And where is the fold, anyway?
Does the fold still matter?
“Above the fold” has always meant the first screen of a web page. That’s the virtual equivalent of being on the top of the page — and that’s the front page — of a newspaper.
And, while the fold has moved, it still matters a lot — especially on mobile.
Where do web visitors look?
According to the Nielsen Norman Group, web visitors spend:
- 57% of their page-view time on the first mobile screen
- 17% on the second
That means they spend:
- 74% on the first two screens
- 26% on all remaining screens
That’s not much real estate. After all, content that shows up above the fold on a 30-inch monitor can take as many as five screens on a 3.5-x-6.5-inch smartphone.
So why do people look so much more often at the top screens?
Because scrolling takes effort. And people don’t want to apply much effort online.
Which paragraphs do they see?
Here’s another way to look at it, according to Kara Pernice, Kathryn Whitenton and Jakob Nielsen, authors of How People Read on the Web.
On a page with four or more paragraphs, visitors look at the:
- First paragraph: 81% of the time
- Second: 71% of the time
- Third: 63% of the time
- Fourth: 32% of the time
So how can you put your message where your web visitors’ eyes are?
How can you reach readers where their eyes are?
Web visitors spend 57% above the fold, or on the first screen of a web page, according to the Nielsen Norman Group. They spend 74% on the first two screens.
Find out how to reach visitors where their eyes are at Reach Readers Online — our web-writing workshop starting Oct. 23.
There, you’ll learn how to stop dropping the best-read element on your web page … how to avoid getting your headline cut off on smartphones … how to get found with Ann’s simple tricks and tools for SEO … and how to overcome the obstacles to reading on the screen to get the word out on mobile devices.
Save up to $100 with our group discounts.