Checklist: Website typography

So you have your website and you’ve decided to handle updates and changes yourself through the in-built CMS (Content Management System). Fantastic! We love companies who have the confidence to actively work on their own website. We’re always on hand to help but if you’re ready and don’t need our support for day to day site management then we’re proud to send you out into the web. But just like parents with kids at University – we’re always here for you to bring your laundry home to! We know things just ‘happen’ and that you may want to ask a question which is why you can always pick up the phone.

But if you are heading off into the web then we have a set of checklists for you to refer to to help you along your way. First off – typography!

Typography is the use of text styling on your site eg. bolds, italics, underlines, fonts and text size. Here’s our top tips to remember to carry through all the pages of your site to ensure consistency and a great user experience:

1. Never use underline in body text. Visitors will naturally assume it is a hyperlink and may become frustrated or dissatisfied if they think the site is full of broken links.
2. Avoid the extensive use of italics as they are difficult to read on screen. Use selectively to add variety.
3. Agree a standard format for headlines and link text – specifically in regards to capitalisation. ALL CAPS and Title Case can be difficult to scan read and can look ugly whereas sentence case – “Start engaging leads on your site” – is neater and more easily read.
4. Keep headlines no longer than three of four words. This is good practice for SEO purposes but you will need to consider the size of your font (known as point size) or ensure your design supports text wrapping or sub-headlines.
5. Check that your design renders well across different browsers as many will increase text/type size.
6. Use a small difference between heading and body copy text/type size for a smooth look and a big difference for high impact. But, keep this consistent across the site. Stick to one style!
7. Avoid stretching content across the full width of the browser. Using columns increases readability.
8. Agree on which fonts you are going to use and stick to them. Standard fonts can and should be specified in the stylesheet but don’t be tempted to mix things up. Too many font styles is difficult to read and looks messy. Remember – consistency, consistency, consistency!

We hope the above is useful but don’t forget – we’re always available to help and offer advice.