xbiz world
xbiz premiere
educational

Color And Effect

"If it looks cool it'll make money!" I've heard this from a lot of webmasters, but it's probably as far from the truth than you can get. Next to "easy to read and understand," color is the most important thing to consider.

I'm not saying make your entire site yellow with black text because a zillion studies have determined this combo gets attention. In fact nobody has the magic color chart. It takes trial and error. If you have a high volume site this trial and error can happen in as fast as a day.

For example our site, chatropolis.com, has mainly a black background with white text and purple links. It also has a lot of purple in other places. If I change this main combo I get violent e-mail from my users. Upon research, purple and black make people feel sexy, and everyone likes to feel sexy.

Join forms are another story. I suggest you stray from your main site theme to get attention and perhaps induce some new feelings. We have two different join forms. A yellow background that is readable plus a light green to calm and help eject the wallet from the user. We tried red and it looked cool, but research indicated this was the quickest way to anger someone. This proved itself in an instant slowdown in sales.

There are literally more studies on color than you could read, but I suggest you read as many as you can. Having a knowledge of color and effect will make you money. In some cases it has increased our sales by 40%, in other cases it killed them by 80%.

Another mistake is thinking that because you have mastered color and effect that your job is done. I have been tweaking colors on everything from backgrounds to words for 10 years. There is always room to improve – you are never done.

A good way to explore color is to go to Alexa.com and see your competition. Examine their color schemes then hit the wayback machine and see how they improve or nosedive.

I also examine the bad sites to make sure I never do that. This can save you tons of time in trial and error and may just spark a fantastic idea that puts you on the road to greatness.

Don't underestimate color – your prospects won't underestimate it's subconscious effect!

Michael Ludwick is the owner of Chatropolis.com the Net's largest chat site for the last ten years. It is ranked #1 on rank.com and alexa.com in the chat categories.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

Chaturbate's Emely Zuniga Talks Show Floor Magic and Creator Care

During industry events, you’ll likely find Zuniga gliding through the room, greeting creators, checking details and making sure everyone around her feels taken care of. With her colorful red hair, perfectly done nails and an easygoing, “work bestie” demeanor that instantly puts people at ease, she thrives in the fast-paced environment of conferences and trade shows.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

What to Know About Deepfakes, Likeness Rights, and Digital Consent

AI is reshaping virtually every sector of the global economy, and the adult industry is no exception. Many adult companies have already explored or adopted AI in content production, and surveys indicate that around 65% have considered implementing AI technologies in their operations.

Christoph Hermes ·
opinion

Key Strategies for Adapting to Stricter PCI Compliance Standards

When it comes to PCI compliance, the days of simply filling out some paperwork and answering a few questions are gone. A casual approach is just not viable anymore.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

How to Maximize Value From Your Payment Processing Fees

Regulatory requirements are putting more and more pressure on the adult industry. To stay compliant, merchants need tools that help with content moderation, age verification and fraud solutions. Unfortunately, the fees for those tools are hitting merchants’ bottom lines — including fees charged by payment services providers.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Understanding Sin Taxes and the Legal Roadblocks Ahead

As of this writing, a bill sits on the desk of Utah’s governor, awaiting his signature to make it state law. That bill includes a provision imposing an excise tax of 2% on adult sites operating in the state.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
profile

LoyalFans' Anastasia Pierce Bridges Creator Education, Empowerment and Ownership

Anastasia Pierce beams when she talks about her 26 years in the industry. Full of passionate energy, she clearly doesn’t just work in adult; she loves it.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Growing Site Revenue Under Ever-Changing Compliance Rules

Over the past year, many merchants have reported earnings that were flat or even a bit down. This is due to three main factors: age verification regulations, click-to-cancel rules, and banks backing away from cross-sales due to regulatory requirements and the rollout of the Visa Acquiring Monitoring Program (VAMP).

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

AI Safeguards for Platform Compliance and Trust

If your platform hosts user-generated content (UGC), then you already know protecting your brand is not merely a matter of good design or strong community guidelines. It requires systems that can verify who your users are, filter what they upload and ensure your business stays on the right side of regulators, payment processors and public opinion.

Christoph Hermes ·
opinion

How to Eliminate User Redirects and Improve Checkout Retention

Running an adult site, you work hard to create traffic and make sure your funnel is optimal, with the end goal of getting users to make a purchase. Then, right at that critical moment, what do you do? You send them somewhere else. Not good.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

Stripchat's Jessica on Building Creator Success, One Step at a Time

At most industry events, the spotlight naturally falls on the creators whose personalities light up screens and social feeds. Behind the booths, parties and perfectly timed photo ops, however, there is someone else shaping the experience.

Jackie Backman ·
Show More