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The very simple reason is that users now scroll. Dialog boxes, CD-ROM multimedia shows, and HyperCard stacks all worked that way, and didn’t require scrolling.” Why this practice has become irrelevant now? Jacob Nielson, from the Nielson Norman Group explained this further: “This reluctance to scroll made sense at the time, because people were used to having computers show all their choices. What caused this practice to exist for so many days?Īt that time, scrolling was not so intuitive for most users since navigating down a website was a onerous game (on account of clumsy scroll bars). Write ups on sites spanned multiple pages that required users to click, instead of scrolling to read all. Also, many websites limited themselves to near about 600 pixels in height. If you do not believe me, check Apple’s website from the 90s. The theory that worked under the practice proclaimed that anything placed below the fold will escape the attention of the viewer for certain.
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If you take a look at website during the 90s and early 2000s, you are sure to observe all the elements appearing on the web pages’ above the fold area. What’s more, this service or phenomenon, whatever you may call, will enhance the chances of the visitor exploring the content better. Needless to say, this vitally important information must appear ‘above the fold’ forthwith as otherwise the visitor will leave.īy providing the relevant information and user-actions ‘above the fold’ the website will be able to keep the visitor engaged – from the very beginning. Websites that fail to provide this service die a natural death. Does a website’s Conversion Rate Optimization has anything to do with Above the Fold content?Įvery time a visitor lands on a web page, he/she anticipates finding the information the person is looking for post-haste. During the early days of website design, this concept was carried over from newspapers to websites. As newspaper publishers are fully aware of this phenomenon, they put the most relevant stories and graphics in this area. As a result, intending buyers, at a first glance, can take a peek only at the top half of the page. Newspapers, while on display and sale, are usually folded in half at the middle for the sake of convenience. Incidentally, the term ‘above the fold’ is primarily linked with newspaper reading process. Since it is the initial view that visitors encounter on a web page, website designers and developers pay maximum attention to what should appear on this area, i.e. To be precise, ‘Above the Fold’ refers to the area of a web page that becomes visible sans any scrolling. However, this post digs deeper on the subject, while providing you with snippets that will speak for themselves. Nevertheless, with the users’ interaction evolving over time, the traditional usage of the fold seems no longer so relevant. Traditionally, a website’s initial impression on its users depends a lot on its “above the fold” content. OMG the title has been wrongly typed – it should read “Above or below the fold”.