Website Design Tips: Nothing To Read Above The Fold

What is wrong with the above website?

Everything. It is nothing but a pretty picture with not even a single complete sentence. There is nothing for a visitor to read to convince them they have reached the “right” site, and there is nothing for Google to read so it will rank the page well. Many cheap websites use this approach because their designers and their customers do not know it is bad practice to have nothing but a gigantic image on your home page.

What is “The Fold?”

The fold is the bottom of the web page before you start to scroll it, or the bottom of the above picture. It is a mistake to put important content below that point (below “the fold”) because visitors must scroll the page in order to see it.

They might not.

If all they see above the fold is a pretty picture, they may decide that your website is just there to show them stock photography and move on to the next search result.

Put Your Important Content First

Resist the urge to entertain your visitors by using slide shows, videos, and so forth. Such things only serve the ego of the site owner. Visitors want to know that they have reached the right site to meet their needs. Studies show you have about 5 seconds to convince them to stay.

Both Google and your visitors want something to read when they visit your page. Lead with statements to convince the visitor to stay and learn more. Offer a compelling value proposition. Then, show them pictures.

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