In the early days of the internet, web design fonts were limited to what our potential visitors were likely to have installed on their computers. (ahh the good old days) more recently, however, there are a myriad of fonts that can be called remotely into programmes like WordPress from any number of font providers.
This is a good thing and a bad thing. While the choice is always nice, it also encourages website owners to mess with fonts “Just because they can” this can literally result in lost income if you are not aware of the following points.
Google, universities and companies have spent MILLIONS of dollars doing research into the habits and preferences of internet users, especially where fonts are concerned.
Here is the first point you need to remember
Your visitors are on your website for information, not to marvel at your lovely design
This is not supposition, IT IS PROVEN FACT. Too many fancy fonts and non-standard fonts are harder on the eye for reading purposes.
Remember, your visitor wants to read the information on your service or product, YOU need to make that as easy as possible for them. In studies, it was found that if a web user found a font even remotely uncomfortable when reading, it resulted in them leaving a website much more quickly than similar sites with a standard font. It was noted that this was not always a conscious determination at the front of their mind, it was “Just something” they did not like about the site.
They leave early, the chances are you lost a sale or worse a long term customer.
But we want our site to be different from all the others out there.
Do you really? Did you ever stop for a moment and wonder why web standards exist? Why do the world's biggest companies use nice standard, easy to read dark text on a white background? Because THAT is what works, they want the reader to be comfortable, to stay, to read and to buy the product or service. How many books have you read recently? How many Kindle books have you read recently? How many newspapers have you read recently? Did they have fancy fonts or nice, easy to read standard fonts?
Where Can We Use Custom Fonts?
It is quite acceptable to use custom fonts for headings or subheadings, this can add the bit of individuality you are looking for. Again, you need to make sure they are easily read. Avoid script or handwriting fonts, we will say it again, nice and clear and easy to read. Remember that people DO NOT read web pages like they read books or documents. They SCAN web pages often via your headings and subheadings until they see the exact information that interests them, THEN and ONLY then do they read the detail.
This is of course as always up to you, but a site that is even remotely sore on the eye loses sales FACT.
