Do you remember signing off on the design of your footer?
It’s normally designed at the exact point in the project when everyone has lost the will to live.
The homepage hero has had seventeen versions.
The product page has been discussed like a hostage negotiation.
The main navigation has been tweaked to perfection.
And the footer?
“Ah, let’s just stick delivery, returns and socials down there.”
Then everyone moves on with their life.
Which is odd.
Because the footer is where nearly-buyers often go when the page above has not answered their question.
Not everyone who scrolls to the bottom is bored.
Some are looking for:
- delivery info
- returns
- sizing help
- order tracking
- customer support
- reviews
- payment options
- proof you are not a Shopify theme wearing a trench coat
Tiny bit important, that lot.
And yet most footers still feel like a drawer full of spare cables.
Useful things might be in there somewhere, but nobody really knows what half of it does.
- Privacy policy
- Terms
- Cookie settings
- Instagram icon
- A newsletter box with the emotional pull of damp cardboard
- Maybe a Klarna logo having a little chill
That is the leak.
So I mocked up what I think a proper useful eCommerce footer should look like.
Caption:
The biggest change you can make?
I’d replace the passive newsletter signup with a proper Help Centre.
Because if someone has scrolled to the bottom of your product page with a final doubt, they are probably not thinking:
“Do you know what would solve this? Another email newsletter.”
They are thinking:
- “When will this arrive?”
- “Can I return it?”
- “What size do I need?”
- “Where is my order?”
- “Can I speak to a real human?”
- “Can I trust this brand?”
That is why the footer should act more like customer support than a link graveyard.
Here’s the simple way to think about it:
Footer job
What it should do
Examples
CRO
Remove final buying doubts
Delivery, returns, reviews, sizing, payment options, support
SEO
Create clear internal paths
Buying guides, care guides, product comparison, FAQs, category links
Customer service
Stop basic questions becoming tickets
Track order, contact us, live chat, subscription help, returns policy
That is what the mockup is built around.
Customer tasks.
The sections I’d want to see are:
- Shop
Best sellers, new arrivals, bundles, sale, gift cards.
- Help before buying
Size guide, materials guide, care guide, product comparison, FAQs.
- Orders and account
Track order, returns, delivery, account login, subscriptions, payment methods.
- Trust and brand
Reviews, about, sustainability, stockists, wholesale, blog.
- Contact and support
Help Centre, search, live chat, email, phone, support hours.
That structure helps the customer.
It helps Google understand the site.
And it helps your support team avoid answering the same five questions until the end of time.
Everyone wins.
Apart from whoever was emotionally attached to the old newsletter box.
They’ll be fine.
Chat soon,
Peter
