What does above the fold mean?

Above the fold, all content that is immediately visible on the monitor after loading the web page. Everything that is not visible and that requires scrolling is ‘below the fold’; below the fold.

The importance of above the fold

For mobile, the fold is less important. Visitors who see your website on their mobile are used to scrolling. This is not yet the case on the desktop. Heat maps show that content above the fold is viewed much better than below the fold. As you get further below the fold, you will see that the percentage that reads the content decreases further. With luck and good optimization, 50% of your visitors will reach the footer.

This is important in connection with the strategic placement of the call to action and any USPs on your page.

The myth

Many online marketers today say that above the fold no longer matters, but heat maps clearly contradict this. Content that is above the fold has a major influence on scrolling behavior on the rest of the page. Even for further navigation if necessary. As indicated earlier, this statement has been proven on mobile phones and, to a certain extent, also on tablets.