The reason there is a color palette is because the 256 color palette has 40 colors that vary between Macintoshes and PCs. With these 40 colors eliminated, we are left with 216 colors that show the show no matter which platform you are on. Each color has a unique code to denote it. This distorts the original. The 216 color safe palette is a solution to a common problem.
Colors can mean and represent many things.
Consider what feeling and the web site needs to portray in order to be successful. As mentioned earlier, blue is the most globally accepted color and rightly so. It transcends feelings of tranquility, peace, harmony, and trust. It inspires confidence in individuals but is the worst possible color for food or cooking sites. Avoid using the color blue with its complimentary color orange because of the jarring effect that it creates.