Learn About Color Psychology and How to Represent Your Brand

You know how it feels when you load up a website only to find it desperately needs a digital spa day. That website might even be your own. Like your products, services, and advertisements, sometimes a well-loved website is overdue for a wake-up call. 

We’ve all been there before. You’ve dedicated hours of blood, sweat, and tears to your website. You spent days and days tinkering with code and adjusting the spacing. Lost in the details and minutia, you’re sure that all of this labor will be fruitful.

At the end of so much effort, you step back to admire it, and – it doesn’t work. It doesn’t click. Not that there is a problem with the links or the scrollbar; it’s more nuanced than that. Something about it doesn’t feel authentic. Something about it just isn’t right. Something about it doesn’t speak to you. 

And if it doesn’t speak to you, what if it doesn’t speak to your clientele? 

Oh no. Now what? Abandon the project? Leave it as it is? There has to be a middle ground! Thankfully, that middle ground is called Glass Cactus Marketing, where we specialize in breathing life back into lifeless web design. 

Before you know it, we will have your website renewed, refreshed, and ready to rock. Every visitor will walk away wowed by aesthetics and brand vision cohesion. So far, you might be interested in the concept but want to know more about the specifics. 

Some of the services include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Overhauling your website design: That means updating color palettes, font, size, tone, messaging, and overall “vibe.” This process allows our web developers to strip back your website to see what makes your business tick. Sometimes, web design only needs a few tweaks; other times, we must scrub the entire project and start fresh. The Glass Cactus digital team is perfectly equipped for either scenario or anything in between. You can be totally hands-on in this part of the process or ask us to take the lead. Our web developers completely deconstruct the site as it exists and rebuild it with a new sense of purpose.
2. An updated brand logo: A surefire way to advertise without using a single word – anyone should be able to recognize your logo in a sea of thousands. Whether your logo has been with you since day one or never seems to stop changing, our design experts can finetune a logo at any stage. They should see that symbol and remember every moment shared with your business. Glass Cactus can take your logo and reimagine it to your liking, whether you want some updates and tweaks or scrap the whole thing and start fresh.
3. Add your brand’s vision into the fabric of your website: Every brand has a vision for the future, a series of goals they hope to accomplish. Sometimes, you can convey that vision in the written word, but the most effective message is often more subtle. It's better to show than tell. Without asking, your website's visitors should know who you are, what you are about, and what you hope to achieve. Landing pages, product pages, contact pages, design, font, aesthetic, tone – every detail should echo your core values. 

That sounds great, but how would you know your website is better rather than ...different? Believe it or not, a highly human science behind visual design plays into our daily lives in ways we might not even notice. Our designers study this science and integrate it into every project.

We should discuss science, psychology, and the human brain to understand this process better. Hear me out!

As we navigate the world, we rely on our five senses – touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing. Unlike physical locations, digital businesses must depend on the senses remaining; in this case, sight and hearing. Primarily, of course, sight. With only one sense left, web designers have the monumental task of communicating everything exclusively through visuals. As such, they have to employ a language otherwise unfamiliar to the average person, that of color psychology.

While an evolving science, there is no arguing that specific colors impact people in different ways. Spending even a day in the world proves that specific colors convey particular messages. For example, red and its adjacent colors (yellow-red, orange) inspire emotions like warmth or excitement. ^(Source) In primates, dominance behavior is more often displayed with the red of fresh blood on their skin. ^(Source) 

Similarly, human beings’ cheeks flush dark red when presented with an aggressive scenario; something psychologists Hill and Barton (2005) posited might cue other people that this individual is vivacious and energetic. ^(Source) Further research suggests that the reddening of the face – be it in anger, shame, or sexual attraction – wordlessly signals other human beings to potential messaging. 

Look at most fast-food establishments: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken… what do they have in common? Besides fried chicken and soda, they also share an overwhelmingly red aesthetic. Thanks to color psychology, the involved architects and designers knew that red was a stimulating, intriguing color that partly spoke to the human appetite. We see red, and a deep part of our brains thinks about action, hunting, and food. ^(Source)

In a more specific example, psychologists in 1992 came to understand green tones could calm people and even mentally shorten long waiting periods. ^(Source) Think about the last doctor’s office you visited - was there any green? How much? Was it bright and vibrant, or closer to a cool blue? This knowledge was gleaned from an in-depth study on American prisoners and eventually led to the implementation of calming “oily green” paint in most prisons.

All that to say, our web designers treat color, sizing, and aesthetics as a language in and of themselves – because they are. Let us use our fluency to rebuild your digital image into one you’re proud of. 

When we only have one avenue to convey our message, we must do so with intention and clear direction. Let us help you on that journey. Curious about our branding services? Learn more about them here.

Bring Your Las Vegas Website to Life

If you're based in Las Vegas or the surrounding area, there's never been a better time to revamp your digital presence. As a competitive business hub filled with fast-paced startups, high-energy tourism, and a unique local identity, Las Vegas demands a website that reflects bold visuals and user-centric design. Whether you're a local boutique off the Strip, a real estate agent in Summerlin, or a health and wellness brand in Henderson, your website should work as hard as you do.

At Glass Cactus Marketing, we help Las Vegas-based businesses break through the digital noise. With expert web design tailored to your audience, we combine proven psychology with modern branding to keep visitors engaged—and coming back. Local SEO is also a key part of what we do. We ensure your refreshed website doesn't just look amazing but is also optimized for Las Vegas keywords, Google Maps listings, and nearby search intent so you're showing up for searches like:

• “Best web design company Las Vegas”
• “Custom logo design Las Vegas”
• “Las Vegas brand refresh services”
• “Henderson NV digital marketing agency”

From local service providers to creative entrepreneurs and tourism-driven companies, your website is the front door to your brand. Let us help you open it with intention, clarity, and confidence.

Ready to elevate your online presence in Las Vegas? Let’s talk.

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Works Cited: 

Cherry, K. (2024, February 20). Can color really influence your mood and behavior? here’s what to know. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824#citation-13

Elliot, A. J. (2015). Color and psychological functioning: A review of theoretical and empirical work. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368

Hagemann, N., Strauss, B., & Leißing, J. (2008). When the referee sees red …. Psychological Science, 19(8), 769–771. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02155.x

Nadarevic, Damir & Macanović, Nebojša. (2023). Communication and Resocialisation Dimensions of Colours in Prison. 16. 25-38. 10.14254/1800-7074/2022.16-1.2. 

Reeves, I. (1992). Color and Its Effects on Inmate Behavior. Corrections Today, 54(2), 128–130. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/color-and-its-effects-inmate-behavior 

Schlintl, C., & Schienle, A. (2020). Effects of Coloring Food Images on the Propensity to Eat: A Placebo Approach With Color Suggestions. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 589826. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589826