“Shouldn’t it be above the fold?” is a topic we run into time and time again due to the old stigma that suggests people don’t scroll. Lucky for us – there are hundreds of studies that suggest people DO scroll and even better – it’s preferable.
Let us take you on a journey in time.
History of “The Fold”
The fold refers to the portion of the webpage that is visible without scrolling. This term was originated from the newspaper industry where the positioning on the paper did in fact increase readership. When the interweb was young, most users didn’t understand much about it, monitors were small, browsers were a foreign language, and thus the familiarity of newspapers was transferred over as a basis for web design.
Fast forward a few years and we now can access the internet on our mobile devices
This. Changed. Everything.
With the rise of social media and the need to access content whenever / wherever – website design has completely evolved to accommodate this learned behavior. Content needs to be quickly accessible and tailored to the specifications of a mobile device. Space is limited, time is limited, and a scrolling design can be the difference of getting information to your visitor or not.
So next time you want to update your site, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Scrolling = Good
- Content above the fold should be important but not overwhelming
- Review pros and cons if scrolling is right for you – check out this great resource: Scrolling Web Design
And if that doesn’t do it for ya, check out what others are saying on this same topic:
https://www.nuvonium.com/blog/view/stop-the-above-the-fold-web-design-insanity-people-scroll-today
http://studio.uxpin.com/ebooks/web-ui-design-trends-2015-2016/
http://uxmyths.com/post/654047943/myth-people-dont-scroll