A journalistic approach

Coming from a background in journalism, I’m no stranger to the term “above the fold.” In journalism, above the fold meant that you would keep important stories, headlines, and images at the top half of the page, so that when the newspaper was folded, you would still be able to see this information.

In web design, above the fold means that important information is kept toward the top of the page so that viewers can see it without scrolling. It’s been common practice to put calls to action and attractive images above the fold, just in case someone doesn’t want to scroll in order to see the rest of your content.

But here’s the thing: We’re used to scrolling.

Scroll to see the whole

Responsive design has changed the way we build websites. A page can look completely different on a laptop as it does on a tablet or phone. Mobile versions of sites require a lot of scrolling, and yet mobile browsing is at an all-time high. Even MAC and PC display differently.

We need to stop worrying about what is above the fold, because the fold no longer exists.

Prioritize your web content

For decades, businesses have tried to cram too much information at the top of the page. You know what they say: If everything is important, nothing is important. While it is important to keep your most vital information at the top of your content, stop worrying if your website doesn’t say EVERYTHING above the fold.

Prioritize your content. Have a hierarchy of what you want to mention, keeping in mind that users often stop reading toward the beginning or simply scan the information instead of giving it a close read.

Have some faith in your customers. If they want to know more about your company, they will not be offended that they may have to scroll in order to find out.