What Is Above the Fold?
Above the fold is everything a visitor sees on your website before they scroll.
The phrase comes from newspapers — the top half of a folded paper had to grab attention because that's all people saw at the newsstand. On a website it means the same thing: what shows up in that first screen decides whether someone stays or leaves.
On a phone, above the fold is a small area — maybe 6 inches tall. If your phone number, what you do, and where you work aren't visible there, most visitors will never scroll to find them. Big hero photos with no headline, or a slow-loading logo animation, waste that space.
The fix is boring but works: put your service, your city, a real phone number, and one clear button in that top area. Everything else on the page — reviews, gallery, about us — can come below.
Real example
A roofer's homepage shows a stock photo of a house and the company name above the fold. The 'Get a Quote' button is three scrolls down. On mobile, over half of visitors leave without ever seeing it. Moving the phone number and CTA into the top section lifts calls without any new traffic.
Wondering if this is costing you leads?
The free SiteLeak Audit reviews your homepage, mobile experience, and quote form, then sends back specific fixes you can make right away.
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