The fonts on your website aren't just decorative choices. They directly impact whether visitors can read your content comfortably, how long they stay on your pages, and whether they trust your business enough to take action. For Maine small businesses competing for attention online, getting typography right means the difference between a website that works and one that frustrates potential customers.
Whether you're running a Kennebunk retail shop, a Southern Maine service company, or a York County hospitality business, understanding effective web design principles includes making smart typography decisions. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about choosing fonts, sizing text, and creating readable content that converts visitors into customers.
Why Typography Matters for Your Business Website
Typography does heavy lifting that most business owners never consider. Research shows that 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive—and poor typography is one of the fastest ways to lose visitors. Beyond aesthetics, typography affects:
Reading comprehension: Well-chosen fonts and proper spacing help visitors understand your message quickly. When text is hard to read, potential customers leave before learning what you offer.
Perceived credibility: Professional typography signals that you care about details and run a legitimate operation. Inconsistent or amateur font choices can undermine trust before visitors read a single word.
Accessibility compliance: Typography choices directly impact whether people with visual impairments can use your site. In 2026, accessibility isn't optional—it's both a legal consideration and a way to reach more customers.
Mobile experience: With over 70% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, typography that works across screens is essential for reaching tourists researching Kennebunkport restaurants on their phones or locals looking for service providers.
Font Selection: What Works for Small Business Websites
Choosing fonts for your website requires balancing readability, brand personality, and technical performance. Here's what Maine business owners should understand about font selection in 2026.
Stick to Two or Three Fonts Maximum
The most common typography mistake on small business websites is using too many fonts. Each additional font adds visual complexity that makes your site harder to scan and slower to load.
A proven approach: choose one font for headings and one for body text. If you need a third, reserve it for specific elements like buttons or captions. This constraint actually improves your design by creating consistency throughout your professional business website.
Prioritize Web-Safe and Variable Fonts
Not all fonts display well across devices and browsers. Web-safe fonts and modern variable fonts ensure your text looks consistent whether visitors use iPhones, Android devices, Windows computers, or Macs.
Variable fonts represent a significant advancement in 2026 web typography. They load faster than traditional font families because a single file contains multiple weights and styles. Google Sans Flex and other variable fonts let your site adapt typography for different contexts while maintaining performance—crucial for meeting Core Web Vitals requirements.
Match Fonts to Your Brand Personality
Different font styles communicate different messages:
Serif fonts (like Georgia or Merriweather) convey tradition, trustworthiness, and professionalism. They work well for law firms, financial services, and established businesses where credibility matters most.
Sans-serif fonts (like Open Sans or Inter) feel modern, clean, and approachable. They're excellent choices for service businesses, tech companies, and brands wanting to appear contemporary.
Display fonts should be used sparingly—perhaps for your logo or a single prominent headline. They add personality but can reduce readability when overused.
For most Maine small businesses, a clean sans-serif font for body text paired with either a complementary serif or a bolder sans-serif for headings provides the right balance of readability and professionalism.
Font Sizing and Spacing: The Technical Details That Matter
Even the best font choices fail without proper sizing and spacing. These technical details significantly impact readability.
Body Text Size: Start at 16 Pixels
The standard baseline for body text on websites is 16 pixels. This size ensures readability across devices without requiring visitors to zoom in. Depending on your chosen font, you might adjust slightly—some fonts read smaller than others at the same pixel size.
For Maine businesses serving older demographics or customers who may be viewing your site in bright outdoor conditions (think tourists checking your restaurant menu on a sunny day in Kennebunkport), consider going slightly larger—17 or 18 pixels can improve accessibility without looking oversized.
Heading Hierarchy: Create Clear Visual Structure
Headings guide visitors through your content and help search engines understand your page structure. Maintain a clear size progression:
- H1 headings: 32–48 pixels, used once per page for the main title
- H2 headings: 24–32 pixels, for major sections
- H3 headings: 18–24 pixels, for subsections
- H4 and below: Used sparingly for detailed organization
The key principle: each heading level should be noticeably different from the levels above and below it. If visitors can't immediately distinguish your H2s from your H3s, the hierarchy isn't working.
Line Length: The 45-90 Character Sweet Spot
Long lines of text strain the eyes because readers lose their place when moving from one line to the next. Short lines create too many breaks and feel choppy.
The established standard for readable line length is 45 to 90 characters per line, with 66 characters being the ideal target for long-form content. On most websites, this means body text shouldn't span the full width of the screen on desktop—use containers or columns to keep lines at comfortable lengths.
Line Height: Give Your Text Room to Breathe
Line height (the space between lines of text) affects both readability and the overall feel of your design. Cramped lines are difficult to read; generous spacing feels more inviting.
For most fonts, set line height at 1.5 times the font size as a starting point. Lighter or narrower fonts often benefit from slightly more space—perhaps 1.6 or 1.7. Test your choices on actual devices to ensure text feels comfortable to read.
Typography and Accessibility: Reaching All Your Customers
Accessible typography isn't just about compliance—it's about ensuring everyone who wants to do business with you can actually use your website. For Maine businesses serving diverse customers, accessibility opens doors to people you might otherwise lose.
Color Contrast Requirements
Text must contrast sufficiently with its background for people with visual impairments to read it. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) specify minimum contrast ratios:
- Regular text (under 18 pixels): 4.5:1 contrast ratio minimum
- Large text (18 pixels and above): 3:1 contrast ratio minimum
This means light gray text on a white background—a common design choice—often fails accessibility standards. Free tools like WebAIM's contrast checker let you verify your color combinations meet requirements.
Resizable Text
Your website should remain functional when visitors increase text size in their browsers. This means avoiding fixed pixel sizes for containers and using relative units (ems, rems, or percentages) for typography where possible.
Users who need larger text shouldn't have to pinch and zoom on mobile or struggle with overlapping elements on desktop. Build flexibility into your design from the start.
Readable Font Choices
Some fonts are inherently more accessible than others. Avoid:
- Fonts with ambiguous letterforms (where certain letters look too similar)
- Extremely light font weights that disappear on some screens
- Decorative fonts for any substantial amount of text
- All-caps for more than a few words (it's harder to read)
When in doubt, test your typography choices with real users across different devices and conditions.
Mobile Typography: Special Considerations
Mobile visitors have different needs than desktop users. Screen glare, varying lighting conditions, and smaller touch targets all affect how typography performs on phones and tablets.
Test on Real Devices
Font rendering varies between operating systems and devices. What looks crisp on your MacBook might appear fuzzy on an older Android phone. Test your website on actual devices—or at minimum, use browser developer tools to simulate different screens.
Increase Touch Target Size
When text is tappable (like links or menu items), ensure the touch target is large enough for reliable interaction. Apple recommends minimum touch targets of 44 pixels; Google suggests 48 pixels. This often means adding padding around link text rather than making the text itself larger.
Consider Reading Context
Mobile users often check websites in challenging conditions—bright sunlight, while walking, or during brief moments of downtime. Typography that works in ideal conditions might fail when a tourist is trying to find your Kennebunk shop's hours while standing on a busy sidewalk.
Prioritize contrast, adequate sizing, and clear visual hierarchy for mobile visitors.
Dark Mode and Typography
Dark mode has become standard across devices, and many visitors browse with it enabled. Typography that works beautifully on light backgrounds may need adjustment for dark mode.
When implementing dark mode support for your website:
- Reduce font weight slightly—bold text on dark backgrounds can appear to glow
- Increase line spacing to compensate for reduced contrast perception
- Avoid pure white (#FFFFFF) text on pure black (#000000) backgrounds; off-white on dark gray is easier on the eyes
- Ensure sufficient contrast ratios in both light and dark modes
Putting It All Together: A Typography Checklist
Before launching or updating your Maine business website, verify your typography meets these standards:
Font selection:
- [ ] Using no more than 2-3 font families
- [ ] Fonts load quickly and display consistently across devices
- [ ] Font styles match brand personality
Sizing and spacing:
- [ ] Body text at least 16 pixels
- [ ] Clear heading hierarchy with distinct size differences
- [ ] Line length between 45-90 characters
- [ ] Line height at 1.5x or greater
Accessibility:
- [ ] Color contrast meets WCAG requirements (4.5:1 for body text)
- [ ] Text remains readable when browser zoom increases
- [ ] No critical information conveyed only through decorative fonts
Mobile:
- [ ] Tested on actual mobile devices
- [ ] Touch targets adequately sized
- [ ] Readable in varied lighting conditions
Typography as Competitive Advantage
Most small business websites get typography wrong. They use too many fonts, size text too small, cram lines together, and ignore accessibility. By paying attention to these details, you differentiate your business and create a better experience for every visitor.
Good typography supports everything else your website does—from optimized landing pages to high-converting homepage design. It makes your content easier to read, your calls to action more effective, and your overall brand more professional.
For Maine small businesses ready to improve their web presence, typography is a high-impact area that often gets overlooked. Whether you're building a new site or updating an existing one, getting these fundamentals right pays dividends in user experience and conversions.
Ready to Improve Your Website's Typography?
If you're unsure whether your current website typography is helping or hurting your business, we're here to help. At Kennebunk Web Design, we build websites that balance visual appeal with readability and performance. Contact us today to discuss how thoughtful typography and design can help your Southern Maine business connect with more customers.