You’ve probably heard about how important it is to keep things “above the fold.” It seems simple, but a lot of people are missing the point. Let’s look at what really matters about “above the fold” and what’s just mythology.

Above the fold is an old newspaper term. It refers to the top half of the front page of the paper. That’s what sells the paper because it’s the part you can see without paying.

The term has been adapted, in the digital age, to mean the part of a webpage that can be seen without scrolling. Notice the difference: in newspapers, “above the fold” was all you could see before paying. On a website it’s just the first bit of stuff you can see before paying. You’ve got a whole page to scroll through and work with.

Heck, there are probably even some other pages you could peruse for free.

So, don’t cram everything above the fold. You’ve got infinite amounts of paper and ink to work with. Use what space you need to make your point. After you’ve made your case with good, well-reasoned copy it’s time to seal the deal.

There’s a trend these days to put a big signup form or checkout button up above the fold on the home page. It’s like showing up for a first date with no pants on.
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