Fonts were created for particular purposes, either for print or on screen viewing.Verdana has great on-screen visibility (of course now we know it is being redesigned for print media also) and that is why it has always been a great font to use for the web.
On the other hand, we know that if we use fancy fonts, most consumers won't be able to view the site as intended without downloading them. People actually did download fonts in the '90s, but as you know, consumers don't want to be burdened with that; they want information fast. We are limited in what fonts we can use to make sure everyone is getting the same user experience across different platforms. I have seen fonts used online and elsewhere that are so fancy I can't even read what it says. Sure, it lends itself to the overall look and feel of the design, but it lacks function.
Here is a great chart that shows the percentage of web users who have what font: Font Reliability.
Of course, we can use fonts for headlines and what and make them graphics, but then that puts the site at a SEO disadvantage.
Click here for another great article about web & type.
