Your brand is everything.  It's what differentiates you from other businesses and allows you to gain loyal customers to keep your business afloat. That being said, your visual branding needs to be top notch in order to help you rake in more business and instill a sense of trust in potential customers.

One of the first things customers will notice about your visual brand is color. The colors you choose to brand your business website will have an effect people, so it's important to choose your colors wisely. Let's look at some common color associations people have so that you can choose appropriately for your site.

White

White is a neutral color, so it goes well with just about anything.  It's used to represent purity, cleanliness, and hygiene—a connotation reinforced by the medical field. Use white in your branding to show openness and a willingness to serve.

Black

Black is a very mysterious and elegant color. It's often used in modern or trendy designs. Like white, it goes well with most other colors, but take care not to overuse it because too much can be straining to the eyes. Also note that black can have negative associations with death and despair, so be careful.

Gray

If you want a stable, secure color that invokes dignity and stability—you should utilize gray in your website design. Gray is a good background choice, but it can be dull on its own, so pair it with livelier colors.

Brown

Brown is a warm color that reminds us of soil, trees, and other earthen concepts. It's genuine, welcoming, and is associated with responsibility. You can lighten brown and achieve an elegant beige if you want a more modern look.

Red

Leadership, action, love, and inspiration are all connotations that the color red carries.  Red can add power and strength to your branding. Avoid using red in ways that will invoke its other meanings of war, violence, anger, and blood.

Yellow

The color yellow is bright and happy. It reminds people of sunny days and represents cheerful greetings. Yellow is not an offensive color and is safe for just about any brand. But sure to use it against a dark background or it won't show up well.

Orange

Orange combines some meanings of red and yellow. It's got the strength of red without as much force, so it's got more of a subtle importance to it rather than forcing acknowledgment. And it has the helpful, cheery aspect that yellow carries in a more subdued way. Orange can be darkened to achieve a brownish color.

Blue

Blue is the color of relaxation and calm.  It reminds us of the ocean and the sky. Lighter blues are more fresh and lighthearted, while darker blues are secure and stable.  However, blue can also signify having the blues or being depressed.

Green

Green is the color of life and growth, which is clearly reminiscent of Spring. It's used to show rejuvenation, health, and learning. Green is also the money color, which some brands use to their advantage.

Purple

Purple is associated with royalty and shows high-class status or esteem. It works best when used to bring attention to something important, like a submit button or call to action.

Adobe released a great Free color tool a while back that lets you play around with color concepts. See it here. 

To see some examples of websites that utilize great color choices, go here. 

Everybody responds to color a bit differently, but if you learn more about color theory you'll gain a solid understanding of how to tap into peoples' emotions with your branding. Color is a key factor in your business website that determines whether or not customers will remember you.