Term:

above the fold

Definition:

Above the fold is a term commonly used in web design and development to describe the area of a webpage that is visible to a user without any need for scrolling down. This area, typically located at the top of a webpage, is considered to be one of the most important sections of a website, as it is the first thing that a user sees when they land on a page. As a result, it is often used to grab a user’s attention and provide them with key information that will encourage them to stay on the site and explore further.

The concept of above the fold has its origins in the world of print media, where it refers to the upper half of the front page of a newspaper. This area was considered to be the most valuable real estate in the publication, as it was the first thing that readers saw when they picked up the paper. As a result, editors would carefully choose which stories, images, and headlines to feature above the fold in order to entice readers and sell more copies.

The idea of above the fold has since been adapted for use in the digital world, where it has become a fundamental principle of web design. In the early days of the internet, websites were relatively simple and consisted of a single page of content. As the internet grew and websites became more complex, designers began to realize that they needed to think carefully about how they organized content on a page in order to make it easy for users to find what they were looking for.

This led to the development of the concept of above the fold, which became even more important as the use of mobile devices increased. With smaller screens, users have even less space to work with, making it essential that web designers prioritize the most important information and place it in a prominent position that is visible without scrolling.

So, what kind of content should be placed above the fold? In general, the most important information should be given priority, whether that is a headline, a call to action, or a product image. Ideally, this content should be visually appealing and easy to understand at a glance, as users will often make a decision about whether to stay on a site or not within just a few seconds of landing on the page.

In addition to the placement of content, designers also need to consider the layout of the page above the fold. The use of white space, or negative space, can be particularly effective in drawing the eye to important information and making it stand out. Similarly, the use of contrasting colors or bold typography can be used to create a visual hierarchy that guides the user’s eye towards the most important content.

In terms of websites, above the fold is the visible part of the website when the page initially loads, without the user scrolling. The smaller the device screen, the smaller the above the fold size. The area of a web page above the fold is one of the most important parts of your page. It is usually best to put your most important content in this area to make sure as many people see it as possible.

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Miles Anthony Smith

Miles is a loving father of 3 adults, devoted husband of 24+ years, chief affiliate marketer at AmaLinks Pro®, author, entrepreneur, SEO consultant, keynote speaker, investor, & owner of businesses that generate affiliate + ad income (Loop King Laces, Why Stuff Sucks, & Kompelling Kars). He’s spent the past 3 decades growing revenues for other’s businesses as well as his own. Miles has an MBA from Oklahoma State and has been featured in Entrepreneur, the Brookings Institution, Wikipedia, GoDaddy, Search Engine Watch, Advertising Week, & Neil Patel.

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