Footer Fixes — Small Space, Big Impact

Welcome back to the Creative Muse Handmade journal.

After refreshing the header and overhauling the homepage, I turned my attention to a smaller—but equally important—part of the website: the footer. It’s easy to overlook, but this quiet section plays a key role in supporting your brand, offering helpful links, building trust, and guiding visitors toward deeper engagement.

With ChatGPT’s guidance, I took a closer look at what was already working in my footer and what could be improved.

What Was Already Working

Here’s what I was happy to find when I reviewed the existing setup:

• Essential Links: The foundational pages—About Us, Contact, FAQ, Shipping & Returns, Privacy Policy, and Terms & Conditions—were all present and accounted for.

• Social Media Icons: My Instagram link was live and working (though previously tucked away in the header).

• Clean Layout: The design was uncluttered and aligned with my calm, handmade aesthetic.

• Legal Details: Copyright information and required disclaimers were already in place.

It was reassuring to know the basics were solid.

Improvements I Made

Once I had a strong foundation, I focused on a few simple enhancements to make the footer more functional and engaging:

Newsletter Signup One thing that was missing? A newsletter signup form. Adding even a small field with a gentle prompt helps grow my email list and encourages return visits. It’s also a great way to build community over time.

Payment Method Icons I included icons for Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal to offer quick reassurance that the checkout process is secure and familiar. These visual cues also give the site a more complete, professional finish.

Journal Link With the launch of this journal, I added a direct link in the footer. Not only does it support SEO, but it also invites curious visitors to explore the stories and process behind my handmade work.

Visual Reorganisation To improve clarity, I restructured the footer into four neat sections:

• A short brand tagline

• Quick links

• Customer support pages

• Newsletter signup with social icons

This layout feels balanced, easy to scan, and works well on both desktop and mobile.

Visual Mockup

To help bring the idea to life, here’s a mockup of the updated footer layout that better reflects my brand:

A refreshed footer layout that’s clean, functional, and aligned with the overall brand aesthetic.

Final Footer Checklist

Here’s what I implemented in this round:

• Added a newsletter signup field

• Included payment method icons

• Linked to the journal

• Restructured the layout into clear, visual columns

Wrapping Up

This set of footer changes didn’t take as long as the homepage updates, but they made a noticeable difference. The footer now feels intentional—a strong, polished sign-off that supports and reinforces the rest of the site experience.

Up Next: Product Pages with Personality

In the next journal entry, I’ll be diving into product listings—refining descriptions, highlighting features, and shaping a shopping experience that feels just as thoughtful as the handmade items themselves.

Thanks for reading and following along!