The human attention span is short. This means that your website’s content has to inspire, delight, and engage your target audience in mere seconds.

For this reason, you’re above the fold content should be enticing enough to hold a visitor’s attention and keep their interest.

What does ‘above the fold’ mean?

‘Above the fold’ refers to the section of your site that first greets users when they land on a page. The content above the fold is the header, text, imagery, or video that’s visible before users have to scroll. Ideally, it should convey what an organization does and its associated benefits.

Your above-the-fold website content directly impacts your engagement metrics, because it can inspire users to explore the rest of the website and its offerings. If it’s not properly optimized, you’ll likely see a boost in bounce rate and a decrease in conversions.

If your website has compelling above-the-fold content, you‘ll likely see higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates. If you’re unsure, try to self-test by looking at your website from a new perspective — if you were a new viewer, would you stay on your site at first glance?

Let’s talk about some ways you can ensure your above-the-fold content engages web users.

Above the Fold Website Design Best Practices

When you design your webpage, keep these practices in mind. They’ll keep visitors’ attention and encourage them to explore the rest of your website.

1. Keep your design simple.

Above-the-fold content shouldn‘t be extremely busy — if it is, readers might not know where to look first and click away from the page. Alternatively, if they’re not able to find the answer to their challenge quickly, they’ll likely choose another website.

2. Make the content engaging.

Simple web pages are one way to keep a user’s attention. But when they get there, take opportunities to delight them. For example, when you write your headlines and body text, they should echo your brand voice.

3. Design your content for usability.

Above all else, your content should be easy to interact with. For instance, if you’re working on the above-the-fold content for a product page, make sure your above-the-fold content is functioning as it should.

4. Solve challenges for the reader.

Your content above the fold should answer the challenge of the user. To illustrate, let’s say you work for an email marketing service provider, and a user searches “email marketing software” and lands on your homepage.

Testing Above the Fold Content

How do you know your page is a knockout? By testing multiple versions. A/B testing is an experiment that allows marketers to test different versions of campaigns, emails, CTAs, copy, web pages or other materials to gauge which performs best.

This process may sound daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Tools like HubSpot’s A/B Testing Kit come with everything you need to get started. To be sure your above the fold content is the best it can be, you’ll want to do a test comparing the new iteration of the page vs. the original version.

These tests can help you:

  • Identify visitor pain points and solve them
  • Identify any usability obstacles
  • Increase conversions
  • Reduce bounce rates

The Benefits of Above the Fold Optimization

Above-the-fold optimization is critical to ensure your website visitors don’t bounce off the page. That way, you can increase the chances of visitors becoming customers. By optimizing the content above the fold, you can:

  • Increase user engagement by right away inviting users to shop or reach out to you.
  • Greet users with on-brand messaging.
  • Establish the value of using your product or service.
  • Show the results your website visitors can see if they choose to purchase from you.

Need examples of great above the fold content, read our partner HubSpot’s blog.

Need help with your website content? Contact Us today to learn more about how Goose Digital can help.