
To set a unique background for a single post or page, use custom CSS with the post ID:
.post-10234 {
background-color: #F3AC3C;
}This will only apply the color to that particular page or post.
5. Using a WordPress Plugin
Plugins like mb.YTPlayer allow you to add YouTube videos as full background overlays on your site.
Other plugins let you set random, scrolling, or animated backgrounds. They provide easy customization options without coding.
6. On a Landing Page
Page builder tools like Elementor and SeedProd make it simple to create landing pages with custom backgrounds. You get total design control.
Tips for Choosing the Right Background Color
Picking the perfect background color takes a bit of planning:
- Use your brand colors – Consistent colors reinforce your brand identity.
- Consider color psychology – Different hues evoke different emotions in users.
- Test contrast levels – Ensure text remains legible against the background.
- Review on mobile – Colors may appear darker on smaller screens.
- Use accent colors strategically – Draw attention to key elements like CTAs.
- Allow white space – Don‘t clutter the background.
- Check for accessibility – Some color combos may be problematic for visually impaired users.
Here are examples of good and bad background color usage:
The bright green with red text is jarring and hard to read.
The muted blue allows the white text to pop and is easier on the eyes.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, WordPress offers plenty of options for customizing your website‘s background color.
The easiest methods are using the Theme Customizer or a page builder plugin. But you can achieve fine-tuned control with custom CSS code.
Choosing the right background color takes experimentation. Be sure to view your site on both desktop and mobile to get the full picture.
With some strategic testing, you‘ll land on the perfect background color to suit your brand and engage your audience.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!
