10 Compelling Above the Fold Content Examples to Inspire Your Own
This article was originally published on The HubSpot Marketing Blog.
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I didn’t write this lovely piece, but I was included in the roundup. 🙂
In copywriting, there’s an old adage that states the purpose of your first line of copy is to compel people to read your second line of copy. In web design, the same principle applies. But instead of crafting a compelling first line of copy, you need to design gripping website content that sits above the fold.
Above the fold content is what your visitors see right when they land on your website. If it’s clear, engaging, and persuasive, it can convince them to explore the rest of your website. If it’s jumbled and uninspiring, however, they’ll bounce off your website faster than they’d exit out of a pop-up ad.
With only 15 seconds to engage the average website visitor, designing compelling above the fold content is crucial for making a great first impression, lowering your bounce rate, and retaining attention. Below, we’ll show you some of the best above the fold content examples to get your creative juices flowing, so read on to get inspired.
10 Compelling Above the Fold Content Examples to Inspire Your Own
1. Wistia
As one of the most creative brands in the MarTech industry, the fact that Wistia’s above the fold content is a video of a woman dancing around with a pink video camera in her hand shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
This makes their homepage feel casual and inviting, and coupled with a simple line of copy that encourages visitors to watch their company overview video, their homepage’s low-pressure vibes most likely convinces more people to watch their video than some of the best homepages could.
2. Airbnb
By featuring a vivid photo of one of their more adventurous bookings in their above the fold content design, Airbnb gives their website visitors a sneak peek at a possible experience they could take part in if they book one of their homes. And by planting this image in their visitors’ mind, searching for accommodation on their website is a natural next step.
3. Velocity Partners
Unlike most above the fold content design, Velocity Partners, a B2B marketing agency, doesn’t try to persuade their website visitors to watch their company overview video or try out their product. Instead, they encourage them to engage with a fascinating interactive slideshow that explains why innovative marketers need to leverage new content formats to tell more refreshing stories.
By sparking their website visitors’ curiosity with thought-provoking copy and capturing their attention with a graphic that looks like it belongs in Tron, Velocity Partners can convince them to find out why innovators need innovative storytelling, and, in turn, Velocity Partners’ services.
4. VeryGoodCopy
VeryGoodCopy is a creative agency that crafts articles, landing pages, web pages, and emails for brands, but their homepage doesn’t harp on their services, like most companies do.
Instead, they immediately offer the opportunity to learn how to persuade -- a skill every marketer wants to master -- by leveraging ample white space, an enticing headline, a brief description of their content topics, social proof, and a vivid call-to-action. This simple and engaging above the fold design ensnares their visitors’ attention and convinces them to check out their micro-articles.
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5. Shopify
Since humans can process visual information four times faster than the blink of an eye, Shopify decided to rely more on visuals than copy when crafting their above the fold content. To do this, they included artistic images and an alluring video that could instantly capture their website visitors’ attention. But even though they sparingly use any copy on their homepage, their tagline is packed full of purpose and can compel visitors to get started with their software.
6. Ann Handley
By highlighting her impressive accomplishments of being a Wall Street Journal best-selling author and a partner at MarketingProfs, Ann Handley instantly conveys her impressive marketing prowess to her website visitors. She also leverages white space, a welcoming picture of herself, a catchy tagline, compelling copy, and a vibrant call-to-action to persuade her visitors to consider working with her.
7. Mint
Mint’s simple and professional above the fold content design can effectively attract its target user -- people who meticulously manage their money. They also include a photo of their app in action and contrast bright colors, like orange and green, to catch their website visitors’ attention. Additionally, their copy is clear and concise and conveys the tool’s main benefit -- effortless money management.
8. Drift
Drift’s above the fold content design features captivating images of their product in action, a refreshing picture of a real person, and attention-grabbing copy that injects excitement into their website visitors. By blending all three of these elements into their homepage while still leveraging a ton of white space, Drift can hold their website visitors’ attention and convince them to sign up for a free account.
9. InVision
One of the more sleek above the fold content designs, InVision’s homepage overlays sharp copy on top of dynamic, professional grade footage of their company overview video. This gives their website visitors a glimpse of the video and entices them to watch it. They also include a vibrant CTA that conveys they offer a freemium version of their software, which is an easy first step to take with the company.
10. Animalz
Similar to VeryGoodCopy, Animalz is a content marketing agency that doesn’t bombard their website visitors with messaging about their services in their above the fold content design. Instead, they offer visitors the opportunity to learn about some of top SaaS brands’ marketing strategies. They also leverage white space, feature visual appealing images, craft a simple yet potent tagline, and include a convincing customer testimonial to encourage their visitors to subscribe to their newsletter.