Typography is an important aspect of any website and that’s why when choosing a font or set of fonts for your site, you need to think carefully. With thousands available online, it can become overwhelming to know if you are selecting the right one that represents your brand and business in the right way. There are other aspects that you’ll have to consider when choosing a font, like whether it is readable but still attractive enough to get users to respond to it. So what is the best way to choose the right font for your website? Read on to learn more about all the emerging trends for this year and to get tips on how to choose the best one.
Main trends in web design in 2024
Your website’s font will add personality to your website. It’s important that you choose one that suits the aesthetic of your website and your brand. In 2024, the main trends in web design are all about responsiveness, kinetic typography and structured typography. This means that you can look forward to animations of moving text and a combination of complementary font families to create a structural contrast. When choosing the best fonts for your website, there are different aspects to look out for so that you can have the maximum impact while still following the main trends.
How to choose the right font for your website
Having a professional font for your website has many benefits. For example, it can establish a message hierarchy so users can determine which information is most important and which is least important. You can also use different fonts, for example, a stylised font and a standard font to create an attractive design effect. Each type of font will give your website a different look, character and feel so it’s important that you choose your font carefully. Let’s take a look at how to choose the best fonts for websites so your site is successful.
1. Understand the types of fonts available
There are four main types of typography and they are:
- Serif fonts.
- Sans-serif fonts.
- Script fonts.
- Display fonts.
When choosing the right font for your website, you should start off by deciding if you want to use serif or sans-serif. The difference between the two is that serif fonts are more traditional fonts that have feet and can be more readable for smaller texts. Sans-serif fonts are considered modern website fonts and don’t have feet. These fonts usually stand out in large, bold titles.
The other two types of fonts, script and display, are used to add a design element to your website. You can use these for headings or logos to add a creative visual effect to your website.
2. Consider website speed and performance
Although fonts may not have a huge impact on your site’s speed, you can optimise its performance by choosing a font or set of fonts that will have the least impact. The more typefaces you use, the more files your users will have to download when browsing your site. Consider using fonts that are web-safe, like Arial, Tahoma, Garamond and other common fonts, so that browsers don’t have to download them when a user loads your web pages. If you still need to use a non-web-safe font, consider using cookies on your website that will allow your users’ browsers to store the font so that it doesn’t have to be downloaded each time they visit your site.
3. Determine readability and accessibility
One of the main goals of your website is to serve your customers and offer them information about your products, services and company. To ensure that they get the right information, you need to choose a font that’s readable so they won’t get frustrated and leave. Although you may want a font that looks good, you still need to consider whether it’s readable and also functional. This means that you should be able to make changes to your font, like changing its weight and size and accommodate changes to different characters. This includes being able to add caps, italics and bold which can be used to create a sense of visual hierarchy. Ensure that your font is also widely accessible so that your users can have access to it in the way you intend them to across different browsers and devices.
4. Your font should match your brand
As mentioned before, fonts can add personality to your website and so their personality should mirror that of your brand. If your brand has a more classic and traditional aesthetic, you need to go for a font that has a similar aesthetic, for example, a serif font like Times New Roman or Courier New.
Brands can become known because of their signature fonts. For example, Coca-cola. It’s hard not to recognise the infamous logo of the beverage company, even if a different set of words were typed, and that’s because of its font. Fonts can create a strong impression on your customers and make your brand memorable, especially if you use them consistently.
5. Cater to your target audience
When choosing a font, you may be considering ones that are appealing to you but you should remember to consider your target audience as well. What you like may not be what they like. Look for something that is universal and simple so it will be appealing to the majority of your audience.
You should also consider your target audience’s location and what languages they speak. This is because your users’ browsers may use a translation feature that will translate your content into their native language or language of preference. In this instance, the font you choose will need to look consistent no matter the language it’s displaying in. For example, certain letters may shift your layout or accented letters may stick out and change when translated so ensure that you pick a font that is supported by a wide range of writing systems, especially if you know your website will be translated into another language.
The best fonts for your website in 2024
There are different types of fonts to choose from depending on your goals and the look you are going for when designing your site. It may seem like a simple task but choosing the right font can either make or break your website. On the one hand, you don’t want a font that is unreadable for your users, but on the other hand, you want one that complements your website and makes it more attractive.
In 2024, we’ll be going back to the classics. The best fonts for your websites will be the ones that are easy to read on any device, especially mobile. These are the best fonts to choose from that will be trendy for this year, and years to come.
Gill Sans
Gill Sans was designed by Eric Gill and released in 1928. It is based on the corporate font of the London Underground which is called the Underground Alphabet which was released in 1916. Gill was commissioned by his friend Stanley Morison in the hopes that the font could be Monotype’s competition to the German Sans Serif fonts.
Within a year, Gill Sans had already become a success and was chosen by the London and North Eastern Railway for all of its posters.
At Lilo, we have used this font for various clients such as Osborne & Little.
Sofia Pro
Sofia Pro was created in 2009 and then redesigned and released on the 13th March 2012. It is considered a geometric sans font with rounded curves and open terminals.
Sofia Pro has a higher than normal x-height which makes it ideal for use at small font sizes. There are 8 font weights available (Ultra Light, Extra Light, Light, Regular, Medium, Semi Bold, Bold and Black).
At Lilo, we have used this font on our own website as well as on Click4Warrarnty.
Futura Pro
Futura Pro was released in 1927 and designed by Paul Renner. He believed that, rather than reviving a previous design, a modern typeface should express modern models.
Bauer Type Foundry marketed Futura as having captured the spirit of modernity through use of brochures. It has remained a popular font for nearly 100 years and we at Lilo have used it for many clients such as GPA Global.
Proxima Nova
Proxima Nova was designed by Mark Simonson of Mark Simonson Studio. It was originally released in 1994 through FontHaus under the name Proxima Sans. Simonson started working on the font in 1981 and it was originally call Zanzibar.
Proxima Nova features Case Sensitive characters, True small caps, Lining and old style Figures just to name a few.
We have used Proxima Nova for many clients such as Autograph Sounds.
Poppins
Poppins was designed by Ninad Kale, Jonny Pinhorn and released by Google.
We have used Poppins on Frankly Health.
Tips for using fonts
Use complementary fonts
Although you can mix fonts to make your sign more appealing and to create a visual hierarchy, having too many different types of fonts can ruin the design and decrease its readability. You should stick to using no more than three good fonts for your website and ensure that they all complement each other. You want to choose a primary font that your customers will associate most with your brand as it’s the most visible one. This font should be dominant and distinct in comparison with your other fonts. Your secondary font, used for the bulk of your content such as paragraphs and blog articles, should complement your primary font instead of competing with it.
Ensure your fonts are scalable
You may not be able to change the sizes of certain fonts, or if you do, they may not look good or read well. If you’re looking for a font for text that needs to be at a relatively bigger point size, try a sans-serif option such as Roboto or Montserrat, which are generally wider. Serif designs are usually taller which makes them legible at smaller point sizes. Pay attention to your font’s stroke weight, especially when scaled down, so that it still stands out even in small spaces.
Think about your content layout
When choosing a font, it’s important to remember that certain fonts, because of their readability, are good for long-term content and others are good for only a few words or purposes like headings or CTAs. You should use simple, easy-to-read fonts for longer texts so that users collect information effortlessly. However, you can add more elaborately styled fonts throughout your text to give readers cues and to add some expression where needed. However, be careful to do this sparingly as you don’t want to end up with a frustrated user that can’t read your content and access the information they need.
Conclusion
It may take some time and thinking to choose the best font, but once you get it right, it can be a powerful tool. Your font choices will reflect your brand, and give life to the content on your website. Choosing the right font will also help you get your messages across effectively because fonts can set the tone in terms of importance and personality. Remember to consider where you are planning to use your font choice so you can ensure that it’s readable and creates the correct visual effect that you are looking for. Follow these tips and you will surely find the best fonts for websites.
