How Readers Perceive Your Reviews

blog theme is, in principle, a sensible thing…but there's more to your review blog site colours than what you think looks cute or cool.

Colours have character and say a lot about who you are - and who your products appeal to.

For example, look at blogs that review Xbox games or tech subjects. The colours you'll often see are aqua and black, red and black, orange and black; black, black; black… and sometimes steel grey.

If your reviews involve presenting graphics - for example, screenshots of video games - you don't want colours that clash with the graphics (no matter how much those colours "represent" you and your personality. Your best bet for enhancing photographs are neutral colours - or the ubiquitous black. Just remember black backgrounds are harder on the eyes - but they do make colours "pop" (which can be a good thing, with video game screenshots.)

If you're reviewing "green" products, you might want to go with colours traditionally associated with nature - pale but bright spring greens, earth tones for accents, "natural" creams and linens - or sparkling white, with splashes of orange and lime. If you're reviewing mystic products like Tarot card sets, or self-help or yoga tapes, you might want to use colours associated with unique, spiritual people - lilacs, soft mauves, dark midnight blue, black.

If you're reviewing publicity and promotion products, "people" colours like orange and hot magenta convey liveliness, connection and outgoing nature.

You will often see blue on business blogs: Blue is commonly said to represent "trust". But the truth is, the best person to decide on your review blog's image should be you - and your colour choice should never be based on any particular product but on two key components:

• You and your personality
• Your topic

So whether you want to conform to common associations, or walk a different path - it's really up to you.

But do put some thought into your blog's colour scheme. Don't let it go to waste - make it "support" and subconsciously enhance the image, attitude - and topic genre - you want to portray.