How do you know the most effective way to choose the right Fonts to use on your eCommerce website?

Apr 6, 2022

The brand of your online store is made up of numerous aspects, from colours and the logo, to the languages you select to employ along with the degree of your customer care. Also the fonts play an integral role.

The fonts you choose to put on your website will contribute in creating a perception of your organization that's formal, fun and serious. They also play a essential role in giving that you provide the most enjoyable experience to your users, especially users with impaired vision.

But, how do you select the appropriate fonts, and then apply these in the most effective way?

A brief introduction to typefaces and fonts

Take a moment to pause for a moment. You've probably heard of typefaces such as Times New Roman, Helvetica, and the much-maligned Comic Sans. What are they precisely?

The term "font" means that a typeface is the representation of text in digital format that includes a variety of styles. For instance, Helvetica has 36 different options, including:

  • Helvetica Light (the thin version)
  • Helvetica Oblique (the italicized version)
  • Helvetica Bold (the bold version)
  • Helvetica Black (an even thicker more bold version)
  • Helvetica Condensed (a version that has more letters)
  • Helvetica Rounded (a version with the letters rounded)

A font is very specific and has specific weights and styles. Thus, Helvetica Bold is a font. Helvetica is a typeface. In this article, we'll use the phrases "typeface" and "font" interchangeably.

There are four primary types of fonts to choose from, and you can mix and match them to create the perfect look for your site.

Serif fonts include additional strokes which can be added to particular alphabets, whereas Serif fonts do not. Serif fonts don't have strokes. You can see an example of the letters sans serifs and those with serifs in the followingexamples:

serif and sans serif fonts compared

Serif fonts generally are more traditional and are perfect for exuding confidence and knowledge. Also, they are easier to read, because serifs define each word separately. Sans serif fonts look clean and are easier to read than other fonts. They're still simple and easy to read even in huge texts.

Script and handwritten fontsclosely emulate handwriting they can be very elaborate. They are a lot better read than other fonts and can vary in the style they use. Below are a few examples

script font vs. handwritten font

It is evident that one is very elegant, while the other looks much more casual.

Fonts for displayare quite diverse and can include anything that could be considered ornamental. They differ in appearance and feel. However, generally, they're used only for creating titles. Below are three examples of display fonts:

examples of several display fonts

They're not all alike to the other do they? They're an excellent option to build brand merchandise.

How to choose and implement the right fonts

Once we've established the basics, let's look at a some helpful guidelines for choosing the right typesetters for your store.

1. Consider legibility

The goal of text is to be read -- so legibility is the primary factor when selecting a font. If people can't see your text and understand the contents of your website or find the details about your business or buy something!

Your body text should always be a Serif, or sans-serif font since they make it easier for readers to read lengthy paragraphs or blocks of text. Make sure to use display and script fonts for headings. Also ensure that they're simple to comprehend.

The next thing to be considering is the space between your text. There are three primary spacing considerations you should be aware of:

  1. Kerning is the quantity of there is space between two words. An effective kerning procedure assures that each word is individually legible and that one word doesn't seem to have two distinct words.
  2. Leading The space between two paragraphs of text. A proper leading style allows paragraphs of text to be easier to read.
  3. Tracking regulates the spacing between letters in words in a single unit, not just for individual characters. Therefore, instead of changing the spacing between "t" as well as the "h" in the expression "this" then you'd have change the spacing between all four letters simultaneously.

It is a visual representation for each one of the following:

illustration of tracking, kerning, and leading

The ideal spacing between the lines and the letters makes it much easier for the reader to read, particularly in paragraph form. Be assured that learning the details about this can be fun! There are great online games which provide practical training.

2. Check out the branding of the company

Your brand's character will be your business's distinctiveness from your competitors. It's what defines the character of your business. The fonts you select could be the most important feature that communicates your brand's personality to prospective as well as your existing clients.

What is the emotion you want to convey on your website? Funny and fun? Reliable and trustworthy? Elegant and modern? Let's take a glance at the way that some websites make the use of fonts to convey their personality.

Scratch Pet Foods font usage

Scratch Pet Food has a brand that's extremely welcoming, and the fonts they use reflect this. The fonts are a bit more strong sans serifs that highlight headlines as well as a light sans serif fonts are used in body content.

flor fonts on their homepage

FLWR is an Interior Design firm as well as an interior design studio. Because they design designs for weddings , as well as for other occasions, it is natural to make their fonts gorgeous and stylish. They combine a modern serif font with a thinner sans serif font to create an unique look that is matched to the bouquets they design.

Ryanair professional fonts

Ryanair's Corporate website is well, corporate -- and their fonts reflect that. They've picked different versions that use the same standard professional font to use for headlines and body text. The font looks professional, but doesn't appear too gimmicky.

Are you aware of the ways these three businesses employ fonts to communicate what they would like customers to feel when they see their logo? The same thing happens. Be prepared to play around with the fonts until you have found the ideal style.

3. Limit yourself to a few of the fonts

It's tempting to use the entire collection of fonts that you can find on your site, however you need to limit yourself to a couple. If you don't, your site might appear disjointed, dispersed and across the web or result in a stressful experience for visitors.

When choosing your fonts, try pairing them with different situations to check whether they are compatible. One type of font is suitable for headings, while an alternative is for body text. There are also variations of fonts, such as the bold type or all caps to create a distinctive font without straying from the identical font family.

Stroopwaffels website with custom fonts

Daelmans Stroopwafels As an example, HTML0 uses the same fonts for headlines and body text. They use a bold, all-caps style to their headlines as well as a more subtle style for body text. But, to add even some personality, they often employ a script font that matches the caramel that is used in their offerings. This script, when used in a limited amount, can be effective in accentuating important themes and making the site appear authentic and unique.

Scrollino website with unique fonts

Scrollino the shop that sells children's products is using a very friendly and casual serif font to make their headlines. The font is paired with a crisp, easy sans serif font for body text. It gives it a lovely and lively look and feel.

4. Be sure to select the appropriate font size

It's important that your font is sufficiently large that visitors can read even those who have visual impairments. It is generally recommended to use 16px for the minimum size that you should use, though that can differ according to the font used. As an example, certain fonts are difficult to read in smaller sizes.

If possible, ask for real-life people to look over the content to determine if it's easy to comprehend. Make sure you read it on devices of any type, including tablet computers, desktops and mobile phones. Apps like Screenfly make this task a lot easier.

Heggerty uses friendly fonts on their site

Heggerty, a company offering education and learning resources that uses large fonts. While they're not so big that they overtake their design, they're easy and simple to read on every device.

5. Consider accessibility

One of those things is to make sure that the text is big enough for readers and not complicatedas we've discussed before. You should also take into consideration color contrast. Make sure that the writing you put on is easy to read, no matter the background you write it on, regardless of whether it's a solid color layout, or perhaps an picture.

Contrast ratios range from 1:1 (white on white) all the way to 21:1 (black on white). The the ratio of contrast that you are looking for in text is 7:1 when it comes to body text , and 4.5:1 for headlines. headlines. It is possible to use WAVE's tools for accessibility WAVE to check your website for contrast ratios , the color of your website, as well as other factors that affect accessibility.

good font color contrast

Track 7 Brewing is a pro at the contrast of color when contrasted against dark backgrounds. On their homepage, they utilize the orange or white text to ensure that it stands out from the darker background image.

6. Beware of all caps within paragraphs.

All caps are effective in making impressions, they may also be difficult to understand within large bodies of text. Our brains simply have trouble understanding text written in paragraph form that results in reading becoming less efficient and harder to read.

Veer website using all caps in headlines

Therefore, if you wish to make use of all caps, use it sparingly and only in headlines. This is what Veer employs with the capital letters. make great points and grabbing attention on their website, however they avoid it in paragraphs.

What fonts are safe for web?

The browsers display and load fonts differently across different web browsers. Safe fonts for web are those that are beautiful and function perfectly across all browsers and all devices. While you shouldn't wish to avoid using the gorgeous personal fonts that you choose to represent your company however, it is important to incorporate web safe alternatives into your font library -- that is the assortment of fonts that are used on your website.

Doing this essentially sets an alternative font for your store's online presence as well as giving you complete control of the font's display if, due to some reason, your own font won't display for the user. For instance, you can tell browsers to select Playfair in the event that your chosen font isn't currently available, Georgia if Playfair isn't an option, or the default serif type in case none of them works.

Kinsta provides helpful suggestions regarding how you can include safe fonts to backup your site.

How do you find the right fonts for your website

So how do you find excellent fonts for your web shop? First, make sure that you have the right legal permission to use the fonts you select. Some fonts are completely free and can be used for all kinds of purposes. Other fonts are paid for that can be used for any purpose Some fonts are available for free but onlyfor exclusive use. Be sure to know the terms of the license apply to your fonts.

Below are some fantastic sources for fonts used on websites:

  • Google Fonts: Google Fonts has the largest selection of fonts that are available for download both personal and commercial use. You can also use their tools to preview Fonts as they work.
  • The theme of your website WordPress theme The majority of WordPress themes include font libraries. These usually come from sites like Google fonts that can be used for building your site.
  • Creative Market A website that lets you offer digital assets for sale. Creative Market offers some really gorgeous, original fonts available in a variety of styles.
  • Font Squirrel: This tool categorizes fonts and lets you preview the fonts. Make sure to be cautious that some fonts are only for personal use and you should understand the font you download.
  • Adobe Fonts: These are high-quality typefaces designed for business owners that have Creative Cloud licences.

Make changes to the fonts on your website

Now that you've picked the fonts you want to use, now is the time to add them to your site. There are three methods for this process:

1. Use your theme

Like we said, many themes come with a collection of fonts. Some themes permit you to use the fonts to your website via their own settings panel. Or, you can configure the fonts with WordPress Customizer. WordPress Customizer.

  1. On the WordPress dashboard, go to the Appearance tab , and click Modify.
  2. Choose the Fontsoption.
  3. Select the dropdowns for every type of textfor Headings, Base Fonts, etc. -- and select the font you want to use. Every time you change fonts, the preview of your site will alter so that you can see what your website will appear before installing the font.

The Customizer can change the font styles (bold or italicized.) as well as font size.

2. Use a plugin

If your theme doesn't include fonts, or doesn't offer the fonts that you would like to use, the next optimal option is an extension. There's an array of options, however if you want to utilize Google Fonts, or the Google font, the WordPress Google Fonts is the best option. It provides access to the full Google Fonts library, then permits you to add individual fonts to different areas of your website, including the headings, paragraphs, lists and more.

If you'd like to use the custom fonts from other sources, then you should test using the Custom Fonts plugin. It lets you add your own fonts, as well as integrates with the most popular themes as well as page builders for an easier installation.

3. Utilize a custom-code

If you're already familiar with the code There are two alternatives to consider:

  1. Host fonts on your own site, and use codes to add them to text areas
  2. Download the fonts through a third-party site (like Google Fonts) and add the fonts to the queue.

For more information and directions. For further details and directions, refer on this article by Kinsta.

Keep your eyes on the simple fact that simplicity is always the most effective

Have fun with your fonts! Design your logo to be unique, and choose options that best convey the spirit of your organization. Yet, be aware that simplicity is usually the best approach. Select fonts that are simple to read, and don't make it too complicated with more than five alternatives. The people you are targeting should be your top priority.

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