Apparently people are still talking about “the fold” on their websites, as if website users don’t know how to scroll. The discussion should really be about whether your web page gives users a reason to scroll.
Why do people continue down a new hiking path they’ve not been down before? Because they are continually given views that inspire.
Why do people turn the page on the book they’re reading? Because the words they just read intrigued them and they want more.
And to put it bluntly: why do people reach back into that potato chip bag for another handful, yet again? Because the last bite not only delighted but left them wanting just a little bit more.
On the web, this is primarily the role of content.
Sure, colors and pictures and aesthetics often set up a website user’s initial impressions of a new page that they’ve landed on. But it’s usually the content that gets them hooked. It’s that killer headline or creative intro paragraph or catchy photo caption that leaves them feeling both delighted and hungering for more.
That’s when they scroll.
So drop “the fold” discussion and remember: content is king.
Want to read some more on the illusionary “fold” on the web?
- ThereIsNoPageFold.com (probably my favorite demonstration of their falsity of “the fold” on the web)
- The “Above the Fold” Myth Debunked
- Life Below 600px
- Why “The Fold” Is A Myth – And Where To Actually Put Your Calls To Action
- Scrolling and Attention
