Typography is more than choosing a font that matches the logo. It establishes the order of information and determines how comfortably people can read it. A restrained type system is usually easier to maintain than a collection of unrelated styles.
Choose roles before choosing fonts
List the text the website needs: main headings, section headings, body paragraphs, form labels, navigation, and small supporting notes. Decide how each role differs. Size, weight, spacing, and line height can create hierarchy without introducing another typeface.
One family can be enough if it has suitable weights and a clear personality. A second family can provide contrast, but give it a specific job. Test real business names and the longest service heading before committing to a combination.
Test paragraphs, not just a specimen word
Paste a real paragraph into the design. Look at the length of a line, the space between lines, and how links stand out. A font that looks appealing in a large heading may be tiring in a dense paragraph.
Avoid deciding every text size separately. Establish a small scale and use it consistently, then adjust where the content requires it. Small legal or supporting copy still needs to be readable; reducing its size is not a substitute for organising it well.
Make hierarchy visible without decoration
Read the page at a glance. Can you distinguish the page title from a section title, and a section title from a paragraph? If every line is bold, uppercase, or heavily coloured, none of those treatments carries much meaning.
Use clear, descriptive headings and a logical heading structure. Visual styling and document structure should support each other: changing the appearance of a paragraph does not automatically make it a semantic heading.
Review the system on a small screen
Check line breaks in the longest heading and the actual words on buttons. Let headings wrap naturally where possible; a forced desktop line break can create awkward single-word lines on a phone.
Limit the number of font files and weights to those the design uses. Test the page while fonts load, with longer copy, and with enlarged text. A useful type system stays understandable when the content is less tidy than the design sample.
Website typography checklist
- Every text style has a role
- Real paragraphs were tested
- Heading levels follow the content structure
- Mobile line breaks remain readable
- Only needed font weights are loaded
Further reading
Typography supports your content structure. Review our business homepage content guide alongside the fonts, or explore our WordPress website design service for a complete build.
