What should a website footer contain?
Updated: 22nd September 2022
Reading time: 6 min
When you consider website design, you probably think about menu, colors, and layout. I am not surprised, these are the factors webmasters usually focus on in order to deliver a unique, clear and intuitive website.
But are these aspects the most important ones?
When you start creating a page, your focus and dedication go to the top of the website. You are well-rested and excited about the project. After spending hours on coming up with the perfect colors pallet and shape of the menu buttons, you get tired and bored, what might result in neglection of elements at the bottom of the website - like the footer, which from a user's point of view is just as important as the menu.
Many webmasters consider a footer as an irrelevant part of the project, where they force the address, terms of use and a few "spammy" links.
In reality, a footer is a place to improve branding and display helpful information for the users. It should draw visitors' attention, be thought-through and show only necessary news.
Put yourself in the viewers' shoes - when you scroll down to the bottom of the website, what do you expect to find there?
An answer to this question is crucial to design a perfect footer.
Which elements should be placed in a footer?
Website map
Website Map is usually underestimated by webmasters and visitors. Even though they are not very clickable, they are important for internet searches and help robots understand the structure of your site.
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Terms of use and regulations
One of the elements that can be placed in footers are regulations, where users can find information on what personal details does the website save, where it stores them and how are they used. In most companies, it applies to the cookies, forms and e-mail registrations.
When it comes to the terms of use, they explain what are the rules of using the website, for example, a user entering a website that sells alcohol needs to be 18 (or 21).
Contact details
The must-have. I believe all users expect to see contact details in the footer. In fact, that's the place where they are looking for them. Making contact with you as simple as possible should be a priority - it's good for website reliability and user experience.
If users made it to the bottom of the website, they should be able to send you an e-mail or make a phone call. Nevertheless, contact details should be placed in more than one place.
Source: Natural Life Choices*
Map
Showing company location on Google maps improves website credibility. Address or a map help the user evaluate the distance to the company and have a good influence on local positioning.
When creating a responsive website, make sure that the map displays properly on all devices.
Read a guide on how to add your company to Google Maps in WebWave.
Navigation
Navigation links in the footer can simplify for the users finding exactly what they are looking for. Create links to the most interesting articles and subpages.
Source: WebWave*
Unfortunately, many websites take it too far and put all the links in the footer, which obviously is not a good practice. Keep in mind that the footer should be helpful and answer the most frequently asked questions.
Social media
Icons and widgets of social media in a footer are a common practice.
But why in the footer?
Visitors who enter social media through the bottom of your website, probably won't come back on it. It's crucial you place the most important information before and give users a chance to read it before exiting the website.
Users who find what they were looking for before reaching the footer can leave a "Like" and become a valuable member of your community. You might decide to oversee all such users with membership management software like Impexium.
Source: ThermiT*
Newsletter
Header and popups are not the only places where you can encourage visitors to sign up. Place a newsletter signup form in the footer and build a community of users interested in the brand.
Logo and mission
Placing in the footer a logo and a short description of your business gives a good impression. What's more, adding a few words about what you do is an alternative to creating a separate subpage "About us", especially when we don't want to draw visitor attention from the offer.
Source: Prestige Brand Studio*
*Website created in white label website builder WebWave.
Summary
Even though the footer is at the bottom of the website, it doesn't make it any less important than elements at the top of it.
Nowadays, it's the place where users search for the most important information. It can contain a website map, terms of use, contact details, a map, website navigation, social media links, newsletter signup form or a logo and short company description.
I know there is a lot to choose from, but make sure not to overdo the footer, it shouldn't have too many elements and information. Think about what would you search in a footer on a website and place it there.
Regardless of what you choose, all these elements can be easily added to a footer in WebWave free website builder with no coding!
Authors: Julia Madraszewska & Weronika Wawrzyniak
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