Above The Fold – What Does it Mean & Is It Still Important?

‘Above the fold’ has always been a major consideration when designing a new website.

We had to ensure that key messages and calls to action were ‘Above the fold’ to ensure that a site delivered the best possible conversion. Why was this so important? Because surely no-one ever scrolls down the page…

During the early noughties, users weren’t used to scrolling. Indeed many of our clients even requested that the site ‘stayed within 1 page’ to ensure that the entire site and its contents was ‘Above the fold’. Thankfully, scrolling is becoming a natural action for the website user, and is in fact more natural than clicking through multiple pages or screens.

Since the proliferation of mobile compatibility, users now expect to scroll – how can all the information on a website be easily visible on a smartphone screen? And now mobile browsing is superseding traditional desktop or hard-wired browsing, users are expecting to scroll, no matter what device using.

Content above the fold will of course get the most attention, so it is essential to ensure this content is engaging and encourages users to scroll down the page and delve into the website pages.

SO in answer to the question is ‘Above the Fold’ still important – the answer is yes, but for different reasons. The content is now key to engaging with users and encouraging them to explore the website – the more interested a user is in what you have to say, the more likely they are going to become a customer.