Your Web Page Above the Fold – It Matters!

When designing a new web site, one of the first principles you need to understand is that people have short attention spans – really short ones.  They will often make a decision on whether to read your web site in a fraction of a second – so it’s critical you pay attention to what is “above the fold”.

Above the fold is actually an old newspaper term.  When newpapers were widely sold on newstands and in small vending machines, only the portion of the front page that was above the fold in the middle of the newspaper was visible.  Since the average prospective buyer only glanced at the machine or newsstand for a few seconds before deciding to buy today’s paper, editors paid close attention to the headlines and stories they put above the fold on the front page.  It could be the difference between selling and not selling the paper.

Your website is no different – visitors who make it to your front page take only a few seconds – some studies say even less than a second to scan the page and decide whether you have anything worth reading.  Only a small percentage will ever scroll down to see the rest of your site, so the portion of your web site that is available “above the fold” or visible in an average browser is the part that really counts.

So what do you need to transmit in that fraction of a second while the person is looking at your site?

• What is your site about and who are you – needs to be clearly relayed in just a few words (not a mission statement) or images on the top of your site.  Images can help really reinforce the theme of your site.  That way the prospective reader can decide if your site is relevant.  A lot of people with persona brands also effectively use a short “about me” link to share their story.
• Some Useful Content – No one will bother to read your blog or enter your store unless you have rich content to capture their attention.  People want to be educated, entertained and informed.  Give them a reason to read further.
• A Call to Action – The one thing you would really like your customer to do should either be top left or top right on your website (just below the headline).  This is where a person’s eyes tend to go first, even before reading the title in many cases.  So if you want them to sign up for your email list, subscribe to the blog/podcast, download your trial software, or become a member – put it there.
• A Reason to Come Back – The web is full of sites that have nothing more than a bunch of products listed, or set of links.  That does not work anymore.  Give them some fresh content updated on a regular basis.  This will engage the customer and keep them coming back.  A recent study said found that on the web, people need to interact with a site or business at least 12 times before they make a first purchase. Email lists, blogs, fresh articles, podcasts, videos and social media give people a chance to have that repeated interaction, get engaged with your content and eventually make a purchase.

That’s a quick summary of the most important things you need above the fold.  Clearly a lot of other things are nice to have like links to your social media profiles, contact pages, about us pages, etc… but these can be safely placed below the fold and in fact are often better there as they don’t clutter or confuse the message you are trying to deliver.

Thanks for joining me at Online Business Zen.  I will be back next week with a podcast and also continue my series on podcasting.  Have a great business week and don’t hesitate to join my email list for more tips on how to get started with your business.