As an analytics software company, conversion is our area of expertise. At Ruler, we help hundreds of businesses all over the world implement effective <a href="http://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/post/2014-02-11-what-is-conversion-rate-optimisation-cro">conversion rate optimisation</a> strategies based on accurate and insightful data.

One thing we have found during our time within this market is that there's one element of a web page that's often overlooked by marketers, an element which is critical to good conversion.

I'm talking, of course, about typography.

For most marketers, typography is an unknown topic. I mean, isn't typography all down to the website designer? Isn't it their responsibility to choose a font that's going to engage potential customers?

In short, no. It is the marketers responsibility to manage a website, and that means choosing typography that's going to convert.

The link between conversion rates and typography has been scientifically proven. To choose typography that's right for a website, it's important to first understand what typography is.
<h4>So what is typography?</h4>
The word typography originates from the invention of movable type, and it's a word used to describe the process of where art meets text. Essentially, typography is a tool which can be used to express personality and style, which in the case of a website, means a brand identity.

When a website visitor loads your page the very first thing they will see is text. The visitor will scan this text for relevant information and if your website has that information in a well laid out pattern, it is going to deliver its message effectively. A visitor will scan the size of text, the length of paragraphs, length of lines, etc. After this, a visitor is going to judge your website and all of this happens within a few seconds.

With that in mind, typography is critical to conversion.

<strong>Key elements of typography</strong> There are generally six elements which make up the art of typography. These are:

<strong>Typeface</strong>

Typeface refers to a group of characters which share the same design.

<strong>Font</strong>

A font is a specific style of typeface with a set width, height, and length.

<strong>Line length</strong>

This is the distance between text that is present between the right and left margins of a page.

<strong>Leading</strong>

This is the space between baselines.

<strong>Kerning</strong>

This is the white space between letters.

<strong>Tracking</strong>

This is the process of adjusting space between letters over a range of characters.

<strong>So why is typography important?</strong>

Typography is where art meets text - but it's also where clarity meets the reader.

If your website copy is difficult to read because the typeface is too small, the words are too close together, the letters are too close together, then your visitors will either leave your website or they will struggle through your copy and ultimately not be convinced by it.

Typography is crucial because it can make or break a conversion. It is the process of understanding information effortlessly and well-formatted copy is going to ensure that your visitors focus remains on retrieving valuable information.