Does it still matter staying “above the fold”?
Does it still matter staying "above the fold" when creating your homepage?
It’s important because it is what people see first. It’s what attracts the most attention.
It holds your brand logo and USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
In Affiliate Successes case; the USP is "Becoming a successful affiliate marketer"
What does it mean "above the fold"?
Above the fold is the portion of a web page visible in a browser window when the page first loads. It’s what visitors first see without scrolling.
Studies, tests ...
Chartbeat's study from 2013 shows that “66% of attention on a normal media page is spent below the fold.” In contrast, the Nielsen Norman Group study in 2018 showed that “users spend 80% of their time looking above the fold.”
A test ran in 2014 by Huge was an interesting user test where they tested four different versions of a design.
The results showed that almost all the participants scrolled, regardless of each variation.
The stats are even more dominant on mobile. One study found that, on mobile, half of users start scrolling within 10 seconds and 90% within 14 seconds.
So, does “above the fold” still matter?
Yes, it does.
The formula for what to include above the fold on your homepage is pretty straightforward:
A well-written USP
Some brief explainer copy
Your branded logo
Simple, intuitive navigation
Contact info – especially important if you’re running an e-commerce store
Everybody scrolls...
Some blog experts say you need to follow the original formula religiously and keep key information above the fold.
I’ve also heard other say that it doesn’t really matter because most people will scroll.
And this makes more sense as of late, considering the number of people using mobile devices.
Besides, scrolling beats going to the next page because it's easier for users to keep going down the page than it is to decide whether to click through for the next page of a fragmented article.
All the best,
Luc
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About The Author
lucbizz
I’m Luc Dermul, a Belgian online entrepreneur living in “the big apple of Flanders” Antwerp
Hello there! this is an amazing review you have got here. Placing your CTA above the fold is the most common placement choice. However, this can be expecting too much of someone who has just arrived at your page. for me, A solution to this is to create a mini landing page experience that contains the critical elements of your page packaged up into a block of content above the fold.
Hi Joy,
Thanks for sharing your solution. Although I believe you refer to an offer (a lead magnet ,like a free report) The above the fold holds your brand logo and USP (Unique Selling Proposition) I don’t see that as expecting too much.