Checklist: 10 Things To Add To Your Footer on WordPress Site

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience building websites, I know that most people overlook the footer area of their WordPress site. But customizing your footer is one of the easiest ways to engage visitors and improve the user experience.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through the top 10 things every WordPress site owner should add to their footer.

Optimizing this often ignored section of your website can help boost conversions and get more from your WordPress site.

1. Navigation Menu

Adding a secondary navigation menu in your footer creates easy access to important pages like "About Us" and "Contact" from anywhere on your site.

Instead of forcing visitors to scroll back to the top or hunt through a crowded header menu, they can simply click your footer menu.

According to a Heatmap Report by Crazy Egg, secondary footer menus have an average click-through rate of over 2%.

Placing crucial links in the footer makes them visible on every page. This persistent navigation can increase engagement.

To add a footer menu in WordPress:

1. Go to Appearance > Menus.
2. Click the "Create a new menu" link.
3. Give the menu a name and click "Create Menu".
4. Check the pages you want to add.
5. Click "Add to Menu".
6. Click "Save Menu" when done.

Now go to Appearance > Widgets:

1. Click the blue "Add a Widget" button.
2. Search for "Navigation Menu".
3. Drag the widget into the "Footer" area.
4. Select your new menu from the dropdown.

It only takes a couple minutes to setup, but a persistent footer menu can significantly improve site navigation and pageviews.

2. Custom Code Snippets

Do you need to add custom tracking scripts, conversion pixels, or other code snippets to your WordPress site?

Hardcoding these directly in your theme‘s functions.php file or footer template is risky. Any theme updates can overwrite your custom code.

Instead, I recommend using a dedicated plugin like WPCode to securely add scripts. This prevents issues and makes managing snippets easier.

According to BuiltWith, over 43% of the top 10,000 WordPress sites use Google Analytics. Many others likely use Facebook Pixel or custom scripts.

Rather than editing theme files, the WPCode plugin lets you quickly add code to the header, footer, or body of any page or post.

To add custom scripts to your footer:

1. Install and activate the WPCode plugin.
2. Go to Code Snippets > Header & Footer.
3. Paste your script into the "Footer" box.
4. Click "Save Changes".

Now your code will safely render in the footer across your whole WordPress site.

3. Privacy Policy Link

To comply with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, your WordPress site needs a privacy policy page. You also must link to this page from all posts and public pages.

According to recent data, over 66% of websites updated their privacy policy due to CCPA alone.

Burying this link deep in a footer menu isn‘t good enough. To ensure compliance, your privacy policy needs to be easily found from any page footer.

The simplest way to achieve this is:

1. Publish a dedicated Privacy Policy page in WordPress.
2. Add a new "Paragraph" block in your footer.
3. Insert a link to your policy page.

This will display the required policy link in your footer without cluttering menus. Don‘t risk fines – add a visible footer privacy link today.

4. Copyright Notice

Displaying a copyright notice in your footer informs visitors that your content is protected intellectual property. It also establishes you as the owner.

I recommend every WordPress site displays a basic copyright notice like:

© Copyright [year] [site name]. All Rights Reserved.

To quickly add copyright text:

1. Go to Appearance > Customize.
2. Find the "Footer" panel.
3. Add the notice text.
4. Click "Publish".

However, manually updating the year each January is a hassle. Instead, use a plugin like Dynamic Copyright Date to automatically show the current year.

Never worry about stale copyright dates again. This simple footer element broadcasts your brand and protects your work.

5. Remove "Powered by WordPress"

By default, many free WordPress themes will add a "Powered by WordPress" link to your footer.

While this meets WordPress license requirements, it also advertises that your site runs on WordPress. This can raise security concerns in some cases.

To remove the "Powered by" link:

1. Go to Appearance > Customize.
2. Find the "Footer" section.
3. Delete or replace the link text.
4. Click "Publish".

With a block theme:

1. Edit your theme‘s footer.html template.
2. Find the "Powered by" paragraph block.
3. Delete the block.

Removing this branded link can give your brand maximum exposure in the footer. It also eliminates a potential attack vector for hackers.

6. Instagram Embed

Do you post great photos on Instagram? Embedding an Instagram feed directly in your footer allows visitors to see your Instagram content without leaving your site.

According to research, over 500 million people use Instagram every day. There‘s a huge audience there.

To harness it:

1. Install the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin.
2. Configure your feed under Instagram Feed > Settings.
3. Add the "Instagram Feed" widget to your footer.

Now your latest eye-catching Instagram photos will automatically populate in your footer. This keeps visitors engaged while promoting your Instagram profile.

7. Sticky Call-To-Action Bar

Want a persistent call-to-action option? A fixed call-to-action bar sticks to the bottom of the screen as users scroll.

This footer bar is proven to rapidly boost conversions when used correctly. According to OptinMonster, adding a floating sticky bar can increase conversions by up to 300%.

To create one:

1. Install the OptinMonster plugin.
2. Build a new "Floating Bar" campaign.
3. Customize the design, offer, and call-to-action.
4. Publish the campaign.

Now your time-sensitive promo, email signup, or special offer will persistently display front and center. Don‘t miss out on this high-converting footer option.

8. Social Media Icons

Adding share icons for your social profiles is an easy way to promote your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other accounts.

According to research by Convince&Convert, including social sharing buttons can increase shares by up to 86%.

To quickly add share icons:

1. Install the Social Icons Widget plugin.
2. Go to Appearance > Widgets.
3. Drag the widget into your footer.
4. Customize the icon links.

These sticky footer icons encourage visitors to follow, like, and share your content across social media. Don‘t miss out on this free promotional opportunity.

9. Click-To-Call Button

You want to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to contact your business. A click-to-call button in your footer lets visitors instantly dial your phone number.

According to research by Method Integration, adding a click-to-call button can increase conversions by up to 300%.

To add this high-converting link:

1. Get a business phone number like Nextiva.
2. Install the WP Call Button plugin.
3. Enter your phone number under Settings.
4. Customize button text and position.

Give visitors a seamless way to speak to your business directly from any page footer. This persistent contact option catches sales before they slip away.

10. Contact Form

You need an easy way for potential customers and visitors to contact you from your website. A footer contact form keeps this vital channel accessible across all pages.

According to data, websites with a contact form convert up to 40% better than those without. Don‘t miss out on potential leads.

The WPForms plugin makes adding forms simple:

1. Install and activate WPForms.
2. Build your form under the WPForms menu.
3. Add the WPForms widget to your footer.
4. Select your form.

Now users will have a quick way to contact you no matter where they are on your site. Don‘t make valuable customers hunt to get in touch.

Optimize Your Footer for More Conversions

As you can see, strategically optimizing your WordPress site‘s footer can significantly improve engagement, leads, and sales.

Don‘t let this crucial real estate go to waste. With just a bit of work, you can transform your footer into a powerful tool.

I hope this guide gave you some great ideas for things to add to your footer. Let me know if you have any other questions!