The goal in the creation of a website is to relay a message. No matter what the information may be, it is a developer’s job to figure out how to deliver it in the best manner possible with respect to color scheme, design elements, optimization and brand awareness. One practice for doing this has been for the website to have the main content highlighted at the top half of the page, referred to as the fold. The importance of this element has changed significantly and is no longer recommended to be done at all.

Description

The fold initially pertained to newspapers and is the space on a page that is above the area where traditional newspapers were folded to be stacked or displayed. When a newspaper is initially read, the first thing that is seen is everything that is above the fold. So these areas have traditionally been reserved for important information deemed necessary to be seen, if nothing else is seen.

Translated to an internet page, this area is considered to be the top half or more of a website that is visible without having to scroll – basically everything that is visible when clicking onto an internet page. In the same manner as a traditional newspaper, the digital fold area is usually reserved for important information and images or anything else necessary to draw viewers attention to the website so they will stay longer.

Changes

While the idea of strategic space planning is a good one, it sometimes creates designing difficulties since website design is based on one typical computer monitor size. There are, however, many different computer monitor sizes as well as other devices used to access the internet, each with their own screen properties. It is impossible to predict how a web page will be accessed, so the question is whether a fold should even exist, since it needs to be different for every device and every screen resolution. Additionally, browser tool bars can take up even more precious digital real estate and push a website further down in the viewing area, begging the question as to how important the fold really is anymore.

Designing Today

Some studies show that when visitors access a website, even with scrolling available, most attention is paid to the area at the top unless visitors are searching for something specific. So a visitor new to a web page will still generally spend time only within the fold. Of course, other studies show that the website is scrolled through to look for more information.

Considering the many ways in which the internet is accessed, there is a new practice of designing for two different folds. Since most computer monitors are very high-resolution and there are so many different devices available, content is being created in the upper two-thirds of a website as a two-fold design. This places the main information at the top with strategic content breaks and then there is another break somewhere below. Also being created is a second fold that views well on tablets. Any problems with viewing a website on a Smartphone can be alleviated through the creation of a specific mobile version.

There has always been two distinct opinions about whether to create a website specifically for the fold, many believing that as long as information is well-presented, viewers will naturally go below the initial screen area to see the remainder of the page. For those who plan to continue using the fold, analyzing the site to determine how it looks on higher-resolution monitors and other devices is recommended, as is modifying the design to reflect newer, two-fold design. Above all else – be sure a website is user-friendly and easy to navigate!

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Chris Hunter is an expert in Web Design and Search Engine Marketing. To find out more about Texas Website Designer, go to the main website at: http://www.webunlimited.com.

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