The Impact of Web Page Text-background Colour Combinations on Readability, Retention, Aesthetics, and Behavioural Intentions

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of web page text/background colour combination on readability, retention, aesthetics, and behavioural intention. One hundred and thirty-six participants studied two Web pages, one with educational content and one with commercial content, in one of four colour-combination conditions. Major findings were: (a) Colours with greater contrast ratio generally lead to greater readability; (b) colour combination did not significantly affect retention; (c) preferred colours (i.e., blues and chromatic colours) led to higher ratings of aesthetic quality and intention to purchase; and (d) ratings of aesthetic quality were significantly related to intention to purchase.

Department(s)

Business and Information Technology

Keywords and Phrases

Aesthetics; Affect; E-Commerce; ELearning; Text-Background Colour; Web Design; Usability; Electronic commerce

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2004 Taylor & Francis, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2004

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