What to include in your website footer - Louise Goodacre Wordpress and Squarespace website design

When designing your website, alongside the header and main body of the page, don’t forget to give some attention to the footer. The footer has an important role to play, as it provides navigational and informational purposes for your website users. Interesting research from the NN Group suggests that users have become conditioned to scroll down a page now. Other research by Chartbeat suggests that website users who do scroll down past the fold (the bottom of the visible page when it first loads and the point at which a user would have to scroll to see the content beneath it) engage much more towards the bottom of the page than they do at the top, a great reason to pay attention to the footer content and design.

What is a website footer?

Located at the bottom of each page on a website, the footer is there to offer additional navigational assistance and should also be highly visible to users. It’s best to keep the footer consistent with the overall style of your website with a simple, readable design which is of course aesthetically pleasing too. With our really short concentration span, users can get bored or distracted easily, so having the footer there can help guide them to the next Call to Action at the bottom of the page as you want potential leads to be able connect with your offerings quickly and with ease.

What should you put in the footer?

Ultimately there is no ONE rule for the footer…the big question is…what does your users NEED from the footer? What adds value to YOUR users?

Here are some elements to consider:

1. Logo

An opportunity to reinforce your brand (but also this logo can link back to your home page) maybe an alternate version to the main logo or perhaps with the added bonus of your missions statement to reinforce your approach.

Here is an example of my additional logo icon, used throughout my branded material.

2. Privacy policy and cookies policy

If you’re collecting personal data from your users, (perhaps their email addresses or address) then you need a Privacy Policy and the footer is a great place to add a link to this page, making it easy and accessible to your users on every page on your website.

3. Contact info

It’s so frustrating when you can’t find the quickest way to contact a business, so either add a link to your contact form/email /phone number/ business address. Whatever is right for your business.

4. Social Media Icons

Adding social media icons to your footer is a great way to improve your brand’s online visibility and is another way for potential customers to keep in touch with you. We all know how well social channels can compliment your website and brand.

5. Mailing list sign up box

Adding social media icons to your footer is a great way to improve your brand’s online visibility and is another way for potential customers to keep in touch with you that compliment your website and brand.

GRAB YOURSELF A FREE

Downloadable Website Content planner here

6. Awards/certifications/affiliations.

Remind your audience of your skills, knowledge and expertise with a small logos to represent each one. Edinburgh castle is a great example of how to add logos to the footer, a smart clean footer.

7. Call to action

You should take this as a final opportunity to capture leads , I always recommend a bright/strong/bold colour for these so that they ‘pop’ out and grab the attention of the user.

You don’t want/need to add all of these elements, choose the ones right for your business, it takes careful planning so that you don’t crowd the footer, that’s not going to provide a positive user experience, and NOT create frustrated clients that then leave rather than stay on your site and turn into potential clients. As always for your website…don’t forget it needs to be responsive for all devices. Once you’ve finished, check it and double check…are the links all working correctly?

If you’ve got a WordPress site and struggling with doing this yourself, did you know I offer Design and Development Days/half days, taking the job off your hands so you can get on with all the other elements of running your business. Get in touch if you have any questions.

Get in Touch