If you’re wondering what are the best fonts for websites and how they can make a huge difference to your users, you’re in the right place. After all, the font you choose for your website can be a tough decision, but it’s really important that you get it right.
For starters, fonts can make it easy (or difficult) for website visitors to read your content, and certain fonts can also have an effect on the way a visitor may feel, especially when it comes to the perception of your brand.
Choosing the font for your website is no easy feat, and it certainly shouldn’t be rushed. In this guide, we reveal the importance of the right font and offer some tips for getting the decision right the first time around.
Importance of Font Selection for Websites
As soon as you start viewing fonts as an extension of your brand identity, the sooner you’ll realise just how important they are.
Research tells us that consumers take less than one second to make a judgement of a website, and 94% of that judgement comes from the design of a website. So, in short, the font you choose for your website can determine whether a website visitor thinks positively or negatively about your brand at first glance.
While there are hundreds of font types to choose from, they typically fall into four categories – each of which can help consumers to form a different perception of your brand. For example, hand-written script conveys a more personal touch and usually depicts feelings of creativity. Serif is typically seen as a more professional and traditional font, while sans serif fonts are seen as the modern and contemporary approach. Finally, there are display fonts which are usually used for headings but highlight boldness, uniqueness and vibrancy.
These perceptions alone can help a brand to convey its brand identity. As well as this, font choice can also have an impact on the overall user experience. A good user experience is essential if you want web visitors to remain on your site, click through to other pages, and in turn, engage with your brand and hopefully make a purchase. Think about it this way: if you visited a website that was written in a font you couldn’t understand, you’d likely leave. But, a readable and on-brand font is more likely to result in more clicks, more shares, more conversions and more success.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Fonts
Picking the right font for your website isn’t just a case of choosing one that looks nice – although that is important. You first need to consider your brand. What is your brand personality? How do you want to convey your brand?
Then, you also need to think about your target audience. There is no point in falling in love with a font if it doesn’t suit your target audience’s needs. For example, ask yourself if there are any fonts your audience may struggle to read. Will a certain font depict positive or negative memories for them?
Once you’ve considered the preferences of both your target audience and your brand, you need to make sure your chosen font looks readable in different sizes. What’s more, consider how the font will look when it’s overused on a web page. Will it still be easy to digest? Before you choose a font, it’s always important to see how it looks in different colours, sizes, weights and uppercase and lowercase.
Finally, you need to ensure the font you do choose is a web-safe font which means it is universally installed across devices. This means your site is more likely to load quickly, and there will be no risk of error.
For best practice, choose your favourite font and don’t use more than up to three fonts across your website. The same can be said for font colours and sizing. Consistency is key and will help to establish your brand as trustworthy and authoritative. Messy fonts or hard-to-read fonts should be avoided, especially when you’re trying to educate your website visitors, and it’s also important to include white space to further enhance the look and feel of your font and site.
What Are the Best Fonts for Websites?
When it comes to choosing the best font for your website, there are five main types of font personalities that need to be considered – traditional, contemporary, strong, romantic and themed.
To pick the right one, you need to think about your own website and brand personality. Uncovering the meanings behind each font can also help you to find one that best suits your brand persona and help you to create a stronger connection with your target audience. Below, we’ve rounded up some good fonts for websites.
Tisa
Similar to Arial or Helvetica on Word documents, Tisa is a clear and readable font suitable for various businesses. It’s favoured for its simplicity and legibility in lots of text sizes and still allows businesses to show off their creative flair.
Alegreya
Originally designed for literature, Alegreya has an almost calligraphic feel as well as a contemporary serif look. Various letterform weights and easy readability make it a great choice for businesses that want a clear and concise website design but are also looking for something different.
Dosis
Modern and unique yet clean, Dosis boasts rounded letters but light weights, which make it ideal for headers. It’s a simple font to add character to a website but still ensures any text is easily readable.
Yellowtail
Fun, young and modern, Yellowtail was inspired by flat brush typefaces and was built on Gillies Gothic and Kaufmann styles. Despite the original design of the font, it can still easily be read as it features medium-weight letters.
Abolition
Featuring only capital letters, Abolition is easy to read and strong and is ideal for bold mission statements and headings. Despite being so attention-grabbing, it still creates a friendly brand perception and can be italicised for a softer approach.
Publico
Publico looks like it could be out of a traditional newspaper but still works just as well for modern brands. There are a few different font families to choose from under the Publico name, meaning you can find one that suits your brand. Overall, the curly and feminine letters provide a crisp, clean and professional look.
Website Font Trends
The best fonts for websites will depend on your brand, your values, your target audience and the content you’re showcasing, but you may also want to stay up to date with evolving font trends to maintain a modern and appealing website. While the best website fonts change every year, typically, you can expect minimal, bold and hand-drawn website font designs to be popular.
Again, while it is important to choose fonts for sites that suit your brand, choosing one that is upcoming and trendy can have a positive impact on your site and user engagement, as it can make your website stand out and appear with the times.
If you want to discuss fonts for websites in more detail, or perhaps want some advice on good fonts to use, get in touch with us. We provide many services, including web design, and even email marketing and SEO, to help grow your business.
Posted on Friday, June 23rd, 2023 in Latest News.
