Fonts Matter: Here’s Why They are More Than Cosmetics

You could be forgiven for thinking that the size and style of the typeface being used on your website is a minor cosmetic detail, but the truth of the matter is that fonts really do matter.

Once you appreciate how influential and impactful they can be you’ll soon be using a website font checker to see how you can make the most of this extremely essential tool to help get your message across in any number of ways.

Fonts can impact the functionality of your website and they are a powerful emotive tool as well. You can convey your personality, mood, and even influence brand perception, all with the use of the right font.

Here’s why your choice of font is a decision that is way more important than you may have thought.

A big decision

One of the most compelling reasons for giving your choice of font some serious thinking time is that it is something that has a direct impact on the readability of your website, and it can also make a huge difference to the user experience.

Quite simply, if the font size and type is a bad choice, which can be for a variety of reasons, the end result will often be that visitors to your site will struggle to consume your content. If they are struggling to read the text because it is the wrong size or the font doesn’t have good spacing, they are far more likely to navigate away.

The wrong choice of font has the capacity to increase your bounce rate, and you never want that to happen.

A good example of this scenario would be if your choice of font doesn’t work well on a mobile device. If the writing is not properly spaced and easy to read when someone is accessing your content on a mobile device, they will probably give up trying.

Always ensure that your choice of font offers excellent readability regardless of how each visitor is arriving at your website.

Your font defines who you are

When you think about it, certain typefaces and styles are instantly recognizable. As soon as you see a distinctive font and color, you think of the business that has worked hard to create that connection.

This is a prime example of how a font has the ability to define your brand and personality. It has been shown that certain types of font are closely associated with certain characteristics and personality types.

For instance, Serif fonts, which includes the hugely popular Times New Roman font, and Georgia, to name a couple of the most popular font styles, are known to be associated with an aura of professionalism and trustworthiness. It’s no coincidence that many business websites who operate in the finance industry, or run law practices, tend to use this family of fonts to help deliver a subliminal message that builds trust in an instant.

If your business is trying to convey a message that you are a bit edgy and at the frontline of leading trends, it’s amazing how Sans-Serif fonts like Open Sans and Helvetica can help you achieve that branding message.

Hopefully, you are starting to get the picture and appreciate just how important your choice of font can be to define your brand’s personality and instill a sense of engagement and trust with your audience.

Fonts act as a vital guide

Another aspect of font use that you may not have considered is how your choice can improve your ability to guide the user journey in the way you want.

What this means is that you have the ability to use font styles, weight, and size to introduce a greater element of control over how visitors navigate your site, and in what order.

What this means in practice, is that you can use large and bold headings, for instance, to ensure that the reader’s attention is immediately drawn to this headline and follow the reading path in the order you want them to.

When you are encouraging someone to work their way through longer content, your choice of font also matters greatly in this respect. It has been shown that smaller, but more legible fonts, ensure that long-form content is easier and more comfortable to read.

Another big reason to focus your attention on using the right font is how your choice can be hugely influential when using powerful call-to-action buttons. Without question, if you are going to compel someone to “Buy Now” or Sign Up” for a newsletter or special offer, you will want to use a distinctive font and size that makes sure your message and instructions are clear, compelling, and concise.

Improve website performance

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is highly relevant, and it should be noted that your choice of font will prove to be a crucial factor in determining how quickly your website loads and how the likes of Google perceive your site.

There is a fine balance to be struck when talking about website performance and your choice of fonts. It is fair to say that distinctive and unique fonts will help your website to stand out from the crowd, however, it is also a choice that could easily slow down your loading speed, especially when not properly optimized.

You should be able to find the right fonts that also load quickly enough to avoid slow load times, which is a big turnoff to most visitors.

As you can see from the topics raised here, your choice of font is actually more of a critical decision than you might have initially appreciated. A good starting point would be to use a free font checker analysis tool to see how your website performs. You can also check fonts on popular websites to get an idea of what works and how you can maximize the performance and appearance of your own site.

Ultimately, you can use fonts to improve readability, and your choice can also help to convey the personality of your brand. Are you using the right fonts?