Below The Fold

What is below the fold?

When web designers first started building pages in the mid-1990s, they inherited a concept from newspaper publishing: the fold. Editors knew the top half of a front page had to hook readers at the newsstand. Everything below? Less visible, less urgent.

Fast forward to today, and that thinking has evolved, but not disappeared. The fold still exists on every webpage, just in a different form. And what you do with the content that lives below it can be the deciding factor between a bounce and a conversion.

Below the fold refers to any part of a webpage that is not immediately visible when the page first loads. To see it, users scroll. It’s that simple.

The term comes from printed newspapers in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Papers were displayed folded in half on newsstands, so only the top half of the front page was visible to passersby. Editors placed their most compelling headlines and images above that physical fold line to grab attention and drive sales. Secondary stories and additional content went below.

On the web, the fold is the bottom edge of the user’s screen, the viewport boundary. Everything that loads within that initial viewport is “above the fold.” Everything else requires scrolling to discover.

Here’s the critical point: there is no single fixed pixel height that defines the fold (as of now). The fold placement varies by:

Commonly cited approximate ranges place the fold around 600–800 pixels on many laptop screens and 700–900 pixels on typical phones in portrait mode. But these are rough guides, not rules.

What matters is this: below the fold is not synonymous with “unimportant.” The fold simply defines what appears later in the scroll journey. And for many visitors, especially interested customers weighing a purchase, that later content plays a deeper, more persuasive role than the first thing they see.

Why below-the-fold content still matters for conversions?

Here’s a data point that shapes how many marketers think about page layout: Nielsen Norman Group research indicates that about 57% of users’ viewing time concentrates above the fold.

That sounds like a strong case for cramming everything important at the top. But look closer.

The other 43% of viewing time happens below the fold. And critically, the visitors who scroll tend to be the ones with real intent. They’re not bouncing after a glance. They’re investigating. They’re prospective customers doing their homework.

Eye-tracking and scroll depth studies from the mid-2010s through 2023 consistently show that users who scroll exhibit significantly higher conversion rates than those who leave early. This makes sense: scrolling signals interest. A visitor who moves past your hero section is actively looking for more information, more reassurance, more reasons to say yes.

Below the fold content is where that reassurance lives:

• Reviews and testimonials that prove others have succeeded

• Feature breakdowns that answer “What exactly do I get?”

• FAQs that handle objections before they become blockers

• Pricing context that frames value and justifies investment

• Comparison sections that position your offer against alternatives

For ecommerce and SaaS, especially, these elements carry the weight of the sale. A hero banner can promise transformation, but the sections beneath it deliver the evidence.

This is where Personizely fits in. Our platform helps identify which below-the-fold blocks actually influence conversions, and lets teams test different arrangements, messages, and targeting rules to find what works for their specific audience.

Above the fold vs. below the fold: How they work together

Think of your landing page as a story with two acts.

Above the fold content is Act One: the hook. It grabs attention, signals relevance, and makes a promise. A strong value proposition, a primary CTA, and clear visual hierarchy tell visitors they’re in the right place.

But Act One doesn’t close the sale. It just earns the scroll.

Below the fold is Act Two: the proof. Here’s where you expand on benefits, show social proof, handle objections, and give visitors everything they need to move from curious to convinced.

The outdated rule that “everything important must be above the fold” ignores how people actually make decisions. Complex purchases, whether a $200 jacket or a $2,000/month SaaS tool, require more than a headline and a button.

Prioritize what appears first, but structure what follows to answer the next logical question at each scroll depth.

Example: A SaaS homepage might use the hero section to communicate the core promise: “Turn more visitors into customers without writing code.” Then below the fold, subsequent sections cover:

1. Use cases – “Here’s how ecommerce brands, publishers, and SaaS teams use it”

2. Testimonials – “See what customers say after 90 days”

3. Integrations – “Works with your existing stack”

4. Pricing overview – “Plans that scale with your traffic”

Each section earns the next scroll. Nothing critical is hidden, it’s revealed in the right order.

What to put below the fold (and why it works)

Below the fold content should be intentionally chosen to move visitors from interest to conviction. It’s not filler. It’s not “nice to have.” It’s the substance that turns browsers into buyers.

Think about the last time you watched a movie that hooked you in the first five minutes. You stayed because you wanted to discover what happened next, to uncover the truth, follow the characters deeper into the story. Good below-the-fold content works the same way. Like two reporters following a trail in a true crime documentary, your visitors are on an obsessive hunt for answers. Your job is to present them.

Essential categories suited for below the fold include:

• Detailed benefits and feature deep dives

• Case studies and customer success stories

• Testimonials and reviews

• FAQs and objection-handling content

• Pricing context and value framing

• Comparison sections (vs. competitors, vs. doing nothing, vs. building in-house)

Each major section should have a strong headline, short supporting copy, and clear visual anchors, icons, images, or short videos, to make scanning easy.

Align sections with the questions your buyers actually ask:

• “What exactly do I get?”

• “Has this worked for others like me?”

• “How hard is implementation?”

• “Is it worth the price?”

With Personizely’s personalization features, you can rearrange or emphasize different below-the-fold blocks based on traffic source. Paid search visitors might see pricing context earlier. Returning users might see social proof first. This kind of targeted content placement can dramatically improve engagement and conversions.

Value-driven benefits and feature deep dives

Features matter, but outcomes matter more.

This section should translate product capabilities into what they actually mean for your customers. Save time. Increase revenue. Reduce risk. Focus on specific customer types and the problems they’re trying to solve.

Structure this content with short subsections or cards, each with a benefit-focused heading:

• “Increase email list sign-ups by 20–40%” – Behavior-triggered popups capture visitors at the moment of highest intent.

• “Reduce cart abandonment without annoying your visitors” – Exit-intent offers recover sales without disrupting the shopping experience.

• “Launch new experiments in minutes, not weeks” – No-code editors mean your marketing team moves fast without waiting on developers.

Use concrete, realistic numbers when possible. “Average uplift ranges from 8–25% after 60 days of testing” feels credible. “10x your conversions overnight” does not.

Consider including a simple diagram or workflow illustration showing how your tool fits into a customer’s existing stack, for instance, an ecommerce store connected to Personizely connected to an email platform, with arrows showing data flow.

Specific Personizely features worth highlighting here:

• Behavior-based targeting (scroll, click, exit intent)

• Geolocation rules (country, region, city-level offers)

• Device-based experiences (different widgets for mobile users vs. desktop)

Social proof, case studies, and trust signals

This is where you prove it’s not just you saying your product works.

Visually highlight logos of companies you’ve worked with. Include short quotes from real customers. Present mini case studies that demonstrate measurable results.

Example case studies:

• DTC apparel brand: Implemented personalized exit-intent offers. Increased checkout completion by 12% in Q3 2026.

• B2B SaaS company: Used geo-targeted promotional offers for different regions. Saw 18% lift in trial sign-ups from European traffic.

• Travel booking site: Deployed device-specific widgets for mobile devices. Reduced bounce rate by 9% on product pages.

One sentence of context. One sentence of action. One sentence of measurable result.

Trust badges, security assurances, and partner logos (Shopify, WooCommerce, major email platforms) reduce perceived risk. They answer the unspoken question: “Is this legitimate?”

Place a secondary CTA here, something like “See all customer stories,” that leads to a dedicated resources page for visitors who want to dig deeper.

Pricing context, objection handling, and comparisons

Even if your full pricing page lives elsewhere, below-the-fold sections should address cost and value.

Explain how pricing works at a high level. Frame why your product is cost-effective compared to alternatives, including the often-overlooked alternative of “do nothing.”

Address common objections directly in copy:

• “Do I need developers?” – No. Personizely’s no-code editor means your marketing team can build and launch experiences independently.

• “What’s the learning curve?” – Most users launch their first campaign within an hour. We provide templates to accelerate setup.

• “What about my data privacy concerns?” – We’re GDPR-compliant, and data stays within your control.

Consider adding a simple comparison block:

Include a short FAQ snippet here that connects directly to pricing, even before a full FAQ section at the end. It keeps visitors engaged without forcing them to hunt for answers.

Personizely’s no-code focus and fast implementation reduce both risk and total cost of ownership, messages worth emphasizing for budget-conscious buyers.

Below the fold examples

The concept shows up everywhere once you start looking for it.

Newspaper editors still do this daily. The New York Times places breaking political news and major headlines in the top half of the front page, while feature stories and analysis sit below the physical fold. Readers who pick up the paper see the urgent stuff first, then discover deeper content as they unfold it.

Amazon product pages follow the same logic. The hero section shows the product image, price, and "Add to Cart" button. But scroll down, and you find the real conversion drivers: customer reviews, comparison charts, Q&A sections, and related products. These below-the-fold elements handle objections and build trust for shoppers who need more than a photo before buying.

A SaaS service like Slack uses its homepage above the fold to communicate one clear promise about team communication. Below that, visitors find customer logos, feature breakdowns, and case studies. These sections create engagement with buyers who want proof before signing up. The deeper content does the heavy lifting of convincing skeptical decision-makers that the tool actually works.

In other words, what appears after the scroll often matters more than what appears before it.

Best practices for below-the-fold sections

Good fold design makes scrolling feel natural, predictable, and rewarding. When visitors scroll and find what they need, structured, clear, useful, they stay longer and convert more often.

Web designers working on long-form pages need to prioritize:

• Clear visual hierarchy: Large section titles, consistent spacing, predictable patterns

• Generous whitespace: Avoid visual fatigue on content-rich pages

• Minimal distractions: Limit auto-playing videos or aggressive animations in lower sections

• Mobile-first thinking: Every decision should account for how content renders on smaller screens

The goal is apparent structure. Visitors should be able to skim headings and understand the page architecture within seconds.

Encourage scrolling with cues and avoid “False Bottoms”

A “false bottom” is a design pattern that makes users think the page is finished when it isn’t. A large block of whitespace, a heavy footer-like section too early, or a full-width image that looks like a conclusion, all can signal “you’ve reached the end” prematurely.

This matters because decreased visibility of your best content below that false bottom means missed conversion opportunities.

Simple fixes:

• Partially visible next sections: Let the top of the next section peek above the fold line, signaling more content awaits.

• Downward arrows or scroll indicators: Subtle UI cues that say “keep going.”

• Copy cues: Phrases like “Scroll to see how it works” or “Or keep scrolling to see real results.”

• Overlapping backgrounds: Use angled dividers or color transitions that visually pull the eye downward.

Place CTAs strategically so they don’t accidentally signal the end of the page. Add supporting microcopy that implies more value ahead.

Test versions with and without strong visual dividers. Analytics will show which pattern produces deeper scroll engagement.

Maintain strong content hierarchy and readability

Structure content so each section naturally answers the next logical question in the user’s decision process.

Use consistent heading sizes and typography. Make it obvious where each new section starts and what it covers.

Avoid large blocks of dense text. Instead:

• Short paragraphs (2–3 sentences max)

• Bullet points for lists

• Bolded key phrases for scanning

• Alternating light and dark section backgrounds to break up long pages

Contrast and background variation re-capture attention as visitors scroll. A dark section following a light one creates a visual reset.

Personizely widgets, like inline banners or slide-ins, can be used sparingly to highlight key offers without overwhelming the layout. The keyword is sparingly.

Performance, loading strategy, and media use

Below-the-fold sections are ideal candidates for performance optimization.

Lazy loading images and non-critical scripts keeps initial page load fast and improves Core Web Vitals scores. This matters for both SEO and user experience, especially on mobile and slower connections.

Best practices:

• Compress images before upload

• Defer heavy third-party scripts

• Avoid autoplay background videos in lower sections

• Use modern image formats (WebP, AVIF) where supported

Personizely is built to respect performance best practices, with options like asynchronous script loading and targeted widget display rules that minimize impact on page speed.

Practical tip: Regularly test your page with PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest after adding new below-the-fold content or experiments. What loads fast today can slow down after a few iterations.

Below the fold on mobile: special considerations

On mobile devices, almost everything is technically below the fold.

Limited viewport height and vertical scrolling behavior mean that mobile users see far less on initial load than desktop visitors. The screen is smaller. The fold is higher. And scrolling is the default interaction mode.

Mobile visitors often scroll faster but read less per screen. This means fold content on mobile must be especially concise and visually clear. Dense paragraphs that work on desktop become walls of text on a phone.

Key adjustments for mobile:

• Prioritize order carefully: Trust badges, quick summaries, and key reassurance elements may need to appear earlier than on desktop layouts.

• Reduce heavy elements: Avoid stacking videos and large sliders below the fold on mobile, they hurt performance and cause layout jank.

• Simplify navigation: Make it easy to jump to specific sections without endless scrolling.

Personizely allows creating mobile-specific experiences and rules. Certain widgets or sections can appear only for phone users or specific screen sizes, ensuring mobile visitors get an optimized experience.

Responsive layout, tap targets, and content Length

Responsive design isn’t optional. Typography, images, and spacing must adapt so that below-the-fold content remains readable on screens from 360×640 to the largest phones.

CTA and link sizing: Buttons in lower sections need to be large enough for comfortable tapping, at least 44×44 pixels with adequate padding between interactive elements. Nothing frustrates mobile users more than tapping the wrong link.

Content website strategy for mobile:

• Summarize each section with clear headlines

• Put the most important point in the first sentence

• Keep paragraphs to 1–2 sentences where possible

Test scroll depth and time-on-section specifically by device category. This data reveals where mobile users drop off compared to desktop visitors, and those drop-off points are opportunities for optimization.

Personizely can show shorter, mobile-optimized messages or different widget formats (full-width bars instead of large modals) below the fold for phone users. Match the format to the context.

Below the fold & related topics

Understanding below the fold connects naturally to several other concepts worth exploring.

• A/B testing or landing page split testing helps you figure out which below-the-fold sections actually drive conversions. You can test different arrangements, headlines, or content blocks to see what resonates with your audience.

• Scroll depth tracking measures how far visitors travel down your page, showing you where people lose interest or drop off.

• Heat maps visualize where users click and hover, revealing which below-the-fold elements grab attention.

• Call-to-action placement ties directly to the fold strategy since button positioning affects conversion rates significantly.

Key metrics to measure and optimize below-the-fold performance

Decisions about fold design should be led by data, not assumptions.

The importance of measurement can’t be overstated. Without data, you’re guessing which sections work and which are dead zones.

Key metrics to watch:

Use analytics platforms like Google Analytics 4 to segment behavior by device, traffic source, and landing page template. This granularity helps you determine what’s working for specific audience segments.

Establish regular review cycles, monthly if you’re running large paid campaigns, quarterly for most sites. Identify dead zones where few users interact and decide whether to simplify, remove, or reorder those sections.

Personizely integrates with analytics and offers built-in reporting, so marketers can tie specific widgets and personalization rules directly to conversion outcomes below the fold.

Using heatmaps, session recordings, and a/b testing

Heatmaps and scroll maps visually show which parts of a page attract attention and how far visitors scroll. They answer the question: “Where do people actually look?”

Session recordings go deeper. Watch how real visitors move through long pages. See where friction appears, hover hesitation, rapid back-scrolling, confusion at unclear sections.

A/B testing ideas for below-the-fold optimization:

• Move testimonials higher vs. lower

• Simplify a dense feature grid into focused cards

• Test a mid-page CTA triggered after a certain scroll depth

• Experiment with section order (pricing before vs. after social proof)

• Try different headline framing for the same benefit

Personizely’s A/B testing and targeting capabilities make it simple to create and manage these experiments without heavy developer involvement. Non-technical teams can iterate quickly and let data determine what works.

The benefit of continuous testing: you stop guessing and start knowing.

Key takeaways

• “Below the fold” refers to everything on a web page that appears only after scrolling, it’s a critical conversion layer, not leftover space.

• Modern analytics confirm that users scroll, but fewer reach each subsequent section, so below the fold content must be intentional and conversion-focused.

• Personizely helps optimize content below the fold through A/B testing, personalization, and smart widgets that adapt to device, behavior, and traffic source.

• What’s placed below the fold should deepen the story started above: proof, detail, comparisons, and objection-handling that move visitors from interest to conviction.

• This article provides concrete best practices, mobile considerations, and testing ideas you can implement this quarter to maximize conversions.

FAQs about Below the Fold