Footer links necessary if navbar is fixed on small business website?

Question

I'm developing a website for a friend's startup. It's a really small website with only 4-6 pages. Currently I have designed the website with a fixed navbar (and a fixed menu toggle button on mobile).

My question is, Should I repeat the navbar links in the footer? Or, since the navbar is fixed and always available to the user, should I reserve the footer for only those links which more typically belong there, such as "About" or "Contact Us"?

On the one hand, it seems like a waste of space and potentially confusing to the user to have access to identical links in the navbar and the footer which are both visible on-screen at the same time when the user is scrolled to the bottom. But on the other hand, perhaps it is better to follow convention and make all the links available in the footer because the user will expect them to be there.

Answer 1

Though it depends on what type of users you are dealing with, but in most of the cases yes it's required. For example if there is a page of "terms and conditions" , or say "our team". Because of mental model of the user(most of the websites place it on the bottom) normal user tendency will be, to look at the bottom of the page (Footer). But, if you are placing those pages(if they exists) prominently on the nav bar, in that case you can avoid placing those page links at the footer.

Answer 2

If the information is duplicated in the footer, it becomes redundant. So, scrap it.

You're right. There's no point in showing everything twice.

Answer 3

Everything depends on purpose of Website. What all information or content present on website decides footer Links/Content.

But am not here to just say "depends!"

So presuming your friends' startup would need the website more importantly for media-marketing and is not website based startup(guessed from number of pages).

Rule of thumb for UX: More options more problems. – Scott Belsky, Vice President of Products & Community at Adobe

I would suggest not to show any other links except the important one's.

Important Links:

• Contact Us
• Social Links
• Mail/Phone (Number)
• Newsletter (Optional: If present)
• Terms & Conditions/Privacy

Content:

• Company/Brand Logo
• Address
• Copyright

Above are just the assumptions made that may be included in your site.

For better understanding, i would like to show very few among many examples. Here you go...

Created Image for samples.

Source: http://abduzeedo.com/web-design-footer-references

If i go like this it would would take forever. So wrapping with conclusion.

Conclusion: Don't baffle users unnecessarily if you can provide clean design. Just show what is important for user and startup.

Answer 4

as per my experience you don't need to repeat the navigation bar links in footer if there is no additional information or category you want to display then. Then also if you have to keep it there then just drop the contact information with address, phone,email i.e. kinda contact form in footer. For small website footer is not the important but what your business is or what you are providing is important to show.