Design your way

Web designers and clients often talk about designing above the fold. Many of them use the phrase without knowing where it originates. The phrase comes from the newspaper industry and refers to the need to always place important news stories or photographs on the front pages of newspapers on the top half, above the fold.

It persists in web page design circles although everyone knows that site visitors can easily scroll down a page. However, this old idea that the non-existent fold is important persists.

When presenting clients with a web site design, web designers often get the questioned about the fold. Many clients want everything placed above the fold.

However, to do as they wish would make carefully designed web pages illegible, cramped, unreadable and so uncomfortable for the reader to view that it would not achieve the web site’s primary purpose, which is to sell the client’s goods or services.

Designing Above The Fold - Is It Still Relevant

Like so much folklore, the fold guideline became a rule of web design, simply because it was discussed so much that web designers followed it unquestioningly.

Users do scroll

The fold rule had some validity before the smartphones movement. However, now that larger monitors are the norm and that smartphone and tablet users are so used to scrolling, when using the mobile web, the fold is no longer an issue. Several research studies have proved that today’s users scroll and the above the fold standard is no longer necessary.

Often, the mere fact that there is less content above the fold encourages users to explore below the fold, especially if the web page’s design tempts them to do so. Something that bridges the fold entices viewers to scroll down to see what is there.

Also, users now know that scroll bars on their browser mean that there is content further down the page and they also realize that scroll bars can also indicate page length.

Encourage your visitors to go below the fold

That space above the fold still grabs the attention and although users do scroll, designers should ensure that they design to encourage users to scroll down.

Smartphone and tablet users naturally scroll, but designers need to make sure that they design their page layouts to showcase all their content.

Designers need to remember that less is more. It can be tempting to cram content above the fold, but it is important to remember that using white space and imagery imaginatively encourages users to explore the page further.

It is a good idea to have a little content, protruding slightly above the fold, so that the viewer can just see it, to encourage scrolling.

Visual cues, for example, cut off images and text, and really interesting content, intrigue viewers and encourage them to scroll down to see it all. Sometimes simply telling the user that there is more content below, is more effective or appropriate than using subtle visual cues to do so.

What you should keep above the fold

First impressions count and designers should consider the first impression that they wish to create for a particular site. That first impression is more than just content, design itself contributes as much and sometimes more to the user’s first impression than content does.

When designing any site, it is important to keep certain elements above the fold, like site name, navigation and search form. These elements take little space and so often designers can also feature a product or service, however it is not necessary or desirable to put all the information on the product above the fold.

Cramming the product information and action call button above the fold will not necessarily persuade the user to buy the particular product. However teasing the viewer with a little text above the fold, and further description below it leads to more sales because it prevails upon that most natural instinct, human curiosity and delaying gratification heightens interest in the product.

High conversion rates are not necessarily obtained above the fold

Having the button above the fold does not necessarily result in high conversion rates, whereas having the button below the correct amount of excellent copy does mean high conversion rates.

How much copy is necessary? There are realistically three prospect/offering combinations:

Visitors, who have come to the site to buy, need the call to action button readily available so that the momentum is not interrupted.

Uncertain prospects with an easily understandable offering, in which they can immediately see value. These visitors need a little strong crystal clear convincing copy to persuade them to click on the button. In this case, the button should be high on the page, above the fold.

Uncertain prospects with an offering requiring detailed explanation before users can see its value. In this case, prospects need clear, well-written content to engage their full interest constantly throughout the page until they get to the button. How much copy is necessary depends on the prospect’s prior knowledge, the complexity of the offering, price etc.

Designers should not be afraid to design below the fold

In the internet’s early days, designing below the fold was considered a bad thing. Today, always staying above the fold can be equally as dangerous.

Designers should always test sites to see how they display on alternative screen resolutions and devices and consider the site’s first impression as to content and design. They should also establish the visual and content cues that lead users down the page, below the fold.

There is no need for designers to worry too much about the fold. They should neither give up best practice nor try to cram everything above a particular pixel point. Opening designs and giving users a less hectic visual experience, providing the content is sufficiently compelling and will keep viewers reading to the end of the page, and result in the desired user behavior.