Web Design Trend: The Mega Footer
Trends come and go, but some website design elements stand the test of time for good reason. Mega menus packed with images, links and features were all the rage for years. However, these cluttered menus can easily overwhelm visitors, especially on an eCommerce site. Luckily, there’s a better solution that helps make a great first impression while still providing easy access to important site content: the mega footer. By keeping your header clean and focused, you capture visitors’ attention right away. Then the mega footer at the bottom of each page conveniently houses secondary info, links and features exactly when site visitors need them. Read on to learn why mega footers work so well for eCommerce sites and what to include in your own mega footer.
For years, “mega menus” were all the rage. For anyone not up on their website developer lingo a mega menu is like a regular drop-down menu on steroids. Instead of just containing a simple column of links, a mega menu might also include images, span multiple columns, or even fill up the whole page. Here’s an example of mega menus in action on Crate & Barrel’s site:
Now I love me some C&B but this site has ALOT going on “above the fold” - or before you even scroll down on the site. And I would argue that most businesses aren’t going to be able to get away with having this amount of content or this many CTAs without losing people. We’re bordering on way too cluttered! It’s hard to know where to look or what to do first!
Luckily, there’s a solution that allows you to make a nice first impression and still get all those links out there for people: the MEGA FOOTER. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about here check out the bottom of Squarespace’s site:
All of those links would make the top of a page look CRAZY but make perfect sense in the footer. And by keeping the header simple, the first impression can be super focused with just four main things: Products, Templates, Resources, and Get Started.
Why Do Mega Footers Work?
Website visitors spend much less time looking at the top of your site than you think they do so you have only a few precious seconds to capture their attention when they first land on a page. All of the info you have is important, it just may not be TOP OF THE PAGE important, you know what I mean?
Your top navigation (the links that appear at the top of every page) should really stay focused on your primary graphic + your primary CTA. Knowing that you have room in your footer for everything else can help you create a stronger first impression. I tend to think of the header needing to appeal to newbies or first-time visitors and the footer for everyone else. (More on that topic in this post about mapping user journeys on your eCommerce site!)
Mega footers aren’t even necessarily that new or trendy, but they’ve been around long enough and there are so many new eCommerce sites made every day that web users are used to (and expect!) to go to the bottom of the page for additional info. This is one of those cases where I think the more it’s been in use, the more acceptable it is for eCommerce. Providing people with the right info at the right time can help reassure customers thinking about making a purchase.
What should you put in your mega footer?
Ok, so I’ve convinced you to give a mega footer a try but you’re wondering what are some things that you can or should include? Here are a few ideas!
Links to all your shop categories (even if they are also in your header)
Links to secondary pages such as About and Contact
Links to your FAQ page plus any other pages where you talk specifically about returns, shipping, or other common inquiries
A signup form for new customers
Instagram feed
Links to other active social media accounts
Contact info such as your address, phone number, and/or hours
List of locations or divisions of your company, if they have dedicated pages
A search block
Legal info such as your privacy policy or terms & conditions
A website footer is also a great place to include a small version of your logo and even your tagline or mission statement! It’s a nice way to end each page and just another opportunity you have to create a cohesive, branded experience on your eCommerce site.
