Comments on: People Don’t Scroll

By: Chris Tingom

Chris Tingom — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:55:00 +0000

I did.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 11:55:07 +0000

Will anyone scroll this far down the page to read this comment?

By: Robzilla

Robzilla — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 18:07:27 +0000

Ah yes, all those corporate managers who once read a 1997 Jacob Nielsen article about scrolling.

By: Marco

Marco — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 14:57:39 +0000

If the stuff ‘above the fold’ reveals enough to tickle visitors to stay and scroll down you should be fine. As said, people will scroll unless your ‘above the fold’ area reveals absolutely nothing that may interest anyone. Warpspire has definitely enough appeal to make people stay, simply because the site has killer looks.

It’s funny there are still people (including many clients) who desire websites that have no vertical scrollbar AT ALL. Trying to convince these people of the fact that some scrolling doesn’t harm anyone including their company is very, very hard.

By: hostyle

hostyle — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:39:43 +0000

“Everybody I know has a fancy little mouse with this thing called the scroll-wheel.”

Great argument. Stupendous fact gathering. Are you a statistician on the side?

By: Martin K.

Martin K. — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 03:09:31 +0000

I had a conversation with a client about that exact same thing this morning. Funny.

By: evan

evan — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:10:08 +0000

Keeping all your most important information and anything to grab attention should always be above the fold or as close as you can get it. That’s what users see first – if it doesn’t grab their attention, they’re gonna surf onward.

If you designed a printed flyer, would you put your most important info on the back, and leave the front with whatever just “fit?”

By: Tommy Chapin

Tommy Chapin — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:22:27 +0000

I think that if the site is designed in a manner that suggests that there’s more content “below the fold”, then it’s no issue.

But if you have a big photo filling the screen area (or “top fold”) or a continue button right there, then yeah. A lot of people aren’t going to scroll down.

It’s an issue of design, and it must be carefully weighed and considered.

But by no means should you just blanket sweep and make a decision that nobody knows how to scroll anymore.

“And no more happiness!”

By: ward andrews

ward andrews — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:11:13 +0000

ah…i love newspaper references…

By: Jonas K. Sekamane

Jonas K. Sekamane — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:05:05 +0000

But you can’t reject the fact, that objekts placed “above the fold” gets alot more focus than content below. I would say thats a good enough reason.

Just commentin’!

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:03:25 +0000

I think it’s really more a matter of what’s under the fold and the significance of it. For example, part of what I do for a living is develop web-based training modules. I was scoping out one that another company had done just last week, and above the fold was the introduction, learning objectives, instructions and continue button — looked great. That is until I scrolled under the fold, and saw the link to the PDF learning guide that was “strongly suggested” one download and print.

For something of so much importance in getting through this module quickly and correctly, it had no business being under the fold — in particular under the continue button.

It’s not where only, it’s why it’s where and should it be there.