The Ultimate Website Footer Design Tips

Website footer design is often overlooked when creating a website, but it plays a crucial role in the overall user experience. A well-designed footer can provide important information, improve navigation, and boost search engine optimization.

In this article, we will explore the importance of website footer design and provide tips for creating effective footers. We will also highlight how Strikingly can help you create stunning footers for your website.

What Is A Website Footer?

A website footer provides supplementary information to wrap up the overall user experience. It typically includes elements such as contact information, copyright notices, links to important site pages, newsletter signup forms, site credits, and social media links. The footer establishes credibility by providing more details about the company or website owner. It also gives visitors easy access to key resources and ways to stay connected with the website. The website footer helps round out each page and makes a good final impression by bringing all these elements together at the bottom of the page in a consistent format

Importance Of Website Footer Design

A well-designed website footer is important for several reasons:

• Enhances the user experience. A clean, organized footer with useful information and links give the visitor a good final impression of the website. It can help keep them engaged and make them more likely to return.
• Builds trust and credibility. Providing details like contact information, copyright notices, and site credits establishes the website as a legitimate and authoritative source. Visitors will feel more comfortable sharing their information or making a purchase.
• Improves navigation. Important links to pages like Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, or Help Center make those resources easy to find. Visitors can quickly jump to the information they need.
• Boosts conversion rates. A newsletter signup form, social media links, or call to action button in the footer provides another opportunity to capture leads or drive specific actions before visitors leave the site.
• Strengthens your brand. Using consistent design elements, logos, images, and messaging throughout your website, including in the footer, helps to build brand recognition and solidify your identity in the minds of visitors.
• Drives social shares and links. Prominent links to your social media profiles make it easy for visitors to connect with and share your website via their social networks. It can help increase traffic and referral links over time.
• Improves accessibility. A well-designed footer following web accessibility best practices ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, have a good experience on your website. It is both ethical and good for SEO.
  

The website footer plays an important role in how visitors interact with and perceive the site. Investing in a professional, optimized footer web design is well worth the resources and can significantly impact user experience, credibility, traffic, and revenue.

Goals For Website Footer Design

The main goals of a website footer are to provide important information, improve navigation, and enhance the overall user experience. A well-designed footer should include the following:

• Call-to-action buttons
• Navigation links
• Contact information
• Social media icons
• Other relevant elements that help users engage with your site.
  

The following sections highlight all the elements that make the best website footers.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

#1 Design Elements

When it comes to website footer design, several key elements should be included to ensure optimal functionality and user experience. These design elements include call-to-action buttons, navigation links, contact information, and social media icons.

Call-To-Action Buttons

Call-to-action buttons are essential to website footer design as they encourage visitors to take action on your site. These buttons can prompt visitors to sign up for a newsletter, download a free resource, or purchase.

Some website footer examples of effective call-to-action buttons include:

• Get Started button for new users
• Subscribe button for newsletter sign-ups
• Shop Now button for e-commerce sites
• Learn More button for educational resources

Navigation Links

Navigation links in the footer help visitors easily find important information on your site. The navigation link includes links to popular pages such as the About Us, Contact Us, and FAQ pages. It's important to keep these navigation links organized and easy to read by using bullet points or columns.

Contact Information

Contact information is crucial in building trust with your audience and providing an avenue for customer support. Including your business address, phone number, email address, and social media handles can help visitors connect with you easily.

Social Media Icons

Social media icons in the footer allow visitors to easily follow your brand on various platforms, which helps increase brand awareness and engagement.

Some tips for including social media icons in the footer include:

• Only include icons for platforms that are relevant to your business.
• Use simple, recognizable icons that match the overall design aesthetic of your site.
• Link each icon directly to your corresponding social media profile.

#2 Layout and Structure

When designing a website footer, it's important to consider the layout and structure. The footer should be visually appealing and provide important information to the user. Here are some key considerations:

• Width And Height Considerations

The width and height of the footer should be proportional to the rest of the website design. It should not take up too much space on the page, but it should also not be too small that it is easily overlooked.

• Placement On The Page

The placement of the footer on the page is also important. It should be located at the bottom of every page so that users can easily access it without having to scroll back up.

• Hierarchy Of Information

The information in the footer should be organized logically, with more important information in the footer. The hierarchy of information helps users quickly find what they are looking for.

• Consistency With Website Design

Finally, the design elements used in the footer must be consistent with those used throughout the rest of the website. Consistency with website design helps create a cohesive look and feel for your site.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

#3 Optimization Techniques

When designing a website footer, optimizing it for search engines and user experience is important. Here are some techniques to help you do just that.

Incorporating Keywords

One way to optimize your website footer is by incorporating relevant keywords. Incorporating keywords can help improve your website's search engine rankings and make it easier for users to find what they want. For example, if your website is about fitness, you might include keywords like workout plans, healthy eating, and personal training in your footer. Just be sure not to overdo it – keyword stuffing can hurt your SEO efforts.

Using Alt Tags

Alt tags are descriptions that appear when an image fails to load or when a user hovers over an image with their cursor. Including alt tags in your website footer can improve accessibility and SEO. For example, if you have a logo in your footer, you might use an alt tag like Fitness Studio Logo so those visually impaired users can still understand what the image represents.

Including A Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. Including a link to your sitemap in your website footer can help search engines crawl and index all your pages more easily. Additionally, a sitemap link in the footer can make it easier for users to navigate your site and find what they're looking for.

Mobile Responsiveness

With more and more people accessing websites on their mobile devices, ensuring that your website footer is mobile responsive is important. Mobile responsiveness means designing the footer to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions without sacrificing functionality or usability.

#4 Branding And Aesthetics

A website footer is a great opportunity to reinforce your brand identity and create a lasting impression on your visitors. Here are some footer examples of using branding and aesthetics to create an effective footer design.

• Color Scheme And Font Choices

Your website's color scheme, including the footer, should be consistent throughout the site. Choose colors that complement each other and reflect your brand's personality. Similarly, font choices should be consistent with the rest of your website's typography.

• Incorporating Logos And Imagery

Including your logo in the footer elements is a great way to reinforce brand recognition. You can also use imagery that reflects your brand's message or values, such as nature scenes for an eco-friendly company.

• Visual Hierarchy

The most important information in your footer should be at the top, followed by less important information below. Use headings, bullet points, or icons to create a visual hierarchy that makes it easy for users to find what they want.

• Consistency With Overall Brand Identity

Your website footer should be consistent with the rest of your website's design elements, including layout, color scheme, typography, and imagery.

You can create a cohesive user experience that reinforces your brand identity and leaves a lasting impression on visitors by incorporating these branding and aesthetic elements into your website footer design. Remember to test and optimize your website footer regularly to ensure it continues to meet user needs and supports business goals!

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

User Experience

The user experience of a website footer is just as important as any other part of the site. A well-designed footer can bring visitors satisfaction and clarity, creating a positive impression of the entire website. Here are some key elements to consider when designing a user-friendly website footer.

Ease Of Navigation

Navigation links in the footer should be easy to find and use, allowing visitors to access important pages on the site quickly. Consider using clear labels and grouping-related links to make navigation more intuitive.

Clear And Concise Language

The language used in the footer should be simple and direct, avoiding technical jargon or confusing terminology. The clear language will help visitors understand what each link or button does, reducing the likelihood of errors or frustration.

Loading Speed

Footer design can also impact loading speed, an important factor for user experience and search engine optimization (SEO). Avoid including too many elements or large files in the footer, which can slow down page load times.

Accessibility Considerations

Designing a website footer requires careful consideration of various factors, including user experience, SEO, and accessibility. You can create a functional and visually appealing footer by following best practices and using tools like Strikingly. Remember to test and optimize your design regularly to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of your visitors over time.

Step Up Your Footer Game: Impress Your Audience!

Your website footer may seem an afterthought, but paying attention to it could help your online presence. Your footer is a valuable space that can provide important information and opportunities for engagement with your audience. Don't let it go to waste! There are some suggestions to impress your audience with your footer design.

• Call-To-Action Buttons- Consider adding call-to-action buttons in your footer to motivate visitors to take action, such as subscribing to your newsletter or following you on social media. Navigation links can also be helpful for users who have scrolled down and want to access different sections of your site quickly.
• Contact Information- Ensure to include contact information, such as an email address or phone number, so visitors can easily contact you. Social media icons are another great addition for those who prefer to connect through those channels.
• Layout- Regarding layout and structure, consider the width and height of your footer and where it will be placed on the page. Think about the hierarchy of information - what is most important should be at the top. And remember consistency with your overall website design.
• Optimization- Incorporating keywords and using alt tags for images can help improve SEO. Including a sitemap in the footer can make it easier for search engines to crawl your site. And ensuring mobile responsiveness is crucial in today's mobile-first world.
• Branding and aesthetics- Choose a color scheme and font that aligns with your brand identity, and incorporate logos or imagery if appropriate. The visual hierarchy should also be considered - make sure important information stands out.
• User Experience- It should guide all decisions related to website design, including the footer. Ensure navigation is easy, language is clear and concise, fast loading speed and accessibility considerations are met.
  

With Strikingly, creating a visually appealing and functional footer has never been easier! You can ensure your footer is polished and professional with features like a grammar checker and error-free code. Launch with confidence and impress your audience with a well-designed footer. Don't let it be the forgotten child of your website!

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

Strikingly Helps To Make A Website Footer

Here are the main steps to create a website footer using Strikingly:

1. Select a website template. Choose from Strikingly's selection of mobile-friendly templates to get started. The templates come with pre-designed footers you can customize.

2. Add content blocks. Drag and drop content blocks like text, images, buttons, social icons, forms, etc., into your footer section. Arrange them as you like using the grid interface.

3. Include key elements. Be sure to add essential footer elements such as:

• Copyright notice - Contains your copyright year and business name. Click "Text" to add this.
• Contact information - Add your business address, phone number, and email. You can use the "Text" and "Button" blocks.
• Important links - Add links to your Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, About Us page, etc. Add them in the settings to see them in the website footer automatically.
• Social media icons - Link to your major social profiles using the "Social Icons" block.
• Newsletter signup - Use the "Form" block to create an email signup form for your newsletter or mailing list.

4. Customize the design. You can customize colors, fonts, spacing, and other styling for your footer content using the design settings. Keep your footer consistent with the rest of your website design.

5. Check for errors. Review your footer to ensure there are no broken links, typos, or other issues before publishing your site. Make sure all content is organized clearly and mobile-friendly.

6. Publish and update. Once you're satisfied with your footer design, publish your Strikingly site. Be sure to keep information like copyright dates up to date as needed. You can edit the footer at any time through your site dashboard.

Strikingly makes it easy to create a customized, professional-looking website footer to enhance your site and engage your visitors.

Conclusion

A well-designed website footer can greatly enhance the user experience and improve SEO. Important tips for designing a website footer are mentioned above in the article. Strikingly offers a user-friendly platform with customizable templates for designing a professional-looking website footer. Testing and optimizing the footer on different devices is crucial, and A/B testing can help determine the most engaging version. Also, careful attention to website footer design is essential for an improved user experience and effective online presence.

Pay attention to the importance of your website footer! Through the implementation of these tips and utilizing Strikingly's powerful tools for designing footers that engage users and improve SEO rankings, you can create an effective online presence for your business or personal brand.