A Surprising and Essential Element: Updating and Customizing Your Website’s Footer in WordPress

It may come as a shock, but a website’s footer is a surprisingly essential area that is often overlooked! It plays a crucial role in a website’s overall user experience, providing important information like contact details, copyright notices, and links to essential pages like privacy policies and terms and conditions.

The good news is that updating and customizing your footer on WordPress is a quick and easy process that DOES NOT require any coding.

How to Update Footer in WordPress

Follow the simple steps below to update your website’s footer in WordPress:

Step 1: Login to Your WordPress Dashboard

To begin updating your website’s footer, the first step is to log in to your WordPress dashboard. Once you’ve logged in, you will see the Dashboard homepage.

Step 2: Navigate to Appearance > Widgets

Next, navigate to the Appearance tab and click on Widgets. The widgets page will be displayed.

Step 3: Select the Footer Widget Area

On the Widgets page, you will see different widget areas such as your header, sidebar, and footer. To update your footer, click on the widget area labeled ‘Footer Widget Area.’ The footer widget area is where all the content in your footer is managed.

Step 4: Choose the Widgets to Add to Your Footer

Once you have selected the footer widget area, you can begin to customize the appearance by adding extra widgets. WordPress comes with various widgets that you can add to your footer, such as search bar, category list, recent posts, and more. To add a widget to your footer, click on the widget and drag it to the footer widget area.

Step 5: Customize the Footer

After you have added the widgets to your footer, customize the footer by adjusting the widget settings to fit your website’s design. Most widgets will have customizable settings, which can be accessed by clicking on the widget from the footer widget area.

There are many ways to customize your footer on WordPress, such as changing the color and font of your footer text, adding images, or hiding the footer entirely. To change your footer’s color and font, you can use the WordPress Customizer or use CSS.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

After you have customized your footer, make sure to click on the Save button to apply the changes. Note that some themes may require you to hit the Publish button before changes take effect.

Adding Copyright Notice and Other Footer Information

Once you have customized your footer, you can also update essential information such as a copyright notice, contact information, links to social media, and other essential pages.

Step 1: Navigate to Appearance > Customize

Go to Appearance and click on Customize. The WordPress Customizer page will be displayed.

Step 2: Edit the Footer Section

On the Customizer page, click on the Footer tab. You will see a list of options to customize, including Copyright, Site Info, and More Footer Links. Most themes come with pre-set footer design, and this area will vary depending on your theme.

Step 3: Add Your Information

Under the various footer sections, add your information. For instance, under the copyright section, your Copyright text will go in. You can also include your site’s name, Developments or Design credit, and the current year. On the Site Info section, you can add other contact details such as email, phone number, or physical location.

Step 4: Save Your Changes

After you have added your footer information, click on the Save button to apply the changes. Once you hit Save, the changes will be automatically saved, so you don’t have to worry about losing your customizations.

Tips for Updating Your Website’s Footer in WordPress

While updating your website’s footer is straightforward, why not take some time to add a burst of creativity to your site? Below are some tips to keep in mind when updating your website’s footer:

1. Consider your website’s design and layout

Your footer design should match your website’s overall design and layout. Choose fonts and colors that complement the rest of the website to create a cohesive look.

2. Make sure to include essential information

Your footer should include essential information such as copyright notice, contact information, and links to important pages like the privacy policy, terms and conditions, and social media accounts.

3. Use widgets to add functionality

Widgets can add extra functionality to your footer, such as a search bar or recent posts. However, do not add too many widgets as this can slow down your website’s loading time.

4. Keep it simple

Your footer should be simple and easy to navigate. Avoid clutter and make sure your footer is easy to read.

Conclusion

Updating your website’s footer is an easy and quick process that does not require any coding. You can customize your footer in WordPress by selecting the Footer Widget Area, choosing the widgets to add to your footer, customizing the footer, and saving your changes. Make sure to include essential information and keep it fresh, bold, and user-friendly. By following these tips and steps, you can update your website’s footer and provide a better user experience for your visitors.