Prime web site real estate.

The term ‘Above the fold’ originally comes from the newspaper industry and is used to describe the visible content when the newspaper is folded. Typically this means the top half of the front page.

In the Web Design world, the term is used in the same way but describes the visible space and content when a web page is first loaded and prior to any downward scrolling.

This represents prime content space in both cases.

Capitalizing on this space is a key aspect of visually designing blog and web sites because it’s at the point when the page is first loaded that the internet user’s initial impression is formulated.

If they don’t like what they see, they will head for the back button. You have lost a potential sale, and wasted SEO and Internet Marketing effort in driving niche traffic to your site!

The internet user’s first impression must be that they are comfortable and have come to the right place for the information, products and services they are looking for.

To ensure the back button is not used, we must create a page environment that is sticky and in tune with the niche market being addressed.

Using the space above the fold to your advantage

Although the web design aspects cover all of a web page’s presentational aspects, here are a few questions and thoughts when considering the ‘Above the fold’ portion of the page and creating the right first impression.

Some are obvious, please don’t take offence; others are more obscure but nonetheless important.

• When the page first opens does it look balanced left to right? This is an important part of putting the reader at ease subconsciously. For instance, a fence post that’s not quite upright is irritating. It doesn’t look or feel quite right!




• Is there a flow in the elements of the page?
  • Its good practice to arrange the header of a page so there is a natural flow from left to right. It minimises eye movement and is less strenuous to read.




• Is it cluttered or too busy? Too many separate graphics and widgets can be confusing and draw the reader away from the page’s purpose or headline message.
  • Only use what you need and is necessary to convey the page’s message and enable site functionality.




• Is there sufficient space between the page header’s elements? Space separates and can be used to create order.




• Are the graphics other than the logo needed or relevant to the niche market that’s being addressed? If not, do you really need them? Even optimized graphics add to the load time of a page which is another factor in creating a good user experience.
  • How many times have you navigated away from a site because it took too long to load?




• Consider using divisions to create separate spaces on the page and loading images in background.




• Is the navigation system clear and concise?
  • Do the menu options flow logically?
  • Is it keyword or phrase optimized?
  • The items on a menu give the reader a good guide to what the site is about and sets their expectations.




• Are the colors suitable for the niche? The fewer the colours, the better, particularly if you are using coloured text.
  • What colors are your competitors using?
  • Are there alternative color schema’s which could work and make your site stand out in the crowd. For instance, does a gardening site have to be predominantly green?
  • Bear in mind that some people are color blind.

  
  

• Consider the fonts, styles and sizes you are using in headlines and text.
  • They need to be legible to all.

  • Use few variations.

Conclusion

Good web design based on SEO principles should always be used in conjunction with fully optimized well researched relevant content. This combination will always provide a good user experience in a given niche.

Even if you have the above, the reader needs to be convinced in the first few seconds of viewing a page that it is relevant to them.

It is worth considering that every time a page is opened, the internet user has a choice of navigating away or reading the page. The space above the fold will always influence that decision.

We should use it to our best advantage and maximise on our niche traffic.

Hope this post has been useful. Regards Chris