As a web designer I hear this from at least half my clients. They want their website to be "above the fold." They were told that having their website "above the fold" is the most important thing. So without questioning why or researching further into it, they blindly follow this advice.

What Does "Above the Fold" Mean?

It originated as a term used for the top half of the front page of a newspaper. Newspapers are displayed to customers folded, with the top half of the front page being the only visible part on the news stand. The visible part of the paper has to be enticing enough for the customer to want to buy the paper. So the area "above the fold" is very important. It is what makes or breaks the sale of that paper.

But wait! The area "above the fold" is not the be-all and end-all of the newspaper. It might get the sale, but what about the inner pages?

How disappointed will the customer be when they buy the paper only to discover that the best part was above the fold, and the rest of the paper was not worth the purchase. Well, at least you sold the paper right? Wrong! That customer will not buy tomorrow's paper because they already know that what's inside is not worth coming back for.

The same can be said for your website. If the only useful information on your website is the top half of your home page, then you will deter traffic from returning to your website.

How to Use "Above the Fold" Properly

Don't think of your website as consisting of two halves (above and below the fold). If you do, your bottom half will always be disappointing. You will try and cram all your important stuff at the top, leaving your bottom half with content very few people will find useful or helpful, or worth reading.

Think of it in terms of hierarchy of importance. In a hierarchy, there are many levels of importance, not just two. What's your most important feature? A property search? A lead generating tool? What ever it is, THAT is the feature that should go above the fold--not the entire website. Entice your audience to want to read more, sign up and eventually become your clients for life. Keep them coming back!

Don't try and cram everything above the fold because you think everything is important. When you try and make everything important, what you end up doing is making nothing important.

So use the area "above the fold" for what it was meant to be used for: Your TOP story, not the entire contents of the newspaper.

To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.