The functional footer…is it the new header?

The footer has always been an underused page element. In fact, as a designer, I was trained to use the footer as nothing more than a nice way to finish off a website page layout. For years I’ve been using this approach and only placing elements such as the disclaimer, copyright and privacy policy in the footer.

Now, however, we are seeing the trend in which sites utilize this screen element to provide supporting navigation and extra information really taking hold. These expanded footers, which you’ll now find on most major-brand sites, are being adopted more widely as a way to provide added value to the visitor.

Why did this trend emerge?

The web 2.0 phenomenon has brought to the design world bigger font sizes and bolder designs. A consequence of this is less emphasis on fitting content above the “fold” line. I’ll keep my thoughts on the fold for another post but you see more and more sites embracing the idea that users do actually scroll to the bottom of the page.

The footer has a lot more power than we think. It appears at the end of the body content - a space users will stumble upon when they are done scanning the page and looking for their next action. And the footer appears on every page of your site.

When users scroll down your page to find value-added content they may lose some of the power of the top header information. We overcome this challenge by using the footer to highlight critical information that can also be found on the header.

I’m not suggesting you create a footer that is an exact replica of your header but using your footer to highlight key navigation links you’d like to reinforce, or to display your full contact information for quick access, is a good way to make the most out of your footer real estate. Keep in mind that if your site requires your visitors to scroll, it most likely means that your page is already quite full in terms of content. Don’t add clutter by populating your footer with excess information.

Here at NLC, we are using footers strategically. In fact, we recently used it for the Sheridan College - Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (see image below). Notice that we have kept the layout and design clean and simple.

What role should the footer fulfill?

The reason for the misconception about footers is that in the past they have been limited to a single line of a few unattractive links. So, if the footer is not the graveyard for under-appreciated links, what is it for?  A growing number of sites demonstrate that if you free the footer from this ancient belief, it can be a powerful navigational aid by providing quick access to key content.

When you are ready to re-design your website, I would encourage you to think about how you can make the footer more than a place where you bury links. Take a look around at how others are beginning to use the footer in more innovative ways.

For more thoughts on design, download our free whitepaper: “Effective Visual Design Strategy for CMS“