Website Font Optimization
Poorly optimized fonts can slow down a page by 2-3 seconds. See how Silesia companies reduce loading time, improve Core Web Vitals and user experience (UX) through intelligent typography management.
Did you know that over 70% of Polish websites lose points in Core Web Vitals due to suboptimal fonts? For Silesia companies wanting to outpace their competition in Google, website font optimization becomes necessary. In this guide, I’ll show you step by step how to organize fonts so your site loads faster and user experience (UX) is consistent and readable on every device. If you’re just laying out your action plan, start with 5 Simple Steps to Better SEO for Service Businesses, then return to this typography checklist.
Key concepts in simple terms
- Font (web font) – a file with letters that determines text appearance on the page.
- Flash of Unstyled Text (FOUT) – temporary lack of text style before the target font loads.
- Flash of Invisible Text (FOIT) – text disappears momentarily because the browser waits for the font.
- Self-hosting – storing fonts on your own server instead of an external service.
- Preload and preconnect – methods for accelerating font downloading through early connection preparation.
Why should you care about fonts?
- ⏱️ You'll reduce page loading time by up to 1.8s on mobile.
- 📈 You'll improve Core Web Vitals metrics (LCP, CLS, INP), which translates to better SEO positions.
- 🧠 You'll build consistent brand image through thoughtful typography and better user experience (UX).
- 💼 You'll increase conversion – according to our projects by 18-25% through better readability.
How Do Fonts Affect Website Performance?
Each font is an additional file that the browser must download, decode, and render. If you have three styles (Regular, Bold, Italic) in three weights, that’s up to 9 files to download. With slower connections or on phones, this causes “FOUT” (Flash of Unstyled Text) or “FOIT” (Flash of Invisible Text) effects that irritate users and lower UX ratings.
Key metrics:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) – large headings with custom fonts can delay hero section display. If you need broader context on how speed affects leads, see Why Your Local Business Needs a Fast Website.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) – lack of text space reservation results in element jumping.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint) – heavy fonts and additional scripts can block the JavaScript thread and delay interactions, which I discuss more broadly in Core Web Vitals 2025: Practical Guide for Bytom Companies.
Types of Web Fonts – What to Choose in 2025?
- System fonts – fastest solution (Roboto, San Francisco, Segoe UI). Great for minimalist service websites.
- Google Fonts library – convenient but requires optimization (subsets and local hosting).
- Custom fonts – build unique brand but need refinement (subsetting, compression to WOFF2/WOFF).
Recommendation for Silesia companies: start with a hybrid – system font for body text, light custom font for headings. Combine aesthetics with performance and local positioning.
Font Optimization Techniques
1. font-display (font display method)
Set font-display: swap; in CSS so the browser displays text immediately and only later swaps the font after loading (“swap” means using fallback font). This avoids “white screens”.
@font-face {
font-family: "Manrope";
src: url("/fonts/manrope-regular.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 400;
font-style: normal;
font-display: swap;
}2. Preload and preconnect (preloading)
- Add
preconnectto font host (fonts.gstatic.com) so the browser establishes connection earlier. - Preload the most important hero section font (
<link rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin href="/fonts/manrope-700.woff2">), which reduces first text display time.
3. Subsetting (character limitation)
Remove characters you don’t use (e.g., Cyrillic, Greek). For Polish sites, keep diacritical letters (ą, ę, ś…). You reduce file size by 30-60%, and website font loading significantly speeds up.
4. Self-hosting (local hosting)
Download font files and host them on your server. You avoid additional requests and can use HTTP/3 + CDN.
5. Reduce number of weights
Regular + SemiBold are sufficient for most service websites. Leave additional variants for DTP (print and offline materials).
Font Selection for Polish Websites
Polish diacritical characters are demanding. Pay attention to:
- Readability in smaller sizes – check 14-16 px on mobile.
- Contrast – choose a font that doesn’t “bleed” on screens with poorer DPI.
- Accessibility – test with screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver).
Recommended sets for 2025:
- Headings: Manrope, Poppins, Sora
- Content: Inter, Lato, Source Sans 3
- Accents: Space Grotesk, DM Sans
Font Analysis and Optimization Tools
- Google Fonts Knowledge – Google’s best practices database showing how to configure web fonts step by step.
- WebPageTest – performance testing tool showing font request waterfall and indicating biggest delays.
- Glyphhanger – script that automatically creates subsets.
- Fontsource – npm library with ready, optimized fonts for front-end project installation.
Case Study: Beauty Salon from Katowice
Initial state (March 2025):
- 6 different external fonts (Google Fonts), 18 requests
- LCP: 3.8s (mobile), CLS: 0.19 (due to jumping headings)
- Organic traffic: 1,200 visits/month, conversion 1.6%
Recovery plan:
- Replacing 6 fonts with one typeface (Inter) in two weights
- Local hosting (self-hosting) on Cloudflare CDN + hero section preload
- Subsetting only for Polish characters
- Setting
font-display: optionalfor accents - Adding system fallback font (
font-family: "Inter", "Segoe UI", sans-serif)
Results after 8 weeks:
- LCP: 2.1s (mobile), CLS: 0.07
- Organic traffic: 1,460 visits/month (+22%)
- Conversion: 2.4% (+50%)
- Time on site: +38s
Impact on Core Web Vitals and SEO
Font optimization isn’t just aesthetics. Google rewards sites that load quickly and stably. Better Core Web Vitals = better positions for local phrases like “permanent makeup Katowice”. Additionally, you improve user experience (UX), which translates to lower bounce rate and more offer inquiries.
Best Practices for Different Website Types
- Service websites (Bytom, Gliwice): focus on simple font set, CTA in distinguished weight and plan a website consultation in Bytom to match typography to sales strategy.
- E-commerce (Katowice, Ruda Śląska): remember price and cart readability, avoid decorative fonts in checkout process.
- Information services (Silesia): ensure proper line-height (1.6+) and good alignment for long articles.
2025 Font Optimization Checklist
- Audit fonts (number of typefaces, weights, requests).
- Choose max. 2 typefaces + 3 weights.
- Download fonts and host locally in WOFF2 format to reduce download time.
- Create subset of characters needed on site.
- Add
preconnectandpreload. - Set
font-display: swaporoptional. - Test site in PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest tools, comparing mobile/desktop results.
- Monitor changes in Google Search Console (Core Web Vitals).
CTA: Order Typography Performance Audit
Don’t have time for font optimization? I’ll help you do it comprehensively. As part of audit for Silesia companies:
- I’ll analyze current fonts and their impact on Core Web Vitals,
- I’ll prepare optimized file set and implement them on the site,
- I’ll train your team on typography best practices and fast website font loading.
👉 Schedule free consultation to discuss typography audit and see example implementations for Silesia companies. Prefer live conversation? Call directly or write to contact@qualixsoftware.com, and in 48 hours I’ll prepare work schedule.
FAQ
Is it better to host Google Fonts locally? In most cases yes – local hosting with CDN reduces first download time and gives full cache control.
How many fonts can I use on a page without losing speed? Stick to maximum two typefaces and three weights. More variants quickly increase request count and worsen LCP.
How to check if fonts affect CLS? Enable Performance recording in Chrome DevTools or use CLS report in Core Web Vitals 2025: Practical Guide article to see layout shifts.
Is font optimization suitable for automation? Yes, tools like Glyphhanger or Fontsource help maintain subsets, but manual review before deployment is worth adding.
See Also
- Core Web Vitals 2025: Practical Guide for Bytom Companies – see how typography connects with performance metrics.
- SEO Best Practices 2025 for Local Businesses from Bytom – plan further SEO actions after font optimization.
- Business Card Website That Sells – 10 Elements for 2025 – learn where to use well-chosen fonts.
Faster site = better visibility + satisfied users. Take care of fonts this quarter.
Marketing and UX Terms Glossary
Search for concepts that appear in our guides about SEO, UX and web design. Each entry has a brief explanation and industry abbreviations.
A
Comparing two versions of a page or element (e.g., CTA button) to determine which generates better conversion results.
Set of protocols and tools for building software applications. Allows different systems to communicate with each other.
B
Link from another website leading to your site, crucial for SEO. Quality backlinks build domain authority.
Percentage of users who leave a page without navigating to other subpages. High bounce rate may indicate content or UX issues.
Navigation showing user's path on the site. Important for SEO and UX, helps with site structure orientation.
C
Element directing user to take action, e.g., "Schedule consultation" button. Should be prominent and specific.
Set of Google metrics (LCP, INP, CLS) evaluating page speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.
Path a customer takes from brand awareness, through consideration, to purchase and loyalty.
Process of studying user behaviors and implementing changes that increase inquiries or sales.
D
Set of components, styles, and design principles ensuring visual consistency across the entire website.
Metric predicting how well a website will rank in search engine results. Higher authority means better SEO potential.
E
Set of content quality signals: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. Influences Google's page evaluation.
Window displayed when user intends to leave the page. Used to save conversions, e.g., through discounts.
F
Structured markup describing Q&A sections, increasing chances of rich results in Google.
Metric measuring when the first piece of content appears on screen. Part of Core Web Vitals performance measurement.
G
General Data Protection Regulation applicable in EU. Requires consent for data processing and gives users control over their information.
Free business listing in Google, crucial for local SEO. Appears in maps and local search results.
Free Google tool for monitoring website performance in search, indexing, and error detection.
H
First, above-the-fold section of a page that captures attention and communicates value proposition.
Visual map showing user clicks and cursor movement, helpful for UX optimization.
I
Process of adding pages to search engine database. Page must be indexed to appear in search results.
Core Web Vitals metric measuring page responsiveness to user interactions. Replaced FID in 2024.
Connecting pages within your own website, supports SEO through link equity distribution and helps user navigation.
J
Optimizing JavaScript-powered sites for search engines. Requires server-side rendering or pre-rendering.
Structured data format preferred by Google. Enables adding page information in a way search engines understand.
K
Study of phrases potential customers use in search engines. Foundation of SEO and content marketing strategy.
L
Target page designed for one purpose, e.g., lead generation. Focuses on one audience and offer.
Valuable material (e.g., checklist, PDF) offered in exchange for contact or newsletter signup.
Core Web Vitals metric measuring loading performance. Marks when largest content element becomes visible.
M
Design strategy where mobile version is created first, then layout is expanded for larger screens.
HTML elements providing information about webpage to search engines and browsers. Include title, description, keywords.
N
Consistency of business data (name, address, phone) across the internet. Crucial for local SEO and building Google trust.
Directives for search engine robots. Nofollow - don't follow link, Noindex - don't index page in search results.
O
Optimization of page elements (headers, content, meta tags, internal linking) affecting search visibility.
Website visitors coming from unpaid search engine results. Quality organic traffic indicates effective SEO.
P
Google tool for analyzing page loading speed. Measures Core Web Vitals and suggests optimizations.
Web application working like native mobile app. Offers offline mode, push notifications, and home screen installation.
R
Designing layout to automatically adapt to user's device resolution and screen size.
Metric showing relationship between profit and campaign or project costs.
S
Practice of optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results and attract organic traffic.
Structured data in JSON-LD format describing page content and increasing visibility in search results.
Security protocol encrypting data between user browser and server. Required for HTTPS and affects SEO rankings.
T
Interface designed for touch operation: larger buttons, spacing, no interfering elements.
Elements building trust: certificates, reviews, FAQ section, security policies.
U
Overall user feelings when using a website - from first impression to task completion effectiveness.
Sequence of steps user takes to achieve goal on site (e.g., submitting form).
Research involving observation of real users using the site to detect barriers and errors.
V
Searching using voice commands. Growing SEO trend requiring optimization for long, natural phrases.
W
Functional page sketch showing section layout and interactions without focusing on final graphics.
Designing websites usable by people with disabilities. Includes screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.