Place important content above the fold to grab attention

The concept of “above the fold” originates with newspapers, where the newspaper was folded and only a portion of the page was visible at first glance. The industry learned that they must present the important, attention-grabbing content on the visible part of the page to gain interest.

This idea is just as important today where all of our content is online and on screens. The new “above the fold” is the visible part of the page you see when you first land on the page.

Showcase what’s important above the fold

Most audiences only scan pages, looking for something that jumps out at them. Front-load the important content above the fold so that prospects are immediately exposed to it, grabbing their attention. By highlighting key concepts and CTAs up front, the prospect’s eyes will gravitate to that content naturally as they scan the page.

What’s important, you ask? Think about what the page’s main objective is; what’s the point of this page? When the prospect lands on the page:

• What do you want the prospect to see?
• What do you want the prospect to learn?
• What CTAs do you want the prospect to engage with?

Whatever is essential to reaching the main goal of the page is what’s important. Make that objective and your key CTAs obvious, with hero images and messaging supporting that goal.

Push additional info down below the fold

Any content that you decide doesn’t make the “most important” cut can be considered optional or additional information. This content can be pushed below the fold.

You can restructure the page with things like collapsible sections, learn more links, mouseover popups, etc. below the fold so that if a prospect is interested in diving deeper into some of your additional content, they can at their own discretion.

Examples of optional info might include (will vary based on your business goals):

• Ebook
• Podcast
• Social proof
• Case studies
• Customer logos
• Informational videos
• Additional resources

See it in action

In the example below, Bill.com focuses on pushing prospects to sign up for a trial. When the prospect lands on the homepage, they’re presented with the following above the fold:

• A hero image/animation as the background.
• Messaging to support their objective.
• Two CTAs directing them to trial signup forms.
• A chatbot to answer questions and direct them.
• A navbar that guides their experience if they want to dive deeper before signing up.

As the prospect scrolls, additional information is presented for the prospect to learn more, such as integration info, informative videos, customer logos, and more.

‍