Browsers rely on your website footer to be both succinct and sprawling at once – a tidy but far-reaching section of your website that can bring them where they want to go/show them what they want to see without having to search that hard.
You may have found yourself doing this when on a website. The homepage may look nice and flashy, but that something particular that you are looking for (testimonials perhaps) eludes you. Scrolling down to the footer is sure to provide you with some options. Here we list what could ideally be included in your website footer design and why it is useful to be there.
Accessibility – Sitemap / Navigation / Search
For new browsers who are looking for something quickly or even for returning browsers who need to locate a particular page, having a sitemap in your footer allows them to simply scroll down, click once for your sitemap and then be presented with options that contain what they are looking for. This also extends to having a similar navigation link or a search function in that browsers can look to find what they are looking for with minimal effort on their behalf. These aspects allow for and can help to counteract bounce rates of those who don’t have the time or patience to look through your website to find the information that they are looking for.
The Nitty Gritty – Privacy or Cookie Policy / Terms of Use / Terms & Conditions / Copyright
Most of the time, visitors to your website are looking to engage and interact with your content. However, you can’t neglect to include some technical and legal jargon to some degree and to protect yourself and your work. Instead of dedicating a full tab or section to these areas (such as privacy policies, cookie policies, terms of use, terms and conditions and copyright details etc.); they can find refuge in the footer area. Here they do not have to take up much room at all and can simply be linked text in a smaller font. Inconspicuous but important.
Location at a Glance – Address / Directions / Map / Contact Details
Perhaps more useful in the footer if you have a single bricks and mortar location – a map quickly and easily gives that ‘at a glance’ attribute to your contact details. With your address and contact details listed directly beside it (ensure to engage click-to-call capabilities for phone numbers and links for e-mail addresses), website users are given the option to get in touch with your business by a single click or tap.
Connectivity – Social Media / Signup / Press
You do not necessarily have to be computer/smartphone literate to recognise some of the leading social media icons like Facebook and Twitter. By simply having social media icons in your website footer with each being linked to their respective pages, you give a straightforward avenue for users to connect with you.
Likewise, a link to signup to your newsletters also finds favour in the footer due to this single-click use. Should your business find itself in the media or availing of press releases from time to time, tucking this link into the footer can prevent you from projecting a big-headed image with a dedicated press and promotion tab and section of your website.
Images + Branding
Frequently appearing in footers in more recent times, a clear and concise image or logo in your footer can nicely bind the surrounding text and provide a balance with business logos that are usually found in the header section of websites. To add a personal touch, a photo of your team or CEO can often look nice here to inject a human touch and give some spotlight to the people behind the scenes of your website, work and business.
Words of Wisdom – Mission and Vision Statements / Values / Slogan / SEO Phrases
As your footer is very much a part of your website, you can make clever use of SEO here. By transcribing all or a portion of your mission or vision statements or even your values or slogan, you may find that these words and phrases tie in with your SEO keywords. This can be displayed in a smaller font if you so wish as Google is blind to font sizes and instead simply reads words and phrases regardless of font size and colour etc.
Outside Influences – External Associations / Awards / Testimonials
Knowing that your website footer is a popular destination for website users, you can include external factors here that can look equally eye-catching and impressive. A list of awards and external bodies that you may be associated with can appear relevant here as a closing sign-off to the text of your web pages as it shows that what you are stating and writing about is supported and reinforced by others. This also applies to client and customer testimonials whereby you could simply provide a link to the testimonial page or have a slider plugin that continually changes with a flow of testimonials.
Don’t forget a . . . Call to Action
Last but certainly not least – consider adding a call to action to your footer. In this way, your website footer really becomes an active snapshot of your website with this frontier giving browsers the ability to make a purchase or create a conversion again with one simple click or tap.
Talk to us today at Ireland Website Design about your footer and overall website design. Our development and design experts work with you to get the best from your website and help it reach its potential. This can of course include dedicated footer design and functionality suited to your individual business needs and goals.
