What lies beneath the fold
The term ‘above the fold’ refers to newspaper design. Broadsheets are delivered folded up; items above this fold are the ones editors feel will sell newspapers.
Many web designers apply the term to the portion of a website’s homepage that is viewable in the browser without scrolling. Some web designers even feel that all important content must be squeezed into this area.
Not so, we think. And we’re not alone.
Jakob Nielsen changed his mind about scrolling back in 1997 and professed scrolling to be allowed.
The people at ClickTale have used their application to prove that over three quarters of visitors will scroll a page, 22% of them ‘all the way’ (the report explains that this is actually quite high, contrary to what it looks like at first).
Paul Boag writes that the role of the homepage is changing.
Users are relying increasingly on search engines to find the content that they are looking for. As a result they are much less likely to enter a site through the homepage.
…
As RSS becomes mainstream we will see an increase in users clicking directly through to relevant content, bypassing the homepage altogether.
So if visitors are bypassing the homepage, what purpose does it serve?
It [the homepage] continues to be a navigational tool enabling users to orientate themselves and helping them establish if a site has the content they are looking for. Every good web designer knows that the homepage should allow quick access to killer applications, search, site map and other relevant shortcuts. But it should also help the user orientate himself by confirming he is on the right site to meet his needs.
- Next entry: BIA contact page re-design
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