Food for Thought: What is 'Above the Fold' in Web design? And why should I care?
Jun 23, 2017
The fold is used in website design to refer to the portion of the site that is visible without scrolling. Originally, one of the honored guidelines in web design was to keep the most important content above the fold. The term originated from newspapers, referring to the part of the page that is visible when folded in half. However, this concept has become a loose guideline as times have changed and people aren’t so hung up about scrolling.
You want your web visitors to explore your website
The fold concept is becoming a thing of the past, but why? You may be thinking that putting your call to action in plain site would be the best idea. On the contrary, if you are intent on squashing as much important information and eye-catching content into the first fold of your site, it destroys the readability, not to mention any sense of build-up, resulting in users being let down if they do decide to explore the rest of your site. Tell a story and be creative with the fold. You need to make your visitors travel around your site; keep them entertained and engaged with exciting content at each click.
Tell a Story
In an age where we are inundated with information and sales pitches, the web is becoming crowded and people are craving real-time experiences over marketing jargon. Create a chance for people to switch off and escape from loud marketing messages to experience something new. Websites need to take inspiration from their physical counterparts to create a sensory experience for visitors. Take Sunglasses brand Gentle Monster, they launched the Quantum Project back in 2016 which saw their physical store redesigned every 25 days to exceed customer expectations and to keep them revisiting. So, why is it that a physical store can change but websites so often stay static?
The fold is the perfect opportunity to engage visitors and needs to be an explosion of sound, colour, brand name and concept. Use the flexibility of the digital world to create something engaging and enticing for your visitor. Make them want to know more about you. Tell a story – using video is a great way to do this. People respond more positively with visuals rather than loads of copy. Too much text can be overwhelming, so break it down by using bullet points and important facts, at least on the homepage.
SIMPLE TIPS
- Focus on the fold being a visual representation of your brand, product or service.
- Why not change the fold every month or two? This will keep your returning visitors surprised upon every visit.
- Keep the copy to a minimum with only the basics visible- maybe your company tagline or a short description of your company.
- Present the information in plain sight so people don’t click off on to a competitor site.
ANSWER: Why should I care about the fold?
The design and layout of your fold can be the deciding factor whether people continue investing their time in your brand or click off. Content placed above the fold grabs 80% of our attention, earning people’s attention is harder to capture now that our patience is forever becoming less and less.
Here at The Creation Lab, we offer bespoke web designs for all our clients. If you feel you need a website refresh to keep your web visitors returning and to entice new visitors, give us a call on 0800 644 7070.
Add Pingback