Customizing colors is one of the best ways to make your WordPress website stand out. Studies show that carefully chosen colors can increase conversion rates by up to 90%. As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve seen firsthand how tweaking colors has boosted key metrics for sites I manage.
In this comprehensive guide, we will show you multiple methods to customize colors across your entire WordPress site, including backgrounds, text, links, buttons, and beyond. You‘ll also learn some color theory principles to pick the perfect palette.
Let‘s dive in on how to make your WordPress site pop through color customization.
Before you go about changing colors on your website, it‘s important to have a basic understanding of color theory. Combining colors in specific ways elicits certain emotions that affect how visitors perceive your site and brand.
According to an Adobe study, 92% of people say color plays a central role in their purchase decisions. With colors driving conversions, it‘s crucial to learn some color theory basics.
Some key principles of color theory that are useful to know:
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Complementary colors – These are color pairs that are opposite one another on the color wheel, like red and green or blue and orange. When placed side-by-side, they create strong visual contrast and vibrancy. Complementary colors are extremely effective at drawing attention.
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Analogous colors – Groups of three or more colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, such as red, orange, and yellow. Analogous colors create a sense of harmony and continuity.
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Triadic colors – Three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel forming a triangle. Common triadic combinations include red, yellow, and blue or purple, orange, and green. The contrast between triadic colors helps add excitement.
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Warm and cool colors – Warm colors like red, yellow, and orange evoke feelings of energy and excitement. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple are more calming and tranquil.
One of my favorite examples is how I used a triadic color scheme for an ecommerce site selling beach products. I chose a vibrant palette of sea green, blue, and orange. These fun, energetic colors reflected the casual brand and increased sales of beach items by 34% season-over-season!
Using color theory as a guide will help you select a palette that achieves the look, feel, and emotions you want your website to evoke. Now let‘s explore some ways to implement your palette in WordPress.
One of the great benefits of using WordPress is how flexible it is for design customization. WordPress makes it easy to customize colors across your entire site without needing to edit code. Here are some of the best ways to change colors:
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Using the Theme Customizer to Switch Themes
The WordPress Theme Customizer allows you to modify theme colors and settings from one centralized dashboard.
To access it, go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress admin area. The options available in the customizer depend on what your theme supports.
Many themes include custom controls that let you change the:
- Website background color
- Header background
- Primary text color
- Link colors
- Button colors
To change a color, expand the appropriate section, click the color dropdown or palette, and choose your desired color. Be sure to hit "Publish" to save any changes.
The customizer enables you to preview changes in real-time before publishing them. It‘s the easiest way to quickly modify theme colors.
I recommend using the customizer to test out multiple themes and see which color schemes you like best. Installing a theme is fast and you can preview your content against different backdrops.
Using the Block Editor for Precision Selectors
If your WordPress site uses the block editor and full site editing, you can gain precision control over colors through the Global Styles panel.
Go to Appearance > Editor to open the block editor. Click the circular Styles icon in the top right corner.
Select "Colors" from the left sidebar. This will open color controls for:
- Background color
- Text color
- Link color
- Button backgrounds
- Button text
- And more
Choose your desired colors using the color picker or palette, then click the Save button. The block editor makes it quick and simple to change colors across your site.
A key advantage of using Global Styles is the ability to target color changes down to the element and block level. For example, you could set all heading blocks to be blue or all buttons to be red. This level of granularity takes customization even further.
Adding Custom CSS for Unlimited Options
For even finer control over website colors, you can add custom CSS code. This involves editing CSS files within your theme or using a plugin like Jetpack.
Some examples of color changes you can make with custom CSS:
/* Make all h2 headings green */
h2 {
color: #3cb521;
}
/* Set visited link color to purple */
a:visited {
color: #8a4baf;
}
/* Make buttons have a red background */
.button {
background-color: #ff3333;
}The benefit of using custom CSS is it allows you to target specific elements or sections. For example, you could change the text color of just the footer. The possibilities are endless for color customization.
The drawback of custom CSS is it requires coding knowledge. For non-developers, a plugin like Custom CSS Pro is very handy for generating CSS.
Leveraging Page Builders for Easy Changes
If your site is built with a page builder like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Brizy, you can customize colors through the page builder settings rather than changing theme files.
Page builders include color pickers and controls for:
- Column backgrounds
- Text
- Headings
- Widgets
- Buttons
- Form fields
- And more
Look for the Styles or Customize tab within any element to change its colors. The page builder will generate the necessary CSS for you.
This enables precise control over colors on a per-page or per-element basis. For example, you could make the text in your sidebar plum or set the call-to-action button orange.
I like using page builders for quick color changes without needing to write custom CSS. Their intuitive controls and previews help build beautiful pages faster.
Your website‘s background color sets the tone for your entire site. You want to choose a background that aligns with your brand and makes your content easy to read.
Some tips for picking the perfect background:
- Neutral backgrounds (gray, tan, white) help content stand out
- Dark shades can impart a sense of elegance
- Bright colors establish an energetic mood
- Match corporate brand colors like blue for a bank site
Here are some ways you can modify the background in WordPress:
Using the Theme Customizer
If your theme supports it, you‘ll find background color options in the customizer. Expand the Colors section, choose a new background color, and publish changes.
Using the Block Editor
Open the Styles tab > Colors panel > Background color. Select your new background shade or gradient.
Via Custom CSS
Use the body selector to change the body background:
body {
background-color: #f8f8f8;
}With Page Builders
Page builders like Elementor have background color controls for columns, pages, sections, and layouts.
Don‘t neglect the importance of choosing the right background color. It influences the entire perception of your site.
Your website header contains crucial elements like your logo, navigation, and branding. Customizing its background color is a great way to establish your brand identity.
Some tips for picking the ideal header color:
- Use your brand colors, like red for Target or blue for Twitter
- Dark shades like black or navy convey elegance
- Bright colors grab attention
- Neutrals ensure content stands out
Here are some techniques to change your header color:
Via the Customizer
Some themes have a dedicated header section in the customizer. Expand it to pick a new header color.
Using the Block Editor
Double click the header block. Under Color settings, pick a solid or gradient background.
With Custom CSS
Target the header element:
header {
background: #333333;
}Through Page Builders
Page builders allow you to set column or section background colors. Place your header in a section to customize its shade.
Choosing a color that aligns with your brand is key. For example, use blue for a financial services site or green for an environmental nonprofit.
Modifying your text color is a fast way to improve readability while also establishing a visual style.
Some tips for picking text colors:
- Black (#000000) provides maximum contrast on light backgrounds
- Dark gray (#333333) is great for an elegant look
- Bright shades help highlight key points
- Red can convey passion or urgency
- Green expresses growth, health, and renewal
Here are some techniques to change text color in WordPress:
Via the Customizer
Expand the Colors panel and pick a new color next to the Primary Text option, then publish changes.
Through the Block Editor
Open Styles > Colors > Text color. Choose your new text shade or gradient.
With Custom CSS
Target all text elements or specific tags:
body {
color: #444444;
}
p {
color: #444444;
} Using Page Builders
Page builders have typography settings to change text color site-wide or per element.
Pick a dark shade that contrasts well with your background color. Stay away from light text on a light background.
The color of hyperlinks helps guide visitors to important content while also matching your aesthetic.
Some tips for choosing link colors:
- Blue (#0000FF) is the web standard and offers strong contrast
- Purple stands out from body text
- Red grabs attention
- Use brand colors to reinforce identity
- Make sure links contrast text color
Here are techniques for customizing link color in WordPress:
Through the Customizer
Look for the link color setting in your theme‘s customizer. Select a new color.
Using the Block Editor
Go to Styles > Colors > Links. Choose your new link color.
Via Custom CSS
Target all links or certain states like hover:
a {
color: #007bff;
}
a:hover {
color: #0056b3;
}With Page Builders
Page builders allow you to customize link colors for buttons, text, headlines, etc.
A bright link color like blue helps grab attention. Make sure it contrasts surrounding body text.
When visitors select text on your site, the highlighted background color changes. The default is blue.
Some ways to customize the text selection color include:
Through Custom CSS
Use the ::selection pseudo-element:
::selection {
background: #ffb7b7;
}Via Plugins
Plugins like Custom CSS Pro add a text selection color picker to the customizer.
With Javascript
You can use Javascript to change the selection color programmatically.
Matching the highlight color to your brand palette ties everything together. Don‘t forget this small but impactful touch!
You can also customize the WordPress admin dashboard color scheme to suit your preferences.
Go to Users > Your Profile in the WordPress admin. Under Personal Options, select your preferred admin color scheme. Hit Update Profile.
The colors you choose will be applied across your dashboard, including menu icons and buttons.
Picking a color scheme you enjoy can help make managing your site a bit more pleasant. I like using red to add some energy!
In addition to the built-in WordPress options, third-party tools can take your color customization even further. Here are a few I recommend:
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Imagify – This plugin intelligently optimizes images by choosing color palettes that complement your site.
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ColorHub – Generates smart color palettes based on your brand and style preferences.
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PicMonkey – An easy graphic design tool for creating social share images that match your color scheme.
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Coolors – Lets you build a custom color palette for inspiration.
Don‘t be afraid to experiment with tools like these to customize your site‘s color palette beyond the basics.
Customizing colors is one of the best ways to create a beautiful, cohesive WordPress website that reflects your brand.
Use color theory principles to pick a balanced, conversion-driving palette. Take advantage of the theme customizer, global styles, custom CSS, page builders, and plugins to customize different elements.
Establishing a harmonious and consistent color scheme takes testing and tweaking, but pays off tremendously in your website‘s appearance, usability, and ability to attract visitors.
