"Above the fold matters most." [MOSTLY MYTH]

"Above the fold matters most." [MOSTLY MYTH]

The myth comes from 1990s newspapers, where the fold was a physical crease. Web people grabbed the metaphor and never let go.

Why it spread: it's a clean rule you can audit in a screenshot, and screenshots are how decisions get made in meetings.

The boring truth: scroll-tracking studies (Nielsen, Chartbeat) show people scroll fine when the page signals there's more worth reading. Attention follows relevance, not pixel position. A visitor with intent will hunt.

What the advice skipped: the fold still matters for one job only — proving in two seconds that they're on the right page. Not closing the sale. Orienting. Confuse them there and no scroll depth saves you.