An Eye-tracking Study: Investigating the Impact of Website Theme Colors on Viewer Engagement

Abstract

The Internet’s rapid evolution has transformed the media landscape, prompting brands and companies to transition from traditional print and TV to online media. Enhancing website design has become a focal point for effectively conveying information and capturing users’ attention. Among the various elements involved, the choice of web page theme color stands out as a crucial visual component in web navigation, significantly impacting the viewer’s user experience. Investigating the influence of web page colors on viewer attention is imperative. This study employs eye-tracking technology to delve into the impact of diverse web page colors on participants’ attention, particularly on news websites. An eye tracker was employed to meticulously record participants’ gaze patterns while browsing by experimenting with new pages featuring distinct theme colors. Data analysis revealed that red and blue colors garnered the most attention from viewers, followed by yellow, while gray-themed sites performed the least effectively in this regard. These findings offer valuable insights for web design improvement. In the context of news websites, red and blue are particularly effective in capturing and guiding people’s attention. When emphasizing or conveying breaking news, incorporating blue or red icons or relevant elements can be a powerful means of communication; however, it is equally important to be mindful of the potential for viewer visual fatigue when using highly saturated colors over a significant area. Therefore, designers must exercise care in determining the color balance when employing high-contrast and high-saturation hues.