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View Full Version : How big are you on footers? Does it make the site?



Harold Mansfield
02-20-2013, 04:34 PM
I love footers. Over the last 3 years or so, footers have really become an important part of some websites, and where people look for additional information, quick links and even a few creative surprises.

For some reason when I go to a site with a nice footer, it gives me an increased feeling of credibility. Like they really put some thought into the entire website. It's like walking into your hotel room and not realizing it's a suite and being pleasently suprised when you discover the extra space.

I try to get my clients to let me enhance their footers but most look at it as wasted space, don't think anyone looks at them and want to cram everything above the fold with a ton of drop down menus...which I think are way overused these days.

Is this just a personal preference of mine or do you guys think the footer is one of the most important parts of the website like I do?

Freelancier
02-20-2013, 06:02 PM
Your personal preference. Above the fold is still golden space. Everything else may or may not be seen at all, so it has to be lower priority. People don't hunt around a web site looking for some surprise you've stuck in a footer, just not the way people -- especially busy people looking for certain information -- are wired.

Harold Mansfield
02-20-2013, 06:11 PM
Scrolling down the home page isn't exactly "hunting". It's looking at the page. Searching 10 different drop down menus for what you are looking for? THAT'S hunting.

Surely there is a reason that so many websites take the time in that space. I know I fully expect to see contact info in the footer. I'm surprised when I don't.

I guess my point on the whole matter is that it's nice when you see the attention to detail, and functionally it gives you space for additional information that you don't have to hide or overwhelm the menu with and that there's more than one kind of user. Everyone is not in a huge hurry and looking for information quickly. Expecially when people are trying to determine if they want to buy something or do business with you specifically and have come to your website for that purpose...they look at EVERYTHING in order to determine your credibility and if you have what they need.

But I can accept that some people may not notice. But that doesn't mean it's any less important or any lower priority. That's true of the web. No one notices anything unless it's not there or doesn't look right....then they notice.

billbenson
02-21-2013, 12:29 AM
I think its a case of you expect to see certain info in certain places. I see no reason a footer can't have redundant information such as contact us info. Also take a site like godaddy. I didn't check before posting this but I believe they have a ton of resource links in the footer such as whois. Now whois isn't something that's going to generate godaddy money, but it is a resource that brings people to their site. I know its there so if I want whois I go there.

The blogging format may have changed the way people look for footers. When everything was paginated people may have been more inclined to go to the footer for appropriate info than today??

So, I'm not sure it has the importance it once had but its so easy to add as an include to all pages, so why not make a good one?

IADS
02-21-2013, 01:55 AM
Now that you mention it the footer does have a big impact on web site perception. I even just went to look at a few sites before answering this post.
The right footer can make the footer look modern and the wrong footer can make the site look out of date.
:(

Wozcreative
02-21-2013, 11:10 AM
Usually I will use the footer for contact info, social media info or any quick small things I may need to know about the company. It is essential I think. Footer is usually where you will find clues as to the credibility of the company.

Alex1
02-21-2013, 04:13 PM
Footers on certain websites look good, on some they don't.

I usually don't go to the footer to look for information. And footer thing is definitely being overused in the past few years. Half the websites online have big footers with all the "goodie information" in them.

Harold Mansfield
02-21-2013, 04:18 PM
There are a few things I always expect in the footer, additional navigation to important inner pages, a link to direct contact info, social media links, and if there is an affiliate program, it's almost always linked to from the footer.

I agree this is usually done by sites with a lot of information or that serve multiple functions for various client types. Sometimes you just can't cram everything into the main navigation, nor do you always want to. And putting additional navigation on inside pages only, with no access from the home page is not very user friendly.

What I've seen most is keeping the main nav filled with the most important info for new visitors, and put stuff that returning visitors need in the footer navigation. Of course none of that is written in stone, you can do what you want.

But if you ask me, utilizing the footer is far more attractive than relying on people to go to your sitemap. Most of those are really ugly.

KristineS
02-22-2013, 03:41 PM
Hmm, haven't really thought about footers in the past, so you've given me some new information to consider. I have seen some sites that utilize the footer space really well. I've also seen many that don't. One of my pet peeves is a copyright date in the footer that isn't current. Hate that. It's a little thing, but I always see an expired copyright date as an indication that the site owners aren't paying attention.

Wozcreative
02-22-2013, 04:27 PM
Hmm, haven't really thought about footers in the past, so you've given me some new information to consider. I have seen some sites that utilize the footer space really well. I've also seen many that don't. One of my pet peeves is a copyright date in the footer that isn't current. Hate that. It's a little thing, but I always see an expired copyright date as an indication that the site owners aren't paying attention.

It just means the developer was careless and didnt use a PHP code that will have this update regularly on it's own.

jacksarlo
04-12-2013, 02:30 PM
Usually visitors will look at the bottom of the page, so yes footers are important. I usually put my physical address in there... but depends on your website in any case you certainly can use that section. You can also put web seals in there along with links to legal pages (privacy, etc).

Your website space is valuable, so use all you can to increase conversions, then the best thing to do is to "put yourself in your prospects shoes" and imagine you're a typical visitor.

OlegLola
07-16-2013, 10:46 AM
It's rather interesting point. I came across many sites which use footer in extraordinary way. It can consider design or content, but suppose it can work. Take a look at some interesting examples of footer's usage Footers In Modern Web Design: Creative Examples and Ideas | Smashing Magazine (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/08/footers-in-modern-web-design-creative-examples-and-ideas/).
Why not make use of it?

Khalifa
07-17-2013, 03:31 PM
A footer is an important part of any page indeed, but I believe your website's header is the most important part, since most of your visitors won't bother going all the way down to the footer if your header doesn't look good enough. Make any sense?

Harold Mansfield
07-17-2013, 03:33 PM
since most of your visitors won't bother going all the way down to the footer if your header doesn't look good enough. Make any sense?

On what do you base the statement that "most" won't scroll the page?

Khalifa
07-17-2013, 04:00 PM
On what do you base the statement that "most" won't scroll the page?

That's from my experiments. If your page doesn't look good enough 'before the visitor starts scrolling down', they probably won't bother with your page and just close it.

I run online advertising campaigns, and any page's CTR/CR/whatever depends on the page's layout/design. It's never about the footer IMO.

Harold Mansfield
07-17-2013, 04:04 PM
That's from my experiments. If your page doesn't look good enough 'before the visitor starts scrolling down', they probably won't bother with your page and just close it.
Well, of course. A bad page won't get any views anywhere.


I run online advertising campaigns, and any page's CTR/CR/whatever depends on the page's layout/design. It's never about the footer IMO.
That makes sense for that purpose. Your landing page for ads should definitely be different than your full website.

oberlinwebdesign
07-22-2013, 09:19 PM
I think footers are essential and add to the overall feel of the website. They can be an important part of the site and shouldn't be disregarded. Place important content in the footer because a lot of people will look at it and expect certain info, such as contact info, social media links, etc.

DisQ
09-11-2013, 02:17 PM
It just means the developer was careless and didnt use a PHP code that will have this update regularly on it's own.

Oops.

*Goes to 'develop' some code to automatically update the date in the copyright info.

ShaneMackintosh
09-12-2013, 09:35 PM
I'm a fan of footers and think they add value to a website with the right information. I think some sites go overboard with having too much content in them though and they end up just looking like a big advertising billboard.

I like to have contact info, social networks, links to popular pages or a search box. What's everyone else like to include in their footers?

Business Attorney
09-13-2013, 10:47 AM
As a user, not a web design professional, I like footers. In order to keep the regular navigation menus focused on content, the information you can find links to in the footers are often buried so deep in the regular menus that the links are nearly impossible to find or at the very least require several levels of drop-downs to get to. I typically go straight to the footers and hope to find the links there.