Many teams implement techniques to limit scrolling of long pages for the wrong reasons. "Above the fold" was a common term used at the start of the web's evolution (over 20 years ago). Most of these myths have been debunked almost a decade ago, but they still live on.
Myth #1: Users don’t scroll long pages
Users do scroll when the content is relevant, organized properly, and formatted for ease of scanning. In fact, people prefer scrolling the page for content over pagination when the topics within that page answer the right questions. The standard scroll wheel on a mouse, arrow keys, and track pads have made scrolling much easier than acquiring click targets.
Myth #2: Customers don’t read information at the bottom of the page
Reluctance to scroll is a behavior of the past. While you should still be mindful of people’s limited attention span on websites and prioritize content wisely, you shouldn’t fear long formats. People will see the bottom if you give them good reason to go there.
Myth #3: People avoid pages with a lot of content
People have the ability to handle vast amounts of information, when presented properly. In our upcoming Writing for Developers course, we emphasize the requirement for writing well, and more importantly, writing for web-based reading. Reading and scanning patterns are different between web-based and print-based content. While online users typically scan for information, it does not mean they want less information. Websites should not be information light. The same information needs to be written, structured, and presented differently.
The "fold" and what you should care about
Now that I have hopefully put some of your fears of the length of your content, let's go over the reasons you should pay attention to the fold.
- This is the area you make your first impression. Developers will look very far down a page if...
- the layout encourages scanning, and
- the initially viewable information makes them believe that it will be worth their time to scroll.
- Google's new search AI looks above the fold to see what the page is focusing on. If your main juicy piece of content is below the fold, it assumes it isn't as important as what you did put there. In short, it's acting similar to a developer.
Finally, while placing the most important stuff on top, don't forget to put a nice morsel at the very bottom.