The Best Website Footer Design Examples and Best Practices

Most visitors scroll straight past footers. But the best website footer examples turn this overlooked space into something valuable.

Think about it. Your footer sits at the bottom of every single page. That’s prime real estate you’re probably wasting on boring copyright text and random links nobody clicks.

Good footer design does more than fill space. It helps people find what they need, builds trust through contact details and social proof, and keeps visitors engaged instead of bouncing. Whether you’re running an ecommerce site, a blog, or a corporate website, your footer should work as hard as your header.

This guide breaks down real footer design examples that actually convert. You’ll see what makes them effective, which footer elements to include (and which to skip), and how to adapt these patterns for your own site. We’ll cover everything from minimal single-column layouts to complex mega footer structures with multiple navigation sections.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to transform your footer from an afterthought into a useful site navigation tool that improves both user experience and conversions.

What is a Website Footer?

What exactly is a website footer and what is its purpose? A website footer is a section of content that appears at the very bottom of a webpage.

It is the opposite of a header. Headers appear at the top of a webpage.

The footer appears on every page of the website. So if it is well designed it creates a positive effect on the appearance of the whole website.

A website footer is usually the last thing a visitor sees. This is especially true for visitors who scroll down the webpage quickly.

So the website footer is the last opportunity to grab and hold a visitor’s attention. But it is not the main selling point.

Footers can provide supplementary information and summarize the main points of the content. They can prevent someone from leaving the website and never returning.

A website footer enhances a website in three main ways.

First, it provides key points that you want visitors to see again. Second, it offers guidance for visitors to find something they could not before. Third, it allows visitors to take action without scrolling back through the website.

To design an attractive and useful website footer, designers need to understand what is most appealing to their visitors.

Why are Website Footers Important?

Each website will have a different footer design depending on its purpose.

Footers can be bold and obvious to catch a visitor’s attention. Or they can be sleek and subtle to provide additional information.

The important thing is to design the footer with your specific business goals and audience in mind. There are many reasons why taking the time to design a footer will benefit the website.

There are four main reasons why a footer is important.

Footers can help to:

Retain visitors longer
Encourage visitors to return to the website
Make the website and company memorable
Acquire more leads

Here is how footers accomplish those desired effects:

They Highlight Important Aspects

Although footers seem insignificant, they will have viewers. For example, people who quickly scroll down to the end of webpages will see the footer.

A footer can emphasize the content of the webpage and encourage visitors to stay longer.

They Win Leads

Depending on the structure of the footer, they can win leads. They do this by providing more information and by asking for subscriptions.

Many websites use the footer to display an attractive Call To Action. This may be an invitation for visitors to sign up for a newsletter with their email address.

They Provide Useful Information

Footers are also useful when all the information does not fit on a single webpage.

The footer may contain external links, a list of partners or sponsors, or any other important information. And it is reasonable to include legal documentation, like the terms of use, in the footer.

They Guide Visitors

Well-designed footers serve to summarize the content of the website. This is helpful for when a visitor’s attention is dwindling. Or if someone is in a hurry, they can scroll straight to the footer to find the information they are looking for.

The footer is also useful when a visitor cannot find the information they want on the main page. If the footer is visible and organized they will be able to find exactly what they need.

The footer is an opportunity to arrange the website’s content in a succinct manner. This can guide visitors, enabling them to navigate through it.

They Catch the Attention of Visitors

The footer can make the website memorable or catch the attention of visitors about to leave. It can do this through a creative and entertaining design.

A designer may include striking images, cool animations, or amusing parallax effects. These elements add a creative touch and serve to delight visitors.

Best Design Practices For Website Footers

What are the best design practices for website footers used by successful websites?

The footer is viewable on every page of the website. This means that it should only contain the most relevant information.

It should not overwhelm visitors or be overcrowded. Include information that will help to achieve the business goals.

Three of the most essential elements of a footer are the Copyright, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Use. These necessary aspects are for the legal protection of the website and its content.

And there are other elements that it is sensible to include in the footer. Here is a list of elements that are often found in the footer according to best design practices:

Copyright

If a footer is going to have only one element it would be the copyright symbol and the year. It doesn’t provide a lot of legal protection but it does protect against plagiarism. Including it in the footer assures that it displays on every page of the website.

Privacy Policy

This is the second most common element to include in a website footer. Usually, it is a link that directs visitors to a page explaining how their information is used and stored.

For most websites, the privacy policy explains how they track visitors. It also outlines how they use and store form submissions and email subscriptions.

Terms of Use

The terms of use explain what the visitor agrees to by using the website. It states that continuous use of the site means they agree with the terms.

Some websites, depending on their purpose, add a disclaimer to the footer.

Contact Information

Contact information is a common element of website footers. Visitors appreciate it when there is a straightforward way to contact a company.

Contact information includes email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, and contact forms.

Email address: Email is still a popular way to get in touch. But an email address is a magnet for spam. So it is wise to use a designated email account.

Phone number: Another common method of contact is to display a phone number in the footer. Companies can include a CTA that dials the number directly.

Physical address: Including a physical address earns the trust of visitors. This form of contact indicates that you are a real entity.

Contact page or contact form: Another popular method of contact is to link to a contact page or a contact form.

A contact form has fields that allow visitors to enter their name, email, and comments. It provides a way to immediately get in touch with the company.

Contact forms are better than email links because:

Form submission is trackable in analytics
A visitor may be on a device that is not signed in to their email
Forms send visitors to Thank You pages which makes them happy and encourages further action
The forms send auto-response emails providing more opportunities to display CTAs
Forms save submissions in a database
Forms connect to marketing automation and other systems

Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that provides information about the pages, files, and videos on the website. Some websites include a link in the footer that connects to the HTML version of the sitemap. Visitors rarely click on these links.

Search engines read the sitemap to understand and discover the pages of a website. This enables them to intelligently crawl the site.

Brand and Personality

It is beneficial to display your brand and personality in the footer. It makes your website more trustworthy and increases the chances of success.

Images or logos reinforce the brand. Add a mini gallery of images or animations to leave a lasting impression on visitors.

A creative footer design is helpful for visitors with short attention spans or for those who scroll through websites fast.

CTA

Call To Action buttons are one of the most important aspects of marketing in today’s age. Visitors should never have to wonder how to take action.

Putting a CTA in the footer assures that it will be on every page of the website. Adding a CTA to the footer also allows visitors to take action without scrolling back up the page.

The CTA can encourage visitors to buy a product, contact the company, or sign up for a newsletter.

SEO

Footers can also include SEO or search engine optimization. Adding keywords in the footer helps a website fare better in a search engine.

But a word of caution: Google has penalized websites for putting too many keywords in the footer. One or two main keywords are enough to promote your website.

Navigation

Designing the footer to be bigger than usual is a new trend called “fat footer”. This allows companies to include more features in the footer, like navigational options.

A good footer design practice is to arrange the web site’s content into categories. Under the categories, provide links to information that did not fit on the homepage.

This allows visitors to navigate swiftly through the website and find the information they need.

Map of Physical Address

An essential part of SEO is adding a company physical address. Providing a map and directions to the location is even more beneficial.

This practice lets Google know and display the location of your business. And visitors will be able to find your physical location with ease.

Social media icons and widgets are seldom put in the header.

Visitors would go to the social media platform and not return to the website. For this reason, it is better to put them in the footer.

This design practice encourages visitors to interact with a brand on social media. But it also focuses on retaining visitors.

Some companies use social media widgets instead of icons. Widgets are bigger than icons. They attract more attention and emphasize a brand’s social networking presence.

A fourth of all websites have an email signup option in the footer. This gives visitors the opportunity to subscribe to a website or signup for updates.

Placing this option in the footer allows visitors to find and access it with ease. This is especially so as people are now used to finding it there.

Website Footer Design Examples

Griflan Design Inc.

Cash By Cash App

Homebase

Taxonomy of Design

Valaire

Mill3

Simon Liesinger

Lunettes Noires

The Invisible Collection

Black Pizza

LoveSeen

Tomorrow.one

Tux

Spline

Mesh Times

Mellow Studio

Harry Vincent

Fanfare

Awwwards

Tapbots

Collecta

PANOPTICA

Tropics Paris

Welcome

Le Singe

Pangram Pangram

Bello

Studio Malvah

Bluestag

Site Inspire

Stylenovels

BB Agency

Joinery

Hi, skin

KEENTU

Remrise

Loftgarten

Orbitmedia

Guerlain

BUCK

Oscar

Arlind Aliu

OISX

New York Times

Hive Streaming

CRSA

Foundation

radicle

Lucky Folks

Squadeasy

Victionary.com

Genuse

Nodes

Runway

BUMP

Lifehacker

thi.ng

Sandy Gray

Beau

Furrion

FAQs about website footer design

What should I include in my website footer?

Include contact information, navigation links, social media icons, newsletter signup, privacy policy, terms of service, and copyright notice. Add trust badges if you run an ecommerce site.

The essentials are legal links and a way for visitors to reach you. Everything else depends on your website goals.

How many columns should a footer have?

Most footers use between one and four columns. Single-column works for minimal sites. Three to four columns suit complex sites with lots of content categories.

Your footer layout should match your site structure. Don’t force multiple columns if you only have a handful of links.

Should footers be sticky or static?

Static footers work better for most sites. Sticky footers can feel intrusive and eat up screen space, especially on mobile.

Use sticky only if you have critical call-to-action buttons that need constant visibility. Otherwise, let people scroll naturally to find your footer content.

What’s the difference between a footer and a mega footer?

A regular footer contains basic links and info. A mega footer includes extensive navigation with multiple sections, subcategories, and sometimes images or descriptions.

Mega footers work well for large ecommerce sites or content-heavy platforms. Small businesses rarely need them.

How do I make my footer mobile-responsive?

Stack footer columns vertically on smaller screens. Use collapsible accordions for long link lists. Make sure text is readable and buttons are tap-friendly.

Test your responsive design on actual devices. What looks good in desktop view often needs adjustment for mobile users.

Should I put a sitemap in my footer?

A condensed sitemap helps visitors navigate your site architecture. Don’t dump every single page though.

Focus on main categories and important pages. Link to a full site map page if needed instead of cluttering your footer section.

What footer colors work best?

Dark backgrounds (black, navy, charcoal) are popular because they create visual separation from page content. Light footers work for minimal designs.

Your footer should complement your overall website color schemes while maintaining readable contrast for text and links.

How can footers improve SEO?

Footers provide internal linking opportunities that help search engines crawl your site. They reinforce site structure and distribute page authority.

Include relevant navigation links to key pages. Avoid keyword stuffing or hiding text. Search engines penalize manipulative footer tactics.

What makes a footer trustworthy?

Display real contact details, physical address if applicable, security badges, and professional associations. Link to your privacy policy and terms clearly.

A trustworthy website footer shows you’re legitimate and transparent. Fake or vague information does the opposite.

Should every page have the same footer?

Yes, consistent footers across all pages improve user experience and make navigation predictable. Visitors know where to find contact info or legal links regardless of which page they’re on.

Some sites slightly modify footers for specific sections, but the core elements should remain constant throughout your site structure.

Conclusion

The website footer examples in this guide show one thing clearly. Footers aren’t decoration.

They’re functional tools that keep visitors on your site longer and help them find what they need. A well-structured footer section with proper footer content serves multiple purposes at once.

Start with the basics. Contact details, social media icons, legal links, and simple navigation. Then add elements that match your specific needs, whether that’s a newsletter signup form, trust badges, or payment icons.

Don’t overthink the footer template selection. Pick a layout that fits your website layout and content volume. Single column for minimal sites. Multi-column for content-heavy platforms.

Test your footer on mobile devices. What works on desktop often breaks down on smaller screens, especially complex multi-column footer designs with extensive footer widgets.

Your page footer should enhance the overall user experience, not clutter it. Keep it clean, organized, and focused on visitor needs rather than cramming in every possible link and feature.

If you liked this article about website footers, you should check out this article about minimalist websites.

There are also similar articles discussing parallax scrolling, website color schemes, cleanest website designs, and website animation.

And let’s not forget about articles on coming soon page design, modern website design, one page website, and creative websites.