Your Website Isn’t a Newspaper

“Above the fold”, the lovely newspaper term born in the 18-whatever’s, was coined to ensure the wildest headline and most important stories were visible to a passerby before they decided whether to buy.

Fast-forward to the 90s, and the term jumped into early web design as a rule: put everything important before the scroll ... makes sense right?

NOT SO FAST. Here’s the thing: today’s users practically grow up with phones in their hands. Being tech savvy is practically in their DNA (probably not great … but that’s a blog for another day). Scrolling has become second nature ... like flipping the page of a book when you want to read more. Fun fact: the word “scroll” actually comes from rolls of papyrus, parchment, or paper. To read them, you had to unroll ... or “scroll” through the content, one section at a time.

So yes, the content above the fold scroll still matters ... but not because it has to contain everything. Its job is to make people want to continue the journey. Be clear. Be intriguing. But don’t try to explain your whole business in one breath.

Once they scroll, they’re not settling in for a cozy novel by the fireplace with a hot chocolate in their jam-jams and wool slippers. Web content needs to be broken into scannable, snackable sections that guide the eye. We consume websites like we browse aisles, not like we read books. And here’s the kicker: 75% of user attention actually happens below the fold (Chartbeat).

The fold isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line.

Give people a reason to scroll and they will.