#webdesign #abovethefold #websitedesign
Every new year we make plans to grow our business. We start with good intentions, and we work hard to run the Business, pursuing those goals. There is no time to waste.
Among the items that we need to do is update our website. We know that the website is important and needs to be updated. But why?
Let’s start with “above the fold” on your home page: the most valuable part of your website.
Here is why the “above the fold” is so important.
“Above the fold” is the most valuable part because that’s what gives visitors their first impressions. When the page loads, the visitor should see everything they need to know in one glance. We only have a few seconds to load the web page and deliver a lasting impression.
If your website visitor sees something they don’t like then they will be leaving immediately. Therefore, we want the top part of your website to be as attractive as possible. Engaging your visitors is what keeps them on the web page.
What does “above the fold” mean?
In case you don’t know, the “above the fold” is the part of the homepage that everyone sees before they scroll. Everything on a webpage before this fold is “above the fold.”
The term was coined by the newspaper industry. When a newspaper is folded you can only see the part that is face up. Likewise, you can’t see the rest of the homepage of a website until you scroll down.
In the early days of website development, a higher percentage of website visitors didn’t scroll down. However, with the rise of mobile phone usage a majority of visitors are now used to scrolling.
Now that we have an understanding of what “above the fold” means. What components do we need to include to make the “above the fold” successful?
3 key components needed for engagement
Relevancy, trust, and benefits are the key components for engagement in any marketing materials. And these 3 components are very important for successfully communicating “above the fold”.
1 Relevance
Relevancy is determined by the content. It is what visitors are looking for? Will it solve the person’s problem?
2 Trust
Trust is based on how valuable the information is. Does it speak to who the person is?
3 Benefits
Lastly, the benefits define what the person needs.
In reference to above the fold on the website relevance, trust, and benefits are communicated through visuals.
4 visual marketing queues
In order to establish relevance, trust, and benefits in only seconds, we will use four components. The fonts, photos, colors, and content are the components that will be used to communicate.
1 Fonts
Fonts alone can set the mood. Additionally, The style of the fonts communicates age, genre, and industry.
2 Photos
Photos consume the largest area of the design and are worth a thousand words. Most importantly, the photo communicates the quality, speed, or cost of the product or services.
3 Colors
Setting the mood and tone, colors give the visitor psychological queues. Finally, once we have the visitor’s attention let’s say something important.
4 Content
Speak to your audience. In order to engage with our visitors, first we need to know who they are.
What are their pains, their issues, and what are the challenges they face? Use a headline that addresses those.
The winning layout
K.I.S.S. and “less is more” are our guidelines. When we design the layout of the “above the fold” we want to create a strong message that relates to the visitor. Using a few quality components in the right way will communicate best.
The layout is divided up into three parts; image, headline, and call to action. It all boils down to these three items. An engaging message using a relevant font with an actionable button over top of a compelling image is all we need.
Applying all the parts together, we create a winning layout that captures your visitor’s attention and engages them to move forward.
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