Above the fold

Above the fold is the part of a web page a visitor sees without scrolling. On a landing page it's the first screen: usually the headline, subline, main call to action and a visual.

Why it matters

Many visitors decide whether to keep reading from the first screen alone. If it doesn't say what you sell, who it's for and what to do next, the rest of the page often doesn't get read. The term comes from newspapers, where the top half of the front page was what showed on the newsstand.

How to get it right

• Say what the product is and who it's for in the headline.
• Put the main call to action on the first screen at common laptop sizes.
• Show the product or the outcome, not a generic stock image.
• Check the first screen on a phone, where it's much shorter.

Common mistakes

• Spending the first screen on a slogan or a mission statement.
• Pushing the call to action below a large image or video.
• Cramming everything above the fold instead of giving visitors a reason to scroll.