Google Fonts for Business Websites

There is no question that web fonts are a hot topic. Typography matters, and it is important to get it right.

If you’re part of a large organization, you can probably afford to create your own typefaces – it seems like everyone who’s anyone has their own font these days. But if you’re starting out, resources like Google Fonts are an ideal way to establish your brand and deliver your copy.

Why are fonts so important?

When you’re designing a website, it can be easy to settle for the default fonts and focus on other, seemingly more important decisions. However, not only would this be a mistake, you’d be missing out the benefits they can bring to your site. Here are some examples of how choosing the right fonts can benefit your website.

Fonts help with branding

Choosing the right font for your website can make a huge difference for your branding. From the logo to the number fonts, right down to improving UX with microcopy, your font choices establish a sort of non-verbal communication with your reader. Because of the way our eyes respond unconsciously to visual cues (we wrote more about this when we talked about storytelling and UX), your website’s fonts can impact your reader’s immediate impression of your brand. Getting the fonts right will result in successfully communicating your brand’s values and intentions. Choose the wrong fonts and you risk a jarring disconnect between what you say about your brand, and what your brand says about itself. Imagine a luxury jewelry company using Courier for its logo, for goodness sake! Or a hip new photo sharing app using Lobster for all its web copy. You see what we mean. Consider what you want to communicate with your brand – is it luxurious and trustworthy, chunky and honest, or fresh and cool? – and choose fonts that help to communicate that message. You can incorporate the right font from the beginning in your website wireframe to convey the right feel to stakeholders.

Fonts are vital for UX

Typography is one of the most critical aspects of UX design. Choosing the wrong font for your copy or navigation can make the text illegible and your website unusable. List of questions you should ask yourself when picking the best font for your website:

• How many weights does the font have?
• Is readability good owing to the x-height?
• Does this font scale well on multiple devices?
• Is it accessible?
• What is its contrast ratio?

If your chosen font has a decent range of weights, meets accessibility, x-height and contrast ratio standards and can be read easily on any device, it’s probably a safe bet. Remember: just because you, a knowledgeable and very attractive designer, prefer a font, doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice for your website. Once you’ve decided on a font, it’s always worth carrying out some user testing to see how readers respond to your font choices. As for mobile apps, check out our post on the best fonts for apps.

Factors in typography when choosing the best Google Font

Display fonts, grotesques, and slabs – typography terminology explained

All technical fields have their share of jargon and typography, to put it lightly, is no different. Here’s a run-down of the most important terms you might find when researching fonts, and what they mean.

The biggest divide in the fonts world is between serif fonts and sans-serif fonts.

Serif fonts are so called because their letters feature serifs, small lines or strokes attached to the end of the main part of the letter. Serifs have their origin in Roman stone carving, and are believed to be linked to the way that words were painted onto stone before they were carved. Serif typefaces are sometimes called ‘roman’ because of this. Garamond and Times New Roman are two classic serif fonts. Types of serif include: old-style, transitional, modern, and slab.

Sans-serif fonts, unsurprisingly, are fonts that don’t use serifs. These fonts typically appear more minimalist and modern, and they’re based on late 19th and early 20th century signage and advertising typefaces. In contrast to serif fonts, sans-serif fonts are sometimes called ‘gothic’. Helvetica is probably the most famous of the sans-serif fonts. Types of sans-serif fonts include grotesque, neo-grotesque, geometric, and humanist.

You may well read that a certain Google Font is aimed to be used for display or for text, but what’s the difference between the two categories?

Text fonts are designed for use in the main text of a website or app and need to be highly-legible, even at small sizes. Text fonts are typically clean, have wider spacing, and are less chunky than display fonts, meaning they work better in small sizes.

Display fonts, on the other hand, are predominantly designed to look stylish and original in titles, adding personality and punch, with slightly reduced legibility which would make them less ideal for use in body text.

Advantages of using Google Fonts on your website

Google Fonts is a collection of over 1,500 fonts, all available to use for free on your website. All you have to do is include a call to the fonts you want to use in your HTML and you’re good to go.

Here are some cool advantages of using Google Fonts on your website:

Improve your website’s appearance for free Google Fonts gives you access to nearly a thousand (mostly) great-looking fonts for free, giving you the freedom to choose between a whole range of professional-quality typefaces. Just a few years ago, the equivalent selection could have cost you thousands of dollars.

Boost consistency across platforms Thanks to the fact that the vast majority of current web browsers support Google Fonts, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer.

Top 50 Free Fonts for Business Websites

1. Roboto

Roboto is a versatile and modern sans-serif font. Known for its clean lines and excellent readability, it’s an ideal choice for body text in professional websites. The geometric shapes with friendly curves provide a neutral yet welcoming feel.

2. Open Sans

Open Sans is a popular web-safe font with excellent legibility. Its neutral yet friendly design works well for both headings and body text. The extensive character set and multiple weights make it highly versatile.

3. Lato

Lato features semi-rounded details and a sleek structure, making it suitable for corporate websites. It has an approachable style while maintaining professionalism.

4. Montserrat

Inspired by urban typography from the early 20th century, Montserrat offers a bold and modern look. Its geometric form makes it perfect for headlines and branding.

5. Poppins

Poppins is a geometric sans-serif font with monolinear strokes. Its stylish design makes it ideal for tech and creative business websites.

6. Raleway

Raleway is an elegant sans-serif typeface with unique stylistic features. It’s great for headings, offering a sophisticated and modern feel.

7. Nunito

Nunito is a well-balanced sans-serif font. With rounded terminals and multiple weights, it offers a friendly, approachable appearance.

8. Merriweather

Merriweather is a serif font designed for readability on screens. Its classic look and high contrast make it ideal for long-form content.

9. PT Sans

PT Sans is designed with clear readability in mind. Its humanist style gives it warmth and personality, making it suitable for professional websites.

10. Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a distinctive sans-serif font that adds character to your site. Developed for the Ubuntu operating system, it’s well-suited for tech and software websites.

11. Source Sans Pro

Source Sans Pro, Adobe’s first open-source font, is optimized for legibility. Its clean design makes it a great choice for body text on business websites.

12. Oswald

Oswald is a modern sans-serif font with a condensed style. It’s perfect for headlines and subheadings where space is limited.

13. Playfair Display

Playfair Display is a serif font with high contrast and elegant curves. It works well for upscale brands and headings.

14. Work Sans

Work Sans is optimized for on-screen readability, making it a great option for both body text and headings on business websites.

15. Cabin

Cabin is a humanist sans-serif font with modern proportions. It’s clean, approachable, and versatile for various uses.

16. Titillium Web

Titillium Web is a sleek and modern sans-serif font. It’s well-suited for minimalist designs and tech-oriented websites.

17. Quicksand

Quicksand is a geometric sans-serif font with rounded terminals. Its friendly design is perfect for creative and informal brands.

18. Arimo

Arimo is a clean sans-serif font designed for screen readability. It’s an excellent alternative to Arial for a modern, professional look.

19. Slabo

Slabo is a serif font specifically designed for use at specific pixel sizes. Its high legibility makes it ideal for headlines.

20. Libre Franklin

Libre Franklin is a versatile sans-serif font family with a modern aesthetic, making it ideal for clean and professional business websites.

21. Lora

Lora is a serif font with a balance of contemporary and traditional elements. Its smooth curves and sharp serifs make it perfect for blogs and storytelling.

22. Nunito Sans

Nunito Sans offers a rounded, friendly look while maintaining professionalism. It’s a good fit for startups and tech businesses.

23. PT Serif

PT Serif is a traditional serif font designed to work well for longer reading material. Use it for blogs or content-heavy pages.

24. Overpass

Overpass is a modern sans-serif font with a clean design. It works well for tech-oriented businesses and startups.

25. Mukta

Mukta offers a clean and versatile look with multiple weights, making it suitable for both headings and body text.

26. Rubik

Rubik stands out with its slightly rounded corners and modern appeal. It’s perfect for creative agencies and tech startups.

27. Yanone Kaffeesatz

Yanone Kaffeesatz has a distinctive, condensed style. It’s great for bold headlines and modern designs.

28. Exo 2

Exo 2 offers a futuristic design with a tech-inspired look. It’s perfect for innovation-driven businesses.

29. Josefin Sans

Josefin Sans offers an elegant, vintage feel with a geometric design. It’s great for creative portfolios.

30. Arvo

Arvo is a geometric slab-serif font, offering both style and readability. Use it for startups and tech brands.

31. Tinos

Tinos is a serif font with excellent readability on screens, making it a reliable choice for content-heavy sites.

32. Spectral

Spectral is a serif font with a modern twist, ideal for high-end editorial content or storytelling websites.

33. Hind

Hind is a clean and simple font, designed to ensure legibility in both small and large sizes. Use it for content-driven websites.

34. Karla

Karla is a grotesque sans-serif font with a minimalist approach. It’s perfect for modern business websites.

35. Fira Sans

Fira Sans is a highly legible font, designed for readability across devices and browsers. It’s ideal for UI/UX design.

36. Vollkorn

Vollkorn is a classic serif font that works well for body text. It’s suitable for professional blogs and educational websites.

37. Cabin

Cabin is inspired by the classic humanist style but with a modern touch. It’s suitable for a variety of business websites.

38. Inconsolata

Inconsolata is a monospaced font, commonly used in coding and tech-related websites for its clean and uniform appearance.

39. Slabo 27px

Slabo 27px is specifically designed for display at a pixel size of 27px, offering excellent clarity for headlines.

40. Alegreya

Alegreya is a highly readable serif font with a calligraphic style. It’s perfect for literary and artistic websites.

41. Barlow

Barlow is a low-contrast, slightly rounded font, making it great for modern, minimalist websites.

42. IBM Plex Sans

IBM Plex Sans is a highly versatile font designed for both digital and print media, ensuring consistency across platforms.

43. Heebo

Heebo is a clean sans-serif font, great for corporate websites and portfolios.

44. Manrope

Manrope is a minimalist sans-serif font, ideal for modern UI design and clean website layouts.

45. Noto Sans

Noto Sans supports multiple languages and scripts, making it highly versatile for global websites.

46. Cormorant

Cormorant is a serif font with an elegant and refined style, perfect for luxury brands.

47. Red Hat Display

Red Hat Display is a modern sans-serif font designed for branding and headlines.

48. Cantarell

Cantarell is designed for on-screen readability, making it a solid choice for content-driven websites.

49. Be Vietnam Pro

Be Vietnam Pro is a clean, modern sans-serif font with multiple weights, suitable for business and tech websites.

50. Commissioner

Commissioner is a modern and versatile sans-serif font that offers great readability for both headings and body text.

Final Thoughts

Selecting the right font for your website can greatly impact your brand’s perception, readability and user experience. Start experimenting with these free fonts for your business website today.