The footer is a key navigational tool. Ignore it at your peril (or your visitors’ peril). It appears on every page on your website and has become a common place for useful information. So much so that many visitors would instinctively scroll to view your footer for contact details or social media accounts.
What should I have in my footer?
Below is a list of what you should consider including in your footer. Some of which are assumed as standard and by many are considered essential. Further down the list there are some recommendations that could be ‘nice to have’ as opposed to essential.
Copyright
A small bit of code can be inserted to make the year update automatically. An out-of-date copyright date is a sign of a neglected website.
Sitemap
Link to your HTML sitemap from your footer. Visitors can click it for help navigating your website or it can help search engines find their way around your website too.
Privacy Policy
Link to your privacy policy which should explain the information that your website collects and how it might be used.
Terms
Your terms of use allow you to explain to visitors what they agree to by visiting and using your website.
Contact
It’s standard to add a link to your contact information in the bottom right of your footer.
Jobs
If you’re on the lookout for new talent to recruit, your footer is a great place to link to your job opportunities.
Navigational aids
If your users haven’t managed to find what they want, extra navigation links in your footer can be a saviour. Don’t just repeat your full navigation or sitemap, include links to your most popular pages or most searched for pages as these are likely to be the pages people want to go to and can’t find (use Google Analytics to identify these).
Social media icons and updates
Include icons that link to your social media accounts. If you are active on social media, think about adding a widget that will load your most recent updates.
Email sign up
If you have an email list for an e-newsletter or your email marketing efforts, the footer is a great way to ensure that your visitors will be able to find how to sign up easily and may be tempted to sign up by seeing it featured so prominently on every page.
Clients, short testimonials
The logos of your clients and partners, as well as any short quotes or industry-recognised certifications or awards can help show your track record and improve trust.
Latest posts
If you have an active blog or regularly update your social media profiles, your footer is a great place to feature the latest from one of these.
