If you’ve had a chat about websites, you will have heard people talk about ‘The Fold’. Today, we’re explaining what on earth they mean.

What is ‘The Fold’?

The term is used to describe the bottom edge of the screen.

‘Above The Fold’ is what you can see immediately without scrolling when you go on a website – this is often called the ‘First Screen’. 

‘Below The Fold’ is anything that you need to scroll to see. 

Why is ‘The Fold’ important?

Every website is different, but a good rule of thumb is to have a Call To Action above The Fold as users rarely scroll as much as we think they do, and never as much as we’d like.

It’s worth bearing in mind though that website visitors tend to scroll more on mobile than on desktop, so you can tailor your website accordingly.

Research shows that it takes 2.6 seconds for a user’s eye to land on the area of a website that most influences their judgement. Your brand is in the spotlight and you don’t have long to make a good first impression. That’s why it’s so important that the content above ‘The Fold’ on a web page is as effective as possible.

Look at the ‘First Screen’ of your website and ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there a Call To Action?
• Are the headlines compelling?
• Does the content say enough about my business and what it offers?
• Is there any clutter?