If you work in email marketing or website development, you understand how crucial a good project is in meeting corporate objectives. You may come upon a vital, yet frequently overlooked, aspect termed ‘above the fold’ while developing it.
Though this word can be applied to any element of a Web page, it is most usually applied to the position of an ad unit. Ad units placed above the fold, in particular, are thought to be more valuable because they are more likely to be noticed by visitors.
- What is ATF in SEO?
- What Does ATF Stand for in Digital Marketing?
- What is Below the Fold in Web Design?
- What are the 3 Layers of Web Design?
- What are the 7 Principles of Web Design?
- What are the Phases of the Web Design Process?
What is ATF in SEO?
Above the Fold is a term used by Google and Mediavine that dates back to the days of print journalism and refers to material that appears above the literal fold of a newspaper’s first page.
Above the Fold (ATF) refers to everything in the first screen view, or before a user has to scroll down, in the field of digital publishing. SEO gurus will frequently advise you to include your keyword or key phrase in your introductory paragraph, which is critical here.
Attempt to include those keywords in your first paragraph, as that phrase will appear above the fold. Again, this is quite self-explanatory. Readers will most likely be browsing for the item they looked for and discovered your result for.
What Does ATF Stand for in Digital Marketing?
In digital marketing lingo, “above the fold” refers to the portion of the website that is visible in the user’s browser window when the website is loaded for the first time. “Under the tab” refers to any element of the site that requires viewers to scroll down.
This phrase dates back centuries, to the development of the printing press. Newspapers are produced on larger-than-standard paper, so they must be folded in half before being sold in kiosks, resulting in only the upper half of the paper being visible to everyone at a glance.
As a result, the most significant stories, photographs, and headings were placed on the first page, “Above the fold,” so that even a novice skimmer may acquire the most relevant information without having to unroll the paper.
This placement approach has made the transition from traditional to digital publishing. Like digital marketers, newspaper publishers have realized that the most important information should be placed in the most valuable real estate to draw the reader’s attention. To keep bounce rates low and visitors on your site, it’s critical to display the most eye-catching headlines, photos, and content “above the fold,” without readers having to scroll.
Following in the footsteps of newspaper publishers, many developers have long advocated for the ATF section to contain the most relevant information about the site’s service or content. You can use this to persuade visitors to scroll down and read the rest of an email or page’s content.
Following this logic, the ATF section for emails should have the following:
- a company logo that will help users evoke positive emotions and experiences related to your brand,
- headline containing information about the offer and its Benefits,
- links for quick navigation and going to selected landing pages,
- a text in the preheader supplementing the subject of the message,
- CTA call-to-action button,
- “lead”, which will convince subscribers that it is worth scrolling it and Familiarizing with the entire content of the message.
What is Below the Fold in Web Design?
The term ‘below the fold’ refers to the area of a website that requires a user to scroll to see. The term “below the fold” originated in newspaper publishing when there was a physical fold in the centre of the page. ‘Above the fold’ meant anything on the top half, and ‘below the fold’ meant anything on the bottom half.
Less significant content was historically placed below the fold because it was generally invisible when presented on a newsstand.
As publishing shifted to the internet in the 1990s, the term “below the fold” persisted. The term is still used in web design today to describe to material that is positioned below the bottom of a browser window, or around 600 pixels from the top of the page.
The placement of material on a webpage influences how many users interact with it. When the website first loads, below the fold content is hidden from the user, and if they leave the page before scrolling, they will never see it.
According to data, placing adverts and information below the fold on a webpage significantly diminishes its likelihood of being viewed.
Advertisements above the fold had roughly 73% viewability, while advertising below the fold had 44% viewability, according to a popular Google study. An ad is called a ‘viewable impression’ in the advertising world if at least 50% of its pixels appear on a user’s screen for at least one second.
Because of their lower visibility, adverts below the fold often produce less ad income than ads at the top of the page. Because of the lesser visibility, companies who sell advertising on their websites often offer a cheaper fee for placement below the fold.
What are the 3 Layers of Web Design?
Front-end website development is compared to a three-legged stool by some in the web design industry. These three legs, or layers of web development, compose a site’s structure, style, and behaviors.
HTML: The Structure Layer
The underlying HTML code of a web page is its structure or content layer. A solid foundation of HTML creates a platform upon which a website can be developed, just like a house’s frame creates a strong foundation upon which the rest of the house is built.
All of the material that your consumers wish to read or look at is stored in the structural layer. HTML structure can include text and graphics, as well as hyperlinks that visitors will utilize to traverse the website. This content is coded in HTML5 and can comprise text, photos, and multimedia (video, audio, etc.).
The structure layer should include representations of all aspects of a site’s content. Customers who have JavaScript disabled or who are unable to view CSS can now access the full website, if not all of its capabilities.
CSS: The Styles Layer
CSS defines this layer, which determines how a structured HTML content will appear to site visitors (Cascading Style Sheets). These files include styling instructions for how to display the content in a web browser. The style layer typically includes media queries, which alter the appearance of a site based on screen size and device.
An external stylesheet should contain all visual styles for a website. You can use numerous stylesheets, but each CSS file requires an HTTP request to be retrieved, which slows down site speed.
JavaScript: The Behavior Layer
The behavior layer adds interactivity to a website by allowing it to respond to user activities or alter based on a set of criteria. The most commonly used language for the behavior layer is JavaScript, but CGI and PHP are also widely used.
Most developers imply the layer that is enabled directly in the web browser when they refer to the behavior layer. Use this layer to interface with the Document Object Model directly. Valid HTML is required in the content layer for DOM interactions in the behavior layer. To enhance speed and performance, use external script files while developing the behavior layer, exactly as you would with CSS.
When developing a web page, the structure should be handled by HTML, visual styles by CSS, and behaviors by JavaScript. The following are some of the advantages of layer separation:
Shared resources: When you create an external CSS or JavaScript file, it can be used by any page on the site. If you make a modification to that file, say to update some typographic styles on the website, the change will be applied to all pages that use that stylesheet. There is no need to manually change each page of the website, which could be a time-consuming task for a large website.
Faster downloads: The web browser caches the script or stylesheet once it has been downloaded for the first time by your consumer. Because these shared resources are already in the browser cache, subsequent pages requested by the browser load faster, improving overall page speed and performance.
Multi-person teams: If more than one person is working on a website at the same time, utilize version-control systems that allow files to be checked in and out to verify that everyone is using the most recent versions. When styles and behaviors are linked with structure papers, this procedure becomes considerably more difficult.
SEO: A site with a clear separation of style and structure is more likely to do well in search engines because search engines can scan that content more effectively and understand the page without being bogged down in visual-style and behavior information.
Accessibility: People and browsers can now access external style sheets and script files. Screen readers, for example, can interpret content from the structure layer more quickly because they don’t have to deal with styles that they can’t use anyhow.
Backward compatibility: A site with different development layers is more likely to be backward-compatible since browsers and devices that cannot use particular CSS styles or have JavaScript disabled can still access the HTML. You can then gradually improve your website with features for browsers that support them.
What are the 7 Principles of Web Design?
The design principles are the standards that a designer must follow in order to create an effective and appealing composition. Emphasis, Balance and Alignment, Contrast, Repetition, Proportion, Movement, and White Space are the basic design principles.
If you’re a new entrepreneur or designer, you might be tempted to go wild and blend the first five typefaces and colors that strike your eye, thinking you’re producing something unique. You will most likely end up with a design that is confusing, unfinished, or just plain awful.
Graphic design, like any other discipline, follows precise standards that operate behind the surface to keep the work steady and balanced. If the balance is lost, the design will be weak and useless.
1. Emphasis
The first of the seven design principles is focus, which refers to a design’s focal point and the order of importance of each element inside a design. Assume you’re designing a concert poster. You should consider what the first piece of information my audience requires. Is it the group? Or how about the concert venue? What about the cost of attendance and the day?
Create an outline in your head. Allow your brain to organize the material before laying it up in a style that communicates that order. If the band’s name is the most important piece of information, make it the focal point of the poster. You might also use the largest, boldest type.
Learn about color theory and how to employ bold color combinations to make the band name stand out.
If you begin your composition without a clear notion of what you’re trying to communicate, your design will fail, just like writing without an outline or building without a blueprint.
2. Balance and alignment
Never forget that each element on a page has a weight. Color, size, and texture can all contribute to weight. You wouldn’t put all of your furniture in one corner of a room, and you shouldn’t put all of your heavy pieces in one region of your composition. Your audience will feel as if their eye is sliding off the page if there is no balance.
Equally weighted pieces located on either side of a center line generate balance in symmetrical design. Asymmetrical design, on the other hand, uses opposing weights (such as contrasting one huge feature with multiple smaller elements) to produce a composition that is not even but yet retains equilibrium.
Symmetrical patterns are always pleasing, if a little dull at times. Asymmetrical designs are more daring and can provide a lot of visual interest and movement to your composition (more on that later!).
3. Contrast
When people say a design “pops,” they’re referring to contrast. It lifts from the page and lodges in your mind. Contrast creates separation and space between items in your design. To work smoothly and readable, your backdrop should be significantly different from the color of your elements.
Understanding contrast is critical if you plan to work with type since it indicates that the weight and size of your type are balanced. If everything is in bold, how will your readers determine what is most important?
When looking for examples of extremely powerful, effective design, you’ll notice that most only use one or two typefaces. This is due to the fact that contrast can be efficiently accomplished by using two strong fonts (or even one strong typeface in different weights). Adding fonts dilutes and confuses the aim of your design.
4. Repetition
If you limit yourself to two strong typefaces or three strong colors, you’ll quickly discover that you’ll need to repeat some elements. That’s fine! It is frequently stated that repetition unites and strengthens a design. If your band poster only has one thing in blue italic sans-serif, it may appear to be an error. You’ve created a motif and are back in charge of your design if three things are in blue italic sans-serif.
Beyond a single printed product, repetition can be crucial. Beautiful graphic patterns are frequently used in current packaging design. Anyone considering starting a business understands that one of the first things you’ll need is a strong logo to use on your website, business cards, social media, and other marketing materials. Another phrase for recurrence is brand identity.
5. Proportion
The apparent size and weight of parts in a composition, as well as how they relate to one another, are referred to as proportion. It is generally beneficial to approach your design in portions rather than as a whole.
Consider a box at the bottom of your poster for ticket information or a sidebar on a website for a search bar to give them importance at a lower scale. Proportion can only be achieved if all aspects of your design are appropriately proportioned and arranged. Proportion should occur organically once you’ve mastered alignment, balance, and contrast.
6. Movement
Returning to our concert poster. How would you communicate with your audience if you thought the band was the most significant piece of information on the page and the venue was the second?
Controlling the elements in a composition so that the eye is lead from one to the next and the information is appropriately transmitted to your audience is what movement is all about. The tale or narrative of your work is created by movement: a band is performing, it’s at this location, at this time, and here’s how to acquire tickets.
The components mentioned above, particularly balance, alignment, and contrast, will help you get there, but without good movement, your design will be doomed.
If you look at your design and notice that your eye becomes “stuck” somewhere on it—an element is too huge, too bold, slightly off-center, or not a complementary color—go back and adjust until everything is in harmony.
7. White space
All of the other design principles are concerned with what you add to your design. The only one that expressly deals with what you don’t contribute is white space (or negative space). White space is the empty page surrounding the items in your composition. It might be a dangerous zone for inexperienced designers. Giving a piece more breathing room can often elevate it from mediocre to successful.
White space isn’t just empty space; it helps to create hierarchy and organization. Our brains automatically associate an element with importance and elegance when there is a lot of white space around it. It’s telling our eyes that objects in one location are distinct from objects in another.
Even more interesting, it might convey a whole distinct image or notion than your main design, rewarding your viewers for engaging with it. The above logo employs active negative space to convey numerous meanings in a single entertaining, creative design.
What are the Phases of the Web Design Process?
The web design process is the series of procedures taken by an individual or team to construct a website. It might include everything from getting user feedback to developing the general structure and appearance of the website. There is no set process for designing a web design because it is dependent on the needs of the project.
1. Goal identification
The first phase in the web design process is to identify the objective statement, which includes what goals the new website will achieve. Plan the web design process in accordance with the purpose of the website.
2. Project scope
The definition of the project’s scope is a critical stage. Scope creep is a common source of annoyance in Web projects. Create a well-defined project scope plan that defines precise activities, deliverables, and exact deadlines to clearly set expectations for your clients.
One of the most popular approaches for tracking Web projects is the usage of a Gantt chart. A Gantt chart depicts the main activities, the tasks associated with each one, as well as the start and end dates. The Gantt chart provides the team with a visual reference by displaying the time of each step as well as the dependencies between them.
3. Sitemap & Wireframing
The following step in the web design process is to incorporate the sitemap and proper wireframing of the web pages, such as where the content will be placed and navigations.
At this stage of the website design process, you will provide the designer with an idea of the website pages and architecture. The website manager monitors the entire website construction process to ensure that nothing important is overlooked.
And designing a website without a sitemap is like to constructing a palace without a blueprint; such blunders are incredibly unusual! Even if they aren’t the final site designs, wireframes are essential. It is used as a reference for clients to get an idea of how the website will look.
Even if they aren’t the final site designs, wireframes are essential. It is used as a reference for clients to get an idea of how the website will look.
Several wireframe concepts and design mock-ups will be discovered by the website designer. The wireframes will be used as a container for the graphic designs and content components.
4. Visual Elements
You can add visually appealing features to the website at this stage of the web design process to elevate the brand. You should be aware, however, that this stage of the web design process has the ability to outperform any other designers involved. Images boost the attraction and beauty of web pages.
Designers also enjoy adding motion to videos to make them more engaging. Your click-through rate, engagement, and income will all increase as a result of visual content. Visitors to the internet, on the other hand, aren’t just seeking for graphics.
To ensure that your website is always up to date, we recommend including all current web design trends into the web design process. You may even use stock photos to enhance the look of your website!
5. Website testing
After your website is finished, you may begin testing. Testing will not hurt your website; on the contrary, it will strengthen it! Small coding flaws generate errors, but recognizing them makes them easier to rectify. Even if you have broken links, try to resolve the issue first. Coding errors are common during the website construction process, but they may be avoided with the proper approach.
Always verify the meta title and description of the website. The number of words on a page may also have an effect on its performance.
6. Website launch
One of my favorite components of the web design process is the website launch. Everyone’s favorite part is launching the website and seeing the effects firsthand. There will be many challenges to face, but you will succeed in the end. The ideal combination of criteria will yield amazing results, and you will be able to convert visitors to your website with ease!
