Stop ignoring the bottom of your website
Look, I get it. When you’re building a website or paying someone to do it for you, you spend all your time worrying about the big hero image at the top. You want that flashy headline and the perfect photo of your team.
But here is the truth: by the time someone scrolls all the way to the bottom of your page, they’re actually interested. They haven’t bounced. They didn’t hit the back button. They’re looking for a reason to trust you or a way to get in touch.
Most small business owners treat the footer like a junk drawer. They throw in a copyright date from 2019, a tiny logo, and maybe a link to a Facebook page they haven’t updated since the lockdowns.
That is a massive waste of space.
If you do it right, the bottom of your site can be your hardest-working salesperson. It’s the safety net that catches people before they leave. Let’s talk about how to fix it so you actually get more enquiries.
The "Trust Factor" is won at the bottom
When someone is about to pull the trigger on a big quote—maybe a five-figure renovation or a legal retainer—they get nervous. They start looking for proof that you’re a real business and not some bloke operating out of a garage with a laptop.
This is where your footer shines.
I always tell our clients to put their physical address down there. Even if you don’t want people rocking up to your office without an appointment, having a Brisbane suburb listed makes you real. It shows you’ve got skin in the game.
Add your ABN. Add your trade licence number. If you’ve got industry accreditations or memberships, stick those logos down there too. It’s not about being flashy; it’s about removing the nagging doubt in the back of a customer's mind.
We’ve seen that small website tweaks like adding these trust signals can be the difference between someone calling you or calling your competitor.
Make it incredibly easy to give you money
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been on a local business site, ready to book, and I’ve had to scroll all the way back to the top just to find a phone number.
Don’t make your customers work. They’re lazy. We’re all lazy.
Your footer should have your phone number and email address in big, clear text. And for the love of God, make the phone number clickable. If I’m on my iPhone and I have to copy-paste your number into my keypad, you’ve already annoyed me.
Think about the "Next Step." If they’ve read your whole home page and they’re at the bottom, what do you want them to do?
- Call you for a quote? - Book an inspection? - Download a pricing guide?
Put a clear button or a simple contact form right there in that bottom section. It’s the last chance you have to grab them before they close the tab.
Navigation for people who are lost
Sometimes people scroll to the bottom because they couldn’t find what they were looking for in your main menu.
Instead of just repeating your top menu, use the footer to show off the stuff that actually makes you money. If you’re a plumber, don’t just have a "Services" link. List them out: Hot Water Repairs, Blocked Drains, Gas Fitting, Emergency Plumbing.
It helps people see exactly what you do at a glance. It also helps Google understand your business better, which is a nice bonus, but we care more about the human reading it.
If you’re a service-based business, this is also a great spot to link to your best work. I’ve seen many businesses stop losing customers simply by providing a clear path to their gallery or recent projects from the footer. It keeps them on the site longer and builds that much-needed proof.
The stuff you should probably delete
Most footers are cluttered with rubbish that doesn’t help you make a cent.
First up: Social media icons.
I know, everyone tells you that you need them. But think about it. You’ve spent money on ads or hours on SEO to get someone to your website. Why on earth would you put a big blue Facebook icon at the bottom that sends them away from your site and back into a world of distractions and cat videos?
If you must have them, put them in the footer, but make them small and greyscale. Don’t make them pop. You want people staying on your site until they’ve filled out an enquiry form.
Second: "Powered by [Random Web Design Agency]."
Unless they gave you a massive discount for the shout-out, get rid of it. It’s distracting and looks unprofessional. You paid for the site; you own the real estate. Use that space for your own business.
How long does this take to fix?
Honestly? If you’re using something like WordPress or Squarespace, a decent developer can tidy up your footer in about two hours.
It’s one of the cheapest wins in marketing. You don’t need a whole new website. You just need to stop treating the bottom of your pages like an afterthought.
If you look at your footer right now and it’s just a copyright notice from three years ago, you’re leaving money on the table.
My honest advice
Don’t overcomplicate this. You don’t need a "footer strategy" or a twenty-page document.
Just open your website on your phone tonight while you’re sitting on the couch. Scroll to the bottom. Ask yourself: "If I was a customer who just arrived here, is it obvious how to call this business? Do I trust them?"
If the answer is no, get it fixed.
It’s not about being pretty. It’s about being useful. A footer that works is a footer that makes it brain-dead simple for a customer to take the next step.
If you’re not sure where to start or you want someone to just handle the technical bits for you, that’s what we do. We help Brisbane businesses stop wasting their digital space and start getting more phone calls.
Drop us a line at Local Marketing Group and we can have a yarn about making your site actually work for a living.