The space at the bottom of your website is called the footer. It can enhance the visitor experience in many ways despite being simple to ignore.
There are many options for improving user experience and navigation in the WordPress footer. It’s a great place to put essential components that will add value to your website.
The overall user experience is enhanced when users can effortlessly navigate the website, access critical sections, and comprehend its structure.
What is a Footer?
It offers all the essential information about the company, including “About the company,” “Contact Us,” “Privacy Policy,” and “Terms of Use,” despite being near the bottom of the page.
The area is a specially chosen section of the website that includes significant, pertinent content inappropriate for the header or central body of the page. Other than this, a few more crucial items, such as links to social media, privacy policies, contact information, and copyright information, must be placed in the footer.
The footer code area is also referred to as “footer.” You could be asked to add code snippets to the footer of your website by third-party services like Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, and many more. You can enhance your WordPress website by adding features, services, and additional content in this manner.
Significance of Footer in a WordPress Website
Despite its appearance, the footer is one of the most critical sections of any WordPress website. These are some of the causes:
Navigation: Providing navigation for your website is one of the functions of a footer. That dramatically facilitates discovering crucial information on your website.
Credibility: You may give your website more credibility by adding elements like a copyright and privacy policy, as well as authority, protection, and validator certificates.
SEO: Important pages and a sitemap should be included in the footer. Internal linking raises the website’s search engine ranking. Improved crawling efficiency of websites by search crawlers leads to improved SERP rankings.
User Experience: Besides improved site navigation, the footer gives users access to critical information. This enhances the website’s user experience.
You may conclude from these considerations that the footer is more than “just a small detail.” Instead, it can significantly affect how well your WordPress website functions and how users interact.
It is, therefore, essential that you take note of and incorporate the footer features that we have outlined in the following section into your WordPress website.
10 Things to Add to the Footer on Your WordPress Site
Location of your business in the footer of your website
It frequently occurs when users scroll down the page to find your company’s address. A base location and the additional sub-regions can be specified here.
If clients or guests wish to meet you at your physical address, it becomes simple for them to locate the precise place.
All that is required is the name of the nation, the full address, and the phone number. Add a map location to the WordPress footer to find your way to the workplace.
Everyone knows that social media has become a significant part of modern life. It supports the development of your brand and a solid rapport with your target audiences. However, it is meaningless if consumers or visitors cannot locate you on social media.
Social Media Buttons
It is your responsibility to inform others about your presence on social media. The WordPress Footer will need space for social networking buttons, such as those for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Threads, and LinkedIn.
It facilitates users by directing them to your most exciting and official media accounts. Additionally, it works wonders for your branding, marketing, promotion, and brand awareness. Adding Social Media Buttons to the WordPress Footer enhances audience interaction on a larger scale.
Website Navigation Links
A helpful tactic to ensure readers can quickly access essential links they might have overlooked when scrolling through the page is to provide navigation links in the footer. Converting website visitors into consumers largely depends on how well a website navigates.
Users are far more likely to do desired activities, like purchasing or completing a contact form, when they can easily access relevant information in the footer. You may give visitors another way to explore your website and find the information needed by including navigation links in the footer. This will enhance user experience overall and increase conversions.
Also read: 10 Essential Navigation Menu Design Tips For An Exceptional Website Experience
Sitemap
XML and HTML are the two forms of sitemaps. XML sitemaps assist search engines in locating and indexing the critical pages on your website, as you may already be aware. However, the HTML sitemap is necessary for the footer as it aids users in finding all, or at least the most important, pages on your website. For the benefit of users, the sitemap also assists in displaying the website’s structure.
As was previously said, you need to have navigation links to guarantee that customers discover the pages they want on your website. But there isn’t enough room for you to mention them all. The sitemap fills that need. The sitemap allows you to catalog every page on your website. It encourages internal connectivity as well.
Email registration form
It’s a great addition to the WordPress Footers that ought to be made. Registered people can receive emails with links to the most recent blogs, articles, and posts. It can grow your email list and introduce you to new clients who may purchase your goods or use your services.
Contact details
We have already discussed the location and the contact forms (where you most likely included the phone number beneath the office address). However, there are more means of contacting a business, such as email and online chat platforms like Skype.
It makes it easier for users or customers to contact you with questions, grievances, or feedback. It’s essential to include all of your contact information in the WordPress website footer. It will demonstrate to the users that you value their thoughts and ideas and pay attention to their input.
Safeguarding and validator logos
Including the protection and validator logos is crucial if you want to earn the trust and trustworthiness of users. It demonstrates that the website you are using complies with industry standards and is safe. Certain emblems, such as Copyscape and DMCA, guarantee that user data will not be used in any way and will be kept safe and secure.
Site Search tool
When users cannot locate what they’re looking for after browsing the website, including a search box in the area can significantly improve their experience. Thanks to the search box in the footer, users may efficiently search without having to scroll back up.
While site search fields are frequently found in the header, putting one in the area guarantees that customers will always have quick access to a search function when they scroll down and need to locate anything on the website.
In the footer, the search button becomes essential, especially for prospects who have gone through the entire website and need a quick and easy way to find specific information.
Also read: How to build Live Search Box Using PHP, MySQL and AJAX
Sticky Footer
The part of the page that stays the same regardless of the webpage. No matter where the webpage is located, it stays the same. Occasionally, the drop-down options at the top of the page remain in place when navigating through them.
You may quickly go to different pages using these menus, regardless of where you are on the page.
Similarly, you can employ “sticky footers,” which remain at the bottom of the user’s screen regardless of where on the page they are viewing. To guarantee that customers have easy access, you can make the entire area sticky or just a handful of its crucial components (such as the social network buttons and contact form).
It is present on websites that are optimized for mobile devices. A sticky footer is more advantageous for mobile-friendly websites.
Copyright date
Copyright is one of the most crucial components of a successful footer for your WordPress website. Any website’s copyright section consists of the copyright symbol followed by the firm name and year.
Copyright is essential to prevent plagiarism on the website. Furthermore, leaving this minor detail in the area can give the website a less-than-professional appearance.
Privacy policy
Adding a privacy policy to your website’s footer is essential for building trust with visitors. It shows that you’re transparent about how you handle their personal information and comply with privacy laws.
This clarity helps users feel secure and informed when interacting with your site. Plus, having a privacy policy can prevent legal issues and reassure users that their data is protected. In short, including a privacy policy in the area is a vital step in establishing trust, protecting user privacy, and meeting legal requirements.
Conclusion
Optimizing the footer of your WordPress site can significantly enhance user experience, improve navigation, and even boost conversions. Giving users the most excellent possible experience is made possible by a well-structured footer on your website. Instead of finding the main content in the middle of the content, they should examine it right away to have quick access.
Although they can be challenging to add, several WordPress Footer components are beneficial. Ensure the it’s design matches the rest of your website by keeping it simple and uncluttered. Furthermore, confirm that all the information and links in it are current.
By incorporating the 10 recommended elements discussed in this guide, you can ensure that your footer is a valuable asset to your website, providing visitors with easy access to critical information and encouraging further engagement.
FAQs
Why is the footer important on a WordPress site?
It is crucial because it appears on every page of your website, providing users with valuable information and navigation options, improving user experience, and aiding in SEO.
How can I customize the footer on my WordPress site?
You can easily customize it by accessing the theme customization options or by editing the footer.php file in your theme’s directory. Alternatively, you can use plugins that offer footer customization features.
Is it necessary to have a footer on every page of my WordPress site?
Yes, it’s recommended to have a footer on every page of your WordPress site for consistency and accessibility. This ensures that important information is readily available to users regardless of which page they are on.
Can I add more elements to my WordPress footer than those mentioned in the article?
Absolutely! The elements mentioned are just a starting point. Depending on your website’s specific needs, you can add features such as newsletter sign-up forms, recent posts or products, testimonials, or a site search bar to enhance your footer’s functionality and usability.