Footer Examples: Your Guide to the Perfect Website Footer

1. What is a footer?
2. Why is a footer needed?
3. What does a footer contain?
4. How is a footer structured?
5. Are there legal mandatory information that a footer must contain?
6. What should be considered for footer navigation?
7. Are there points that need to be considered regarding SEO in a footer?
8. 5 tips for designing a footer
9. 3 Examples of an effective footer
10. What tools are suitable?
11. Conclusion

When was the last time you thought about your footer? If you have to really think about it, don't worry: You're not alone! The footer of a website is often underestimated. However, it contributes a lot to usability and even to search engine optimization. In this article you will learn everything you need to know about the footer: From the definition to the structure and legal requirements to SEO optimization and practical examples.

What is a footer?

A footer is the bottom part of a website. It represents the end of the page and is present on every subpage. The footer is more than just a design element. It provides useful information and links and helps with navigation on the website. The design of the footer can vary greatly depending on the design and requirements of the website.

Why is a footer needed?

Footers are important for several reasons:

• Improved navigation: They provide additional links and information that make it easier for users to navigate the website.
• User-friendliness: Important information such as contact details, sitemaps or legal notices are easy to find in the footer.
• Building trust: By providing contact information and legal notices, footers contribute to the credibility and professionalism of the website.
• SEO optimization: Well-designed footers can contribute to search engine optimization by containing relevant links and keywords.
  

What does a footer contain?

There are no fixed rules for the design of a website's footer, apart from some legally required information, no fixed rules. This flexibility allows companies to adapt their footer to their individual needs, their industry and their target group. These are the main elements that can be included in a footer:

1. Contact information: Contact details are an essential part of any footer. This way, visitors can see directly how they can reach the company. Contact information includes address, phone number, email address or a link to a contact form.
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2. Navigation: Additional navigation links in the footer make it easier to navigate the website. While some companies use a simple version of the main menu, links to other important pages such as career, blog or support can be added. These links help users navigate the website and quickly find important information.
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3. Legal information: In Germany, legal information such as the imprint, data protection declaration and general terms and conditions (GTC) are legally required for online offers. Integration in the footer ensures that they are easily accessible from any page and gives users a sense of trustworthiness and seriousness. 
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4. Social Media Icons: Social media links in the footer provide a quick way to network on various platforms. They make it easy for users to follow the company on their preferred social media channels, strengthening the online presence and promoting interaction with potential customers.
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5. Information about the company: A brief description of the company or the company philosophy provides insight into the company's values and self-understanding. This can be particularly interesting for new visitors who want to get a quick overview of the company.
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6. Certificates and awards: Publishing quality certificates or industry awards can strengthen credibility and trust in the company.
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7. Newsletter subscription: A newsletter subscription form in the footer is an effective method to make contact with users and inform them about news, offers or events. It promotes customer loyalty and creates a direct channel of communication to users.
   

How is a footer structured?

The structure of a footer varies depending on the website and design preferences. It is often divided into columns, which contain different information areas. A well-structured footer is clear and user-friendly and makes it easy for users to quickly find information. The visual separation from the main content of the page is also important to simplify orientation.

Are there legal mandatory information that a footer must contain?

In Germany, websites must contain certain legal information such as imprint and data protection declaration. These are often linked in the footer to be easily accessible from any page. For commercial websites, information on the GTC or cancellation instructions may also be required. These requirements are not only legally mandated, but also create transparency and trust.

What should be considered for footer navigation?

Selective selection of links

In addition to a simplified version of the main navigation, additional links can be inserted that may be relevant for users at the end of their website visit. These are often links to further resources, special offers or company pages that are not included in the main menu.

Consideration of the User Journey

The selection and arrangement of the links in the footer should reflect the potential needs of the users at the end of the website. Here, for example, links to support pages could be placed or quick contact could be made possible.

Grouping of links

Similar links should be grouped to maintain clarity. For example, all legal information could be bundled in one area and all social media links in another area.

Are there points that need to be considered regarding SEO in a footer?

A well-structured footer with sensibly placed internal links can help both users and search engines understand the structure of the website better and search important pages specifically. It is important to find the right balance
Too many links can be confusing and weaken the weighting of individual links.

For crawling and indexing, it is important that the footer is easy to search for search engines. Avoid complex JavaScript or Flash elements to ensure optimal indexing.

Mobile SEO is also becoming increasingly important. A responsive footer design that adapts perfectly to all screen sizes is indispensable. A footer adapted for mobile devices not only improves the user experience, but also contributes to a better overall ranking of the website.

The integration of social media links in the footer can increase a website's online presence and engagement.. This not only promotes networking with users, but can also indirectly contribute to SEO performance by strengthening the visibility and reach of the website.

5 tips for designing a footer

1. Take responsive design into account: The footer should be able to respond flexibly to different screen sizes. This means that it automatically adapts to different device types such as smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. A visually appealing presentation on all devices is important for a coherent user experience.
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2. Clarity and simplicity: Prioritize important information in the footer and avoid unnecessary content. A clear and well-structured footer helps users to find the information they need quickly. This increases usability and makes it easier to navigate the website.
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3. Consistent design: The footer should blend stylistically into the overall picture of the website. This includes the use of uniform fonts, colors and graphic elements. A clear visual separation from the main content can be achieved by color contrasts or graphic separating lines.
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4. User-friendliness: Design the footer so that it is intuitive and easy to use for readers. This includes a logical arrangement and clear labeling of the different areas and links. Important information such as contact details, imprint or data protection should be quickly recognizable.
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5. Currentness: It is important that the information provided in the footer such as contact details, links and legal notices is regularly checked for its currentness and updated if necessary.

3 Examples of an effective footer

Example of a footer from the DIY website creation sector

Picture: Footer from Jimdo

Jimdo offers a user-friendly solution in the field of web development and design, which specializes in the DIY segment of website creation. Private individuals, small businesses and other users without programming knowledge can easily and efficiently create and manage their own websites and online shops. The Jimdo footer follows the platform's approach of making web development easy, with quickly accessible links to core offerings, service and other important links. Simple, clear and unadorned.

Example of a footer from the online continuing education sector

Picture: Footer from OMR Education

OMR Education offers comprehensive online continuing education in marketing. The goal is to convey current marketing knowledge to improve participants' career opportunities and market competencies. With courses on topics such as e-commerce, SEO and social media marketing, OMR Education aims to promote practical skills for the digital business world. The newsletter registration in the OMR Education footer is strategically oriented, by not only delivering relevant online marketing updates and practical tips and thereby building trust, but also by reminding about course start dates and exclusive discounts it creates an additional incentive to participate in continuing education. Visitors interested in participating in continuing education can quickly see in the footer what payment options are available, which can be helpful in making a purchase decision. Everything else that does not primarily contribute to lead or customer acquisition is subordinate.

Example of a footer from the online shop sector

Picture: Footer from Reserved

Reserved is an international fashion retailer that specializes in modern design and competitively priced clothing, shoes and accessories for women, men and children. The online store offers visitors worldwide the opportunity to shop the latest collections and trends. The footer is clearly organized and fulfills its purpose. Under the category "Help" there are topics about the most frequently asked questions that buyers have, as well as a link to the app in addition to the classic elements.

What tools are suitable?

STRATO SmartWebsite

Wix

Webflow

Squarespace

Jimdo - Der Websitebaukasten für Selbstständige

Vsble

IONOS MyWebsite Shop by 1&1

You can find more tools on OMR Reviews under the category Website Builder.

Conclusion

The footer is more than just a design element at the end of a webpage. It is a multifunctional area, which significantly contributes to the usability, navigation, legal conformity and SEO of a website. A well-designed footer strengthens the trust of users and improves the overall experience on your website. Follow our design tips and footer examples to make your footer effective and appealing. Thus, it becomes a valuable part of your online presence, that convinces not only optically, but also functionally. You want to optimize not only your footer, but your entire homepage? Then our article on homepage optimization in 9 steps will definitely help you.