The footer of your website may seem like an after-thought, but it actually has some really important information in it that you don’t want to miss. Here’s some common mistakes I see people make on their websites:
❎ Missing footer- sometimes I see websites that are completely missing their footer. It's standard practice that users expect to see- so definitely include one.
❎ Missing copyright info- You worked hard on your content- make sure you’re covered from plagiarism by stating who holds the copyright. Standard practice is to write copyright © [business owner/ website name].
❎ Wrong or missing date- Did you know this should be a range, i.e. 2009-2021, representing the first year of your website to the current year? The reason for this is that you want to claim copyright for past years as well- not just the current year. Other mistakes I see- having last year’s date (this shows everyone how often you update your website!) or having a date in the future (unless you're a time traveler, this is of no benefit to you).
❎ Missing privacy policy link- Having a privacy policy on your website is a legal requirement if you have site visitors from the EU, Australia, the UK and many US states such as California, New York, etc. Even if your company isn't based in one of those locations, if you check your visitor's locations via Google Analytics or another source, you're likely getting traffic from there. Plus, more and more states will be adding privacy policy requirements as time goes on, so its just a good idea to have one in place. Depending on what kind of business you have, you may need a terms & conditions page as well. E-commerce stores or others that take money in exchange for services generally will need a terms & conditions statement.
Pro Tip: Need a privacy policy drawn up? I use a service called Termageddon- which creates privacy policies that auto-update whenever there is a change in privacy policy laws. Pretty handy!
❎ Credits- Depending on your situation, you may need or want to credit your photographer, website designer, etc. This is helpful not only for the service provider but for your users as well- if they love your site, they may want to know who they can contact to get a similar one.
Take a look at your website- does your footer have everything you need?
