\n\n\n\n
Font Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nEveryone knows that font choice is important. Just think about how you\u2019d feel if your favorite brand switched their core font to Comic Sans! But choosing a good font doesn\u2019t necessarily mean choosing a \u201csafe\u201d font. You can have fun and explore different types of typeface until one feels right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The core tenants of a good font are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- It should be legible<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It should be on-brand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Outside of those two requirements, you should feel free to try lots of options until you find the right fit for your project. The four most common font styles<\/a> used in logo and website design are serif, san-serif, script, and decorative fonts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"wells](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wf.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"berkshire](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BH.png\")
Examples of wordmarks with serif fonts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"man](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Man-Crates-784x784-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSerif Fonts <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescriptors:<\/strong> classic, trusted, respected, traditional, steadfast, established, credible, reliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSerifs<\/a> refer to the small strokes featured at the end of the letters in certain fonts. All those essays you had to submit in double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman during high school? They had serif strokes. Serif fonts still remain popular on printed materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSerif fonts are popular in the financial sector due to their time-honored, dependable appearance. Wells Fargo<\/a> and Berkshire Hathaway<\/a> both use serif fonts in their wordmarks. While narrower letters come across as formal and professional, slab serif<\/a> fonts tend to look more masculine and powerful. For example, Man Crates<\/a>\u2014the men\u2019s gift company\u2014uses a chunky serif typeface that resembles a stamp on a shipping container.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBe careful, however. As with all aspects of design, your font choice can leave some unintended impressions if it\u2019s not the right fit for your overall concept. Serif fonts can also come across as stuffy, aloof, or snobbish in some instances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"canadian](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cibc.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"iphone](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/iphone.jpeg\")
Examples of wordmarks with sans-serif fonts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/google-logo.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSans-Serif Fonts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescriptors:<\/strong> modern, progressive, straightforward, friendly, easygoing, clear, frank, transparent. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSans-serif<\/a> letters tend to look cleaner and less frilly than their serifed counterparts. This may be one of the reasons it\u2019s popular in the tech sector. Technology aims to improve and simplify our lives, so it makes sense that tech companies like Google<\/a> and Apple<\/a>\u2014and even the blog here on Layout\u2014often choose simple, serif-free typefaces for their websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBecause they look more modern than the more bookish feel of a serif font, some companies are even undergoing brand refreshes to change their older look and start over with a sans-serif font. The Canadian International Bank of Commerce<\/a> (CIBC) did exactly that when changing their logo in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAccording to CIBC President and CEO Victor Dodig<\/a>, they refreshed their look because \u201cas we look to the future, it\u2019s more important than ever that our brand captures the bank we are today.\u201d Clearly, putting a more modern, progressive foot forward was a core driver behind the font choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs more brands start and continue to use sans-serif fonts, it can be easy to lose your identity in a sea of similar-looking scripts. Some companies have combatted this by creating custom sans fonts<\/a>, but that\u2019s not necessarily feasible for every project. Make sure your overall design or idea is bold enough to allow for a subtler typeface if sans-serif fonts appeal to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"campbell's](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Campbells-logo.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"ted](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ted-and-wallys.jpeg\")
Examples of logos with script fonts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"krispy](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Krispy-Kreme-logo.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nScripts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescriptors:<\/strong> personal, sophisticated, intimate, elegant, luxurious, indulgent, domestic, old-fashioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether you believe cursive handwriting should be taught or not<\/a>, there\u2019s no indication that its popularity as a font is declining. In fact, script writing has long been a popular choice in the food industry. Krispy Kreme<\/a> and Campbell\u2019s<\/a> come to mind as two obvious examples, but smaller hometown restaurants also choose script fonts regularly. A few blocks from our Omaha office, Ted & Wally\u2019s<\/a> ice cream shop is another appropriate (and delicious) example.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s a level of intimacy that comes with a cursive script. It feels personal<\/a>, like someone took the time to scrawl out a note just for you. Because it feels more familiar, script fonts are often used for direct mail marketing and invitations as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s also a sense of nostalgia tied to cursive writing. It\u2019s often considered a remnant of the past, so it has quite the opposite effect of a sans-serif font. This nostalgia may be one of the reasons cursive is still so popular in infant and childhood products<\/a>, even when cursive itself is not being taught to many of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"fanta](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Fanta-Logo-2010.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"sanuk](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/sanuk-logo.png\")
Examples of logos with decorative fonts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"suavecito](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Suavecito-logo.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDecorative Fonts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescriptors:<\/strong> powerful, bold, creative, original, casual, fun, fresh, authentic. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDecorative fonts, display fonts<\/a>, headline fonts\u2014no matter what you want to call them, they make a statement. Sometimes a custom font will be reminiscent of an era, like the 70s or 80s. Others can be artistic, light, harsh, or sharp. When you\u2019re finding or creating the perfect decorative font, knowledge of shapes and how they affect psychology<\/a> will come in handy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nSuavecito<\/a> hair balm, for example, uses a font that looks like it could adorn the door of a tattoo shop. It\u2019s very befitting for the outlaw-style branding\u2014their About Us<\/a> page paints them as the team that\u2019s breaking the industry mold by providing high quality grooming products without the high costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/sanuk-brand-page-784x440-1.png\")
The label \u201cThis is Jeff\u201d uses the a very similar font to the one in the Sanuk logo<\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSanuk shoes<\/a> also created a font to use in their logo, but it\u2019s also used sparingly for callouts throughout the site, like on their Brand<\/a> page to label a picture of their founder Jeff Kelley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/fanta-its-a-thing-784x138-1.png\")
Screenshot of <\/em>Fanta\u2019<\/em><\/a>s \u201cIt\u2019s a Thing\u201d campaign materials<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFanta<\/a> has lots of fun with their fonts as well. Their \u201cIt\u2019s a Thing\u201d campaign matches different Fanta flavors to snacks that pair well with them, and each of the pairings has its own theme. The imagery on their homepage is highly playful, and their bulbous logo font is also reflective of that absurdity. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re choosing or creating your own decorative font, be careful that it actually fits the design aesthetic. You may love the way a font looks, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily make it right for what you\u2019re working on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nContent Hierarchy <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPlacing your content with intention when planning your website\u2019s layout will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Your content hierarchy<\/a> refers to the strategic way you arrange information on your site. While it\u2019s tempting to come up with the most beautiful visual experience possible, your user\u2019s experience on the site dictates that it can\u2019t be all about aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe most important thing to remember when it comes to your content hierarchy is that you\u2019ll never have a greater hold on your audience\u2019s attention than the second they navigate to your site. After that, every second scrolling, clicking, and loading a new page needs to be used wisely, because users are only spending an average of 54 seconds on a website before navigating away<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo ensure your viewers learn everything they need to know about you as quickly as possible, place any need-to-know information close to the top. This will ensure the majority of your viewers will, at the very least, get the gist of what you\u2019re doing and why your strategy, product, or service is a good choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This also means ensuring that your main themes stand out boldly. Use accent fonts or even the accent colors in your brand palette<\/a> to highlight subheadings or important body copy you want to highlight. Break up any large chunks of text with images, infographics, videos, calls to action, or quotes to keep your users moving\u2014if they\u2019re scrolling, they\u2019re not bouncing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nFinally, make sure every page on your website ends with some kind of clickable. Whether it\u2019s a button to purchase, a link to another page on your site, or a creative footer<\/a> with multiple internal links, provide an opportunity to keep your users on your site longer. This helps keep your bounce rate low, your rankings high, and your users happy because there\u2019s a clear direction regarding where they should navigate next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWord Choice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs important as where you put them and what they look like are the actual words you write when speaking about your brand, company, product, or client. Use these quick tips to help you craft better headlines, calls to action, product descriptions, on-page content, and blog content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Headlines & Calls to Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf a user is skimming your site, there will be a few things they\u2019ll notice, even if they\u2019re scrolling quickly: your images and graphics, your headlines, and your calls to action<\/a>. So, word choice in your headlines and CTAs is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHeadlines and subheadings are where you can sow the seeds of interest. They can be fun or figurative, but be cautious of getting too kitschy. You don\u2019t want a play on words to overpower your intended message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good subheading<\/a> causes your audience to think and helps guide them through your site, but everyone\u2019s mind works differently. Use multiple types of headlines to cast a wide net. You could include impressive numbers and statistics, SEO keywords, poignant questions, and occasional figurative language in the important headings and subheadings throughout your site. The shorter your headline or CTA, the more important your word choice, so lean into highly descriptive, action-oriented words.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is especially important in CTAs and buttons. Providing a clear action for what the user should do next is crucial\u2014whether that\u2019s to donate, call, talk to a representative, add to cart, learn more, read on, buy now, claim offer, get discount, go vote, explore, start growing, open an account, or anything else you can imagine. Make your word choice concise, directive, and immediately noticeable through your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use multiple calls to action<\/a> throughout your site to gain more traffic, as different visitors will have different desires. Some people will be on your site for the first time and just want to get to know your business. Others will have already explored what you have to offer and are ready to convert. Your site should be able to fulfill any interaction your customer could want with your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve spent time drilling down a specific font for this business or client, a website\u2019s headlines, subheadings, and calls to action are all great places to infuse it to further cement their branding in the minds of customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Product Descriptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nProduct descriptions should be short and sweet. You want to provide all the information your customers need to know, but going into too much detail in the description of the product isn\u2019t necessary. In fact, it can be detrimental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a 2003 article published in the Annual Review of Psychology<\/a>, less than 5% of words used in daily speech or writing are considered \u201cemotional\u201d words. The authors state that this is because, \u201cfrom an evolutionary perspective, language did not emerge as a vehicle to express emotion. In natural speech we generally use intonation, facial expression, or other nonverbal cues to convey how we feel.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, be hesitant to use overly fluffy, hyperbolic, or emotional language in a product description\u2014there\u2019s a good chance it will come across disingenuous. Simply explain the product, why it\u2019s beneficial, and add a price, any necessary dimensions or sizing\u2014maybe add a star rating if you have one available. After that, great reviews from your customers<\/a> should do the selling for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOn-Page Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter users have started moving through your site, you can afford to talk about your business model, company values, products, and services more specifically. Each interior page should be a closer examination into a more dialed-in topic. However, that doesn\u2019t mean the actual segments of your content need to get larger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of your on-page content as segments of mini advertisements. Ads are short, so break up your content<\/a> into small, digestible pieces. Users are surfing the web via mobile devices with increasing frequency every year, so the paragraphs have to be small enough that they\u2019ll still break up nicely on a smaller screen. Try to limit your paragraphs to 2\u20133 sentences, infuse lots of images, and leave plenty of white space between blocks of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re sitting down to write about a topic, pay particular attention to the positive and negative words you use. Yes, your content should explain why readers should convert, but how you ask them to do so will say a lot about you and your motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Words like more, increasing, abundant, beneficial, above, exceptional and most words with the suffix -ful (skillful, beautiful, delightful, powerful) are considered positive words. Use them when you\u2019re trying to embolden and uplift your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nike<\/a>\u2019s \u201cJust Do It\u201d is a great example of a positive tagline. While positive and negative motivation are both common in athletics, it\u2019s notable that Nike chose positive language instead of something like \u201cNever Give Up\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t Quit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWords like none, no, not, less, fewer, under, below, can\u2019t, doesn\u2019t and any word with the prefix in- or un- are likely to hold negative connotations. Negative words can increase stress<\/a>, which can actually be useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Not-a-Gun-03-sm-1-784x784-1.jpeg\")
The ads invite users to visit <\/em>notagun.org<\/em><\/a> which advocates for police de-escalation and non-violence training<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTake this design example. The \u201cNot a Gun<\/a>\u201d campaign by the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation<\/a> won gold at the American Advertising Awards for its creativity. The word \u201cNot\u201d already primes the human brain for stress. That subtle subconscious stress triggered by their negative word choice is being used intentionally to jar the audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\nJust as positive and negative words can prime the brain for different messages, questions and statements can do the same. Where questions make you think, statements assert authority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the human brain, a question posed is a question answered. Take this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you think of an animal that lives in water?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI\u2019d bet your brain automatically switched gears to a picture of some kind of aquatic wildlife. This human urge to prepare an answer is what makes asking your audience questions such a useful communication tool. It\u2019s why we still see new iterations of the \u201cGot Milk?\u201d campaign<\/a>\u2014because they continue to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStatements, on the other hand, set an authoritative tone. Whether you\u2019re telling users about a product or telling them to do something, direct statements put you in charge (therefore placing you in the best position to direct your audience). <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Go-in-deep-02-784x507-1.jpeg\")
Designs feature a woman repelling down a tooth as well as a SCUBA diver diving between them<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nStudent Sam Luo also won gold at last year\u2019s American Advertising Awards for his matter-of-fact design. Based around a simple concept, \u201cGo In Deep<\/a>,\u201d zooms into the spaces between teeth to encourage viewers to use Oral-B floss.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBlogs & Additional Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhere on-page content should serve a singular purpose and invoke a strong feeling, blogs can afford to really dig in. By the time a person has clicked through your site and gotten to the blog, they want all the details, but if you had decided to show all this information to the people who are first encountering your site, it might be overwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to keep the long-winded explanations out of your on-page content and save them for your blogs and additional content. Blogs are where you can wax poetic. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you need to add in words for the sake of meeting some arbitrary quota. Writers often have the misconception that longer paragraphs make them sound smarter, but your readers would much prefer for you to get to the point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Write in an active voice<\/a> as much as possible to help eliminate ambiguity and get to the point of your blog without too many prepositional phrases or lingering antecedents. Then, once you\u2019ve said all you need to say, proofread<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\nYou should proofread all the content that goes on your site\u2014obviously\u2014but marketers will sometimes overlook this step on a blog in their rush to publish new content. While you can\u2019t guarantee an error-free publication, you\u2019d be surprised how many edits can pop up when you read through your work with fresh eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like any good web page, make sure your blog is interspersed with the proper H2 and H3 tags and that your paragraphs remain small and digestible (although they can afford to get a bit meatier here). Images and graphics can and should be used to break up longer blogs\u2014like this one\u2014and jump links and anchor text<\/a> can help direct your readers more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMore Design Goodness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We hope you\u2019re enjoying our deep dive into the psychological factors that make up great design. Make sure to check out parts 1\u20133 to get the full picture, and keep watching the WP Engine Resource Center for the next installment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside of those two requirements, you should feel free to try lots of options until you find the right fit for your project. The four most common font styles<\/a> used in logo and website design are serif, san-serif, script, and decorative fonts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Descriptors:<\/strong> classic, trusted, respected, traditional, steadfast, established, credible, reliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Serifs<\/a> refer to the small strokes featured at the end of the letters in certain fonts. All those essays you had to submit in double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman during high school? They had serif strokes. Serif fonts still remain popular on printed materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serif fonts are popular in the financial sector due to their time-honored, dependable appearance. Wells Fargo<\/a> and Berkshire Hathaway<\/a> both use serif fonts in their wordmarks. While narrower letters come across as formal and professional, slab serif<\/a> fonts tend to look more masculine and powerful. For example, Man Crates<\/a>\u2014the men\u2019s gift company\u2014uses a chunky serif typeface that resembles a stamp on a shipping container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be careful, however. As with all aspects of design, your font choice can leave some unintended impressions if it\u2019s not the right fit for your overall concept. Serif fonts can also come across as stuffy, aloof, or snobbish in some instances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Descriptors:<\/strong> modern, progressive, straightforward, friendly, easygoing, clear, frank, transparent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sans-serif<\/a> letters tend to look cleaner and less frilly than their serifed counterparts. This may be one of the reasons it\u2019s popular in the tech sector. Technology aims to improve and simplify our lives, so it makes sense that tech companies like Google<\/a> and Apple<\/a>\u2014and even the blog here on Layout\u2014often choose simple, serif-free typefaces for their websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because they look more modern than the more bookish feel of a serif font, some companies are even undergoing brand refreshes to change their older look and start over with a sans-serif font. The Canadian International Bank of Commerce<\/a> (CIBC) did exactly that when changing their logo in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to CIBC President and CEO Victor Dodig<\/a>, they refreshed their look because \u201cas we look to the future, it\u2019s more important than ever that our brand captures the bank we are today.\u201d Clearly, putting a more modern, progressive foot forward was a core driver behind the font choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As more brands start and continue to use sans-serif fonts, it can be easy to lose your identity in a sea of similar-looking scripts. Some companies have combatted this by creating custom sans fonts<\/a>, but that\u2019s not necessarily feasible for every project. Make sure your overall design or idea is bold enough to allow for a subtler typeface if sans-serif fonts appeal to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Descriptors:<\/strong> personal, sophisticated, intimate, elegant, luxurious, indulgent, domestic, old-fashioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you believe cursive handwriting should be taught or not<\/a>, there\u2019s no indication that its popularity as a font is declining. In fact, script writing has long been a popular choice in the food industry. Krispy Kreme<\/a> and Campbell\u2019s<\/a> come to mind as two obvious examples, but smaller hometown restaurants also choose script fonts regularly. A few blocks from our Omaha office, Ted & Wally\u2019s<\/a> ice cream shop is another appropriate (and delicious) example.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a level of intimacy that comes with a cursive script. It feels personal<\/a>, like someone took the time to scrawl out a note just for you. Because it feels more familiar, script fonts are often used for direct mail marketing and invitations as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also a sense of nostalgia tied to cursive writing. It\u2019s often considered a remnant of the past, so it has quite the opposite effect of a sans-serif font. This nostalgia may be one of the reasons cursive is still so popular in infant and childhood products<\/a>, even when cursive itself is not being taught to many of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Descriptors:<\/strong> powerful, bold, creative, original, casual, fun, fresh, authentic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Decorative fonts, display fonts<\/a>, headline fonts\u2014no matter what you want to call them, they make a statement. Sometimes a custom font will be reminiscent of an era, like the 70s or 80s. Others can be artistic, light, harsh, or sharp. When you\u2019re finding or creating the perfect decorative font, knowledge of shapes and how they affect psychology<\/a> will come in handy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suavecito<\/a> hair balm, for example, uses a font that looks like it could adorn the door of a tattoo shop. It\u2019s very befitting for the outlaw-style branding\u2014their About Us<\/a> page paints them as the team that\u2019s breaking the industry mold by providing high quality grooming products without the high costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanuk shoes<\/a> also created a font to use in their logo, but it\u2019s also used sparingly for callouts throughout the site, like on their Brand<\/a> page to label a picture of their founder Jeff Kelley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fanta<\/a> has lots of fun with their fonts as well. Their \u201cIt\u2019s a Thing\u201d campaign matches different Fanta flavors to snacks that pair well with them, and each of the pairings has its own theme. The imagery on their homepage is highly playful, and their bulbous logo font is also reflective of that absurdity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re choosing or creating your own decorative font, be careful that it actually fits the design aesthetic. You may love the way a font looks, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily make it right for what you\u2019re working on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Placing your content with intention when planning your website\u2019s layout will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Your content hierarchy<\/a> refers to the strategic way you arrange information on your site. While it\u2019s tempting to come up with the most beautiful visual experience possible, your user\u2019s experience on the site dictates that it can\u2019t be all about aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing to remember when it comes to your content hierarchy is that you\u2019ll never have a greater hold on your audience\u2019s attention than the second they navigate to your site. After that, every second scrolling, clicking, and loading a new page needs to be used wisely, because users are only spending an average of 54 seconds on a website before navigating away<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure your viewers learn everything they need to know about you as quickly as possible, place any need-to-know information close to the top. This will ensure the majority of your viewers will, at the very least, get the gist of what you\u2019re doing and why your strategy, product, or service is a good choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This also means ensuring that your main themes stand out boldly. Use accent fonts or even the accent colors in your brand palette<\/a> to highlight subheadings or important body copy you want to highlight. Break up any large chunks of text with images, infographics, videos, calls to action, or quotes to keep your users moving\u2014if they\u2019re scrolling, they\u2019re not bouncing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, make sure every page on your website ends with some kind of clickable. Whether it\u2019s a button to purchase, a link to another page on your site, or a creative footer<\/a> with multiple internal links, provide an opportunity to keep your users on your site longer. This helps keep your bounce rate low, your rankings high, and your users happy because there\u2019s a clear direction regarding where they should navigate next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As important as where you put them and what they look like are the actual words you write when speaking about your brand, company, product, or client. Use these quick tips to help you craft better headlines, calls to action, product descriptions, on-page content, and blog content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a user is skimming your site, there will be a few things they\u2019ll notice, even if they\u2019re scrolling quickly: your images and graphics, your headlines, and your calls to action<\/a>. So, word choice in your headlines and CTAs is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Headlines and subheadings are where you can sow the seeds of interest. They can be fun or figurative, but be cautious of getting too kitschy. You don\u2019t want a play on words to overpower your intended message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A good subheading<\/a> causes your audience to think and helps guide them through your site, but everyone\u2019s mind works differently. Use multiple types of headlines to cast a wide net. You could include impressive numbers and statistics, SEO keywords, poignant questions, and occasional figurative language in the important headings and subheadings throughout your site. The shorter your headline or CTA, the more important your word choice, so lean into highly descriptive, action-oriented words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially important in CTAs and buttons. Providing a clear action for what the user should do next is crucial\u2014whether that\u2019s to donate, call, talk to a representative, add to cart, learn more, read on, buy now, claim offer, get discount, go vote, explore, start growing, open an account, or anything else you can imagine. Make your word choice concise, directive, and immediately noticeable through your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use multiple calls to action<\/a> throughout your site to gain more traffic, as different visitors will have different desires. Some people will be on your site for the first time and just want to get to know your business. Others will have already explored what you have to offer and are ready to convert. Your site should be able to fulfill any interaction your customer could want with your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve spent time drilling down a specific font for this business or client, a website\u2019s headlines, subheadings, and calls to action are all great places to infuse it to further cement their branding in the minds of customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product descriptions should be short and sweet. You want to provide all the information your customers need to know, but going into too much detail in the description of the product isn\u2019t necessary. In fact, it can be detrimental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a 2003 article published in the Annual Review of Psychology<\/a>, less than 5% of words used in daily speech or writing are considered \u201cemotional\u201d words. The authors state that this is because, \u201cfrom an evolutionary perspective, language did not emerge as a vehicle to express emotion. In natural speech we generally use intonation, facial expression, or other nonverbal cues to convey how we feel.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, be hesitant to use overly fluffy, hyperbolic, or emotional language in a product description\u2014there\u2019s a good chance it will come across disingenuous. Simply explain the product, why it\u2019s beneficial, and add a price, any necessary dimensions or sizing\u2014maybe add a star rating if you have one available. After that, great reviews from your customers<\/a> should do the selling for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After users have started moving through your site, you can afford to talk about your business model, company values, products, and services more specifically. Each interior page should be a closer examination into a more dialed-in topic. However, that doesn\u2019t mean the actual segments of your content need to get larger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of your on-page content as segments of mini advertisements. Ads are short, so break up your content<\/a> into small, digestible pieces. Users are surfing the web via mobile devices with increasing frequency every year, so the paragraphs have to be small enough that they\u2019ll still break up nicely on a smaller screen. Try to limit your paragraphs to 2\u20133 sentences, infuse lots of images, and leave plenty of white space between blocks of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re sitting down to write about a topic, pay particular attention to the positive and negative words you use. Yes, your content should explain why readers should convert, but how you ask them to do so will say a lot about you and your motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Words like more, increasing, abundant, beneficial, above, exceptional and most words with the suffix -ful (skillful, beautiful, delightful, powerful) are considered positive words. Use them when you\u2019re trying to embolden and uplift your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nike<\/a>\u2019s \u201cJust Do It\u201d is a great example of a positive tagline. While positive and negative motivation are both common in athletics, it\u2019s notable that Nike chose positive language instead of something like \u201cNever Give Up\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t Quit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Words like none, no, not, less, fewer, under, below, can\u2019t, doesn\u2019t and any word with the prefix in- or un- are likely to hold negative connotations. Negative words can increase stress<\/a>, which can actually be useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take this design example. The \u201cNot a Gun<\/a>\u201d campaign by the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation<\/a> won gold at the American Advertising Awards for its creativity. The word \u201cNot\u201d already primes the human brain for stress. That subtle subconscious stress triggered by their negative word choice is being used intentionally to jar the audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as positive and negative words can prime the brain for different messages, questions and statements can do the same. Where questions make you think, statements assert authority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the human brain, a question posed is a question answered. Take this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you think of an animal that lives in water?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d bet your brain automatically switched gears to a picture of some kind of aquatic wildlife. This human urge to prepare an answer is what makes asking your audience questions such a useful communication tool. It\u2019s why we still see new iterations of the \u201cGot Milk?\u201d campaign<\/a>\u2014because they continue to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Statements, on the other hand, set an authoritative tone. Whether you\u2019re telling users about a product or telling them to do something, direct statements put you in charge (therefore placing you in the best position to direct your audience). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Student Sam Luo also won gold at last year\u2019s American Advertising Awards for his matter-of-fact design. Based around a simple concept, \u201cGo In Deep<\/a>,\u201d zooms into the spaces between teeth to encourage viewers to use Oral-B floss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where on-page content should serve a singular purpose and invoke a strong feeling, blogs can afford to really dig in. By the time a person has clicked through your site and gotten to the blog, they want all the details, but if you had decided to show all this information to the people who are first encountering your site, it might be overwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to keep the long-winded explanations out of your on-page content and save them for your blogs and additional content. Blogs are where you can wax poetic. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you need to add in words for the sake of meeting some arbitrary quota. Writers often have the misconception that longer paragraphs make them sound smarter, but your readers would much prefer for you to get to the point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Write in an active voice<\/a> as much as possible to help eliminate ambiguity and get to the point of your blog without too many prepositional phrases or lingering antecedents. Then, once you\u2019ve said all you need to say, proofread<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should proofread all the content that goes on your site\u2014obviously\u2014but marketers will sometimes overlook this step on a blog in their rush to publish new content. While you can\u2019t guarantee an error-free publication, you\u2019d be surprised how many edits can pop up when you read through your work with fresh eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like any good web page, make sure your blog is interspersed with the proper H2 and H3 tags and that your paragraphs remain small and digestible (although they can afford to get a bit meatier here). Images and graphics can and should be used to break up longer blogs\u2014like this one\u2014and jump links and anchor text<\/a> can help direct your readers more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope you\u2019re enjoying our deep dive into the psychological factors that make up great design. Make sure to check out parts 1\u20133 to get the full picture, and keep watching the WP Engine Resource Center for the next installment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSerif Fonts <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSans-Serif Fonts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nScripts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDecorative Fonts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nContent Hierarchy <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWord Choice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Headlines & Calls to Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Product Descriptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On-Page Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Blogs & Additional Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMore Design Goodness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n