When designing any website, the small details are often just as important as the overall design scheme. From the large above the fold content, to the small images and quick view options on the product selection page, the quality of your web design needs to be consistently high. The website footer is no exception to this, and as this generally contains important information, the footer design itself can have an effect on the overall user experience. So what are the features of an effective website footer? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. We work across the North West, including Blackburn and Chorley, to provide top quality, effective web design solutions. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about effective website footer design.
What are the most important design features for an effective footer?
There are a number of key design features that any effective website footer should make use of. These include:
- Clear links and details
- Effective white space
- Different background colour
Clear links and details for effective website footers
The footer of the website is the perfect place to add secondary contact details (your primary contact details should be in the header at the top of the page) as well as quick links to key website pages. This is because once a potential customer or client has scrolled down to the bottom of the page, it can be much quicker and easier for them to follow the links here, or use the contact details here, rather than scrolling all the way back to the top of the page. And making things easier for your website users, improves the user experience, and leads to a more positive opinion of your company as a whole.
In terms of design, these details are the most important pieces of content that form part of your website footer. And this means that these need to be well positioned and easy to read on all screen sizes and devices.
Effective white space
For your website footer to be effective, you should consider the white space or free space used. Empty space as part of design can be incredibly effective for making a statement and drawing attention to key details. For an effective website footer, this is one of the most common features, as the free space draws attention in towards the important information, and keeps the rest of the space distraction free.
Different background colour
Because the footer is a key part of the website, where your potential customers or clients may be expecting to see the contact details, page links and other key pieces of information, it is important to make a distinction between the footer and the rest of the website. The most effective way to achieve this is with a different background colour. If you are using a three colour website colour scheme for example, the second or third colour should become the background colour for the footer. If not, choose a colour that fits well with your existing colour scheme, and your company branding.
For more information or advice about any aspect of web design, including footers, get in touch with the professionals today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.