The Importance of Typography and Why You Should Get It Right

Typography is one of the most important aspects of a website’s design. Experts agree that typography is crucial in determining the success of a website. It’s not difficult to understand why that would be considering that typography helps generate visual hierarchy. Typography refers to the arrangement of text on a Web page, and its elements include fonts/typefaces, tracking (spacing between the lines), line length, and kerning (the white space between characters). All of these combine to make a Web page reader-friendly as well as visually appealing. You should therefore be careful when deciding on the typography for your website.

Typography is as important as the overall design

How often have you come across a website that looks good at first glance but then you find yourself focusing hard on the text when you try to read the content? Either the fonts are too big, too small, too closely spaced, or too spaced out. We can all recall a few instances of that.

Cluttered text is the worst, especially when used with a big font size. It makes a website look unprofessional and chaotic, and no one wants to hang around such a place.

Typography can lend character to your website

We can all agree on the fact that certain kinds of fonts and typefaces have that special something about them. Fonts have personalities — some look childish, others regal, even old-fashioned. Calibri, for instance, looks restrained and professional. The sans serif typefaces are among the most popular fonts because of their legibility, and a modern and professional personality.

I’d go so far as to say that there’s a typeface to suit every personality. So make the most of this variety! When choosing font types for your website, don’t just go by looks. Keep in mind the character you want your website to possess and accordingly pick a clean and user-friendly typeface.

Typography helps with content marketing

The aim of content marketing is to draw people to your website via your content, and make them stay so that they can be converted into customers. When you are looking to gain traffic via your written content, it’s imperative to choose the most impactful font/typeface for it.

With smartly chosen typography you can lure people in. Impressing your visitors isn’t just about images and videos or big bold headlines; typography works subtly but surely in capturing their interest.

Typography helps direct visitors’ interest

To give you an example, strategically placed quotes (in quotation marks), marked out in a font different from the rest of the text, invariably grab our attention on a Web page. Why do you think that is? Because the designer made it so. The quotes are given their own spotlight with beautiful typefaces and you can’t help but look at them. With smart typography you can direct the attention of your visitors to the most important messages on a page to create the desired impact.

But keep in mind what looks appealing to you may not necessarily be attractive to your target audience. That is why it’s important to research them and understand their tastes and preferences before you decide on the best typography for your website.

An attractive and user-friendly website is a result of a number of factors, and its typography happens to be among the most important ones. Work with a designer who instinctively understands the effect that different types of fonts and typefaces have on readers. With the right typography, you can create an unforgettable impression on your visitors.