The Importance of Selecting Appropriate Fonts

Web design is a form of marketing that requires years of professional training, education, and experience. There are thousands of factors that contribute to high quality web design and execution. The pages of a website, the color palette used, the lines and shapes featured in the overall design, and the coordination between logo design and website design are all important factors to consider. However, one factor that often gets overlooked is the selection of fonts.

What is a Font?

A font is simply a style of script or print that is used for the content of your entire website. Common fonts include Times New Roman, which has historically been the font of choice for newspapers and other print publications and Arial font which is the default font featured on many word processor programs and applications. There are, however, millions of different fonts from which businesses can choose when determining how they want their content represented online.

What is Font Theory?

Font theory is the study of how different fonts affect consumers and their online behaviors. There is a great deal of research that supports the idea that fonts can encourage consumers to invest in services and products or make consumers wary about specific brands and companies. Font theory isn't something that can be learned overnight. It takes years of experience and training to identify successful fonts for web design purposes.

Fonts that Communicate Austerity

Some fonts can be used to communicate austerity and professionalism when used in a website design. Fonts that include serifs, horizontal tags on the top and bottom of letters, are often perceived as being more formal and less casual than sans-serif fonts. Fonts with serifs can also be used to emphasize page headings or other important text.

Fonts that Communicate Personality and Relationships

If your business is striving to be approachable and personal in its relationships with clients, a more causal font may be appropriate. It's important, however, to find the balance between a font that is casual and a font that is juvenile. Many businesses fail in web design because their font usage is not taken seriously by consumers.

Font Help

If you are having trouble selecting appropriate fonts for your website, hiring a professional web designer may be a great decision. Web designers with experience in font selection can turn your communication about the image of your brand into a set of font choices from which you can select your ideal font. Web designers know how different consumers react and respond to different fonts. Business owners who design their own websites using online templates often neglect the power of a high quality font. However, consumers often make instantaneous decisions about a company based on minute web design factors. Font choice is one of these factors. A consumer may not realize why he or she feels compelled to search elsewhere for services, but the font featured on your web page may be a contributing factor. Hire a professional to help you select the right font, and your website will draw consumers to your company rather than repel them.