How to Make Effective Use of Web Fonts

Writing for your web site is not the same as offline writing. The fonts used for print media are different than web fonts. This is because it's harder to read text on a computer screen and visitors tend to scan your web pages rather than read them word for word. When deciding on what web font to use, take into consideration the character of your site and whether the web font type is widely available (accomodates different screens and operating systems).

If you use the wrong web font, your web pages will may appear unprofessional and you may lose visitors to your competition.

So how do you decide on what web site font to use?

1. Analyze the character of your web site - for most web sites you would use a large or fancy font for your header to capture your visitors attention and a smaller web font for body text. When using a fancy font make sure it is available on most computers otherwise your visitors won't be able to read it. (To get around this, read my article "Improve your web site design with a fancy font" http://www.isitebuild.com/fancyfont.htm).

2. Search engine compatibility - fonts used within images can be seen on all computers, however it can't be read by the search engines. They can only "read" text. When designing images always use the "alt" tag to convey what your image is about. Try to include appropriate keywords in your web site copy. This will help the search engines index your site.

3. Use a web safe font - there are 2 types of fonts that are widely used:

Serif Fonts - these are most widely used for PRINT media ie Times Roman, Georgia, but are not good for the Web, because they are difficult to read on the screen. Serif fonts are those that have fine cross-lines at the extremities of the letter.

Sans Serif Fonts - these are fonts that don't have serifs. They are the best fonts to use for the WEB (ie Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet) but are not appropriate for print media.

Here's a great readability study that was done when comparing serif and sans serif fonts: http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt6/html-email-fonts.htm

4. Use the correct font size - alternative font sizes add flavor and character to your web site. If you want your text to be viewed correctly for both PC and MAC users, then it's better to use pixels rather then points. Points may look all right on a PC but will appear smaller on a MAC (although these days there are only a small percentage of folks that use MACs).

Use a large font size (ie Arial H1) for your main header text, smaller font sizes (Arial H2, H3) for your subheadings and a point or pixel size of 10 or 12 for your body text.

Generally I use Verdana 10pt for body text and Arial text for headings.

5. Utilize Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) - these enable you to easily create a consistent font style across your entire web site. If you want to change the font on all your web pages, you just need to change one style sheet.

CSS allows you to easily use comma-separated list of fonts (ie Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif). The browser will use the first one it comes to in the list that is installed. If none of the type faces in the list are available, it reverts to the default.

Writing correct web copy using fonts that are easy to read and readily available, not only adds character to your web pages, but shows you care about the experience of your visitors.

Resources

Web font readability study.
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt6/html-email-fonts.htm

Hundreds of free fonts
http://www.fontfile.com

Herman Drost is the author of the NEW ebook "101 Highly Effective Strategies to Promote Your Web Site" http://www.isitebuild.com/web-site-promotion Subscribe to his "Marketing Tips" newsletter for more original articles at: subscribe@isitebuild.com. You can read more of his in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles

---

Every Website is a Human Being?s Attempt at Achieving a Goal or Obtaining Happiness

Have you ever thought about the real stories behind all... Read More

9 Ways to Gain Your Visitors Respect

The internet is filled with sites and they are good... Read More

Alternative to Web Site Templates and Design Software

Before I discovered the concept of Web site templates, I... Read More

Service Professions: Does Your Website Follow These 5 Simple Rules For Getting More Clients?

There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats... Read More

Is Your Web Site Turning Visitors Away?

One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that... Read More

Your Web Site Is A Wonderland: What Picassos Art Taught Me About Persuasive Design

Whenever singer John Mayer sings his romantic song, "Your Body... Read More

How to Choose Web Design Company?

Before deciding on which web design company to choose, you... Read More

A Beginners Guide to Web Page Design

Designing your own successful web page can seem difficult and... Read More

Web Page Building for Beginners 4

Page ranking by search engines such as Google are not... Read More

Five Common Web Design Mistakes

There are often many mistakes encountered when creating a webpage... Read More

Quality of Your Text Layout and Design

Why is the quality of your text layout and design... Read More

Why Use a Web Design Template?

What is a Website Template?Many smart and savvy businesses are... Read More

Web Design for Dictators

No question about it, web design is an art. Finding... Read More

Moving Things Around

How often, men, have you come home to find the... Read More

How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site?

A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we... Read More

A Crash Course on Graphic Philosophy 101

Novice and professional graphic designers, we are aware that you... Read More

Website Sales: 10 Strategic Tips To Maximize Your Profits

If you've a website but not making a lot of... Read More

Understand Your Color

Any design on a web application involves the effective input... Read More

Tips On Effectively Organizing Your Navigation

Not all links are created equal.While all of your links... Read More

Web Site Templates and Their Benefits

Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content.... Read More

Hiring a Graphic Designer

You've come up with a great product. You've got the... Read More

Creating Your First Website

Building your first website can be very frustrating. It looks... Read More

What Is Your Websites Most Wanted Response?

You spend time and money promoting your website; but what... Read More

Ten Basic Steps For Building A Web Site That Works

1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated... Read More

Color Psychology in Marketing

On the internet we don't deal with face to face... Read More

Website Re-Design?

My site is working fine. The links work. Content is... Read More

Website Redesign for Existing Websites

Does your website need a re-design? Here are some questions... Read More

Marketing Basics for the Webmaster

What is the relationship between Marketing and Web designing? How... Read More

Web Production And Design Tips

You have identified that to have an internet prescence would... Read More

KIS - Keep It Simple

There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More

How to Make Effective Use of Web Fonts

Writing for your web site is not the same as... Read More

Images: How To Make Them To Load Fast On Your Web Pages?

1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More

Keep Your Navigation Highly Visible

Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible.You'll... Read More