How’s your above-the-fold content? When you start reading about website design, it’s a term you’ll see a lot. But it might not have the most obvious meaning! “Above the fold” comes from another industry and from another era. So what does it mean for us, today, as we put together our digital marketing?
Almost every job has its own vocabulary. It sounds completely natural to those “in the know,” but to newcomers or outsiders, it can be confusing. “Above-the-fold content” can be one of those terms – once you know what it means, it’s obvious. But until then, it’s confusing!
What “Above the Fold Content” Means
The meaning of this term is actually quite simple. It refers to the part of a web page you see when a page loads. That is, it’s what you see without scrolling, clicking, or otherwise moving anything. Put another way, it’s the top of the page.
Above-the-fold content is simply what fits into the window. Of course, you have to keep in mind that people have different size monitors and use different devices, so this content may vary a bit from user to user. But that doesn’t lessen its importance.
Why Is Above the Fold Content Important?
You can probably guess already why this part of your web page is important. And “important” is an understatement!
This section of your webpage has to grab and hold the user’s attention. It has to convince them immediately that your page contains what they’re looking for. It’s a key to user experience and has to set the tone for your whole site.
That means it should contain both text and images that will draw the user in. They need to know they’re in the right place and that your company or blog is right for them.
In fact, it’s so important that Google also takes above-the-fold content into account when ranking pages. That’s another reason the text is so important. It should contain the important concepts and topics your page is all about. If you’re leading with it, then Google will weigh that more heavily!
You should consider the above-the-fold content on every page of your site. But of course, it’s most important on your homepage.
Origins of the Term “Above the Fold”
We’re seeing foldable phones and tablets nowadays, but “above-the-fold” content dates to way before these fancy devices. It actually goes back to – newspapers!
In particular, “above the fold” comes from the masthead-style newspapers. That’s the format where the pages are long. The other type – tabloids – have squarer pages. Examples of masthead newspapers include the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.
Because the pages of these papers are so long, they are folded in half. They were put in honor boxes or newsstands with the paper’s name, date, and lead stories on top. That made them easy to identify and helped grab attention with the large headline. And that part, above the fold in the paper, is where our key term originated!
That first half of the first page contained the most important stories of the day. Sure, there was other valuable information below the fold. And more inside, too. But what you needed to know was right there, easy to see, as it sat waiting for you to buy it. And if you want people to patronize your business or continue to visit your site, you need to leave with the most important ideas, too!
Conclusion
The era of print newspapers may be fading. But digital marketing still draws on many practices from that time. It will likely always be essential to keeping important content “above the fold” on your webpages! Be sure to plan your page layout carefully – grab the user’s attention and keep them interested in what you have to say.