15 Tips for Creating a Great Website Footer

One of the most important locations on your website is the footer. Yes, seriously! It may not be the area of the greatest design or most impressive content but it is a place where users frequently look for information. So it’s vitally important that you don’t neglect this area when planning a web design project.

But what elements should you include in your website’s footer? How can you keep it organised and in line with your overall aesthetic without being obtrusive?

Here we’ll look at 15 tips for creating a great footer.

1. Keep the design simple

Yes, this is one of the keys to most design projects, but it is worth stating right off the bat. Simple design is important when working with a lot of information, which will likely be the case for a footer.

Stick to clean elements, plenty of space and organise with purpose. Try to avoid clutter and think about what elements will live in your footer and why they should be there.

Footer size is often related to the amount of information and number of pages on your website.

2. Link to your information

Two of the most important links in any website footer go to the “About Us” and “Contact Us” pages. Users will want to know who you are and what your company or brand is about.

Make it easy to find that information. Many will also want to know about your team members and how to reach them. This is a vital tool. Many people lose business cards and will return to your website to retrieve that contact information.

3. Include basic contact information

While you should link to a full “Contact Us” page, including relevant contact information in the footer is nice as well. Include a main phone number, email address and physical address. Bonus points for setting each element up so that it autodials, emails or maps when clicked.

4. Organise footer links

Grouping like footer items can create a nice sense of organisation for links and information. Consider several columns (or rows) of relevant information – such as contact, links, services, social media and sections from your most popular pages. Place each section under a header so that every element is easy to see and find.

5. Include a copyright notice

This tiny line of text can be a lifesaver. Don’t forget it. While most websites include it as a single line across the bottom of the screen, you can design it to be more integrated into the rest of the footer.

A copyright notice can be written or include the small, circular “c” symbol. The text often includes the year of publication and name of the copyright owner.

Multiple copyright notices can account for content and design for websites that are partially created by a third party.

6. Include a call-to-action

Once users have navigated to your footer, give them something to do while they are there. Include a box to sign up for an e-newsletter or invite them to follow you on a social media channel. Don’t forget the value of this space in terms of converting clicks.

7. Use graphic elements

Too often footers are just a block of type. Add logos or graphic elements for added visual interest. Just be careful not to overload this small space with too many elements.

Think of it like this. Rather than spelling out “Follow me on Facebook/Instagram/whatever,” include icons for these outlets.

You could also use small iconic elements for links, such as maps or phone numbers, but you should probably include a hover state that has the information “spelled out” as well.

8. Be aware of contrast and readability

Footer information is typically very small. This makes thinking about colour, weight and contrast between the text elements and background vital. Every word should be readable. Consider simple typefaces (sans serifs with medium weights are nice) and a touch more leading than you might typically use.

Opt for colours with high contrast, such as a light background with black text or dark background with white text. Avoid using varying colours or ornate typefaces.

9. Maintain your website’s design theme

The website footer should not look like an afterthought. It should match the overall design theme of the website. Colours, styles and graphic elements should mirror the overall tone. Don’t make the common mistake of adding a “box” footer that does not match.

Think about this space and how it will be used from the start of a project to avoid getting stuck with a mismatched element late in the design process.

10. Think small (but not too small)

Footers by nature include a lot of small items. Just be careful not to go too small.

Text can be a few points smaller than the size used for the main body of the website. Icons or images need to be readable at the size you choose. If you can’t tell what the icon is, it’s probably too small. Elements must be large enough to easily click or tap. If users can’t access the links because they are too small or too close together, they will not work as intended.

11. Use plenty of space

Because footers typically live in tight locations, space and spacing is important.

Leave plenty of room around elements in the footer, as well as between lines of text. Adequate spacing will keep the footer area from looking cramped or uninviting. It also goes a long way toward click- or tapability. Since many (if not all) of the items in the footer are linked to something else, this is an important aspect of user function.

The amount of space you use does not have to perfectly mirror spacing on the rest of the website, although it can. This is especially true for websites that use tight spacing in the main body of the website for a specific effect or impact.

12. Be wary of too many objects

While using graphic elements and headers is a good idea, there is a line between just right and too much. Use these items sparingly and for a very specific purpose. Ask yourself why you are using a header, icon or photo. If the answer is “because it looks good”, reconsider it. Every element should serve a purpose. This will help you design a usable footer that makes good use of the space available.

13. Create a sense of hierarchy

Just like the rest of the website, a footer should be hierarchical in nature. This is a two-fold design. The footer should fall at the bottom of the overall website hierarchy. That is where it is located after all.

The footer should also contain a hierarchy of elements within its “container”. The most important elements (often contact information, call-to-action or website map) should be the most prominent.

Standard information, such as the copyright notice, is often the smallest in scale.

14. Consider a subfooter

Does your footer need a footer? Consider a subfooter for additional layering. It’s a very popular practice. The subfooter might be a great place to create some additional hierarchy, add dimension to the footer space, if it is too dense or just provide a space for fun content.

Use this area to highlight accolades or insert a call-to-action.

15. Don’t underline all those links

The biggest footer mistake? Allowing links to have underlines. There are still a large number of websites with underlined links in the footer. This dated technique is not appropriate for a modern website design.

Conclusion

A footer can say a lot about your website. It tells users who you are, what they can do and how to get around your webpage. It also shows subtle things about you as a designer, such as attention to detail and ability to work in a small space.

The footer is an important part of the design. Pay attention to it. Make sure to include the right mix of information, design elements and usability to get the most of the lowermost space in every web design project.

SOURCE: Design Shack