The Myth
The myth is that your visitors aren’t scrolling down your pages. The truth is…well..is the good news, they are. Internet surfers quickly learn that in order for them to receive the most out of a page, they will must scroll.
I recently read an article in Practical Web Design Nov 2010 Issue written by Joe Leech of cxparenters.co.uk. Although the article was merely a foot note in the ‘expert advise’ area, he did a wonderful job of squashing the idea that content below the page fold (page fold – area of the page you see before you begin to scroll down) is often missed by visitors because they don’t actually scroll down. Again, that isn’t true at all.
Good News
When your visitor lands on a page you might think that you have to cram as much information near the top so that it’s right in their face. Good news, people have learned how to use the internet and expect to scroll…well my mom might still be learning. :)
Never use iframes
Don’t force information above the fold using gimmicks like iframes or smaller text. You are wasting your time. In fact, iframes could possible be the worst thing you could do. I will tell you why.
Based on user-test studies done by cxpartners, a user experience consultant, heat maps generated by eye trackers show that moments after the user lands on a web page they look at the browser’s scroll bar to gauge its extend of content. If you choose to use an iframe you may be concealing the fact that your page has much more content but it’s buried within the iframe and not the browser’s actual window. Therefore, your visitors may not see everything you have to offer or they may have a difficult time finding what they are looking for.
Avoid horizontal lines
Proper web design is not quite a science but it’s far from a simple task. You may be surprised how much thought goes into deciding where to place certain elements on a page, what styles to use, and how to encourage users to explore the entire page. One tip, avoid strong horizontal lines. They naturally discourage people from scrolling but vertical lines or boxes give the appearance that content exists down the page and causes the eyes to move more up and down rather than simply left and right.
Whitespace is your friend
Another great tip that strongly encourages exploration of your web pages is the use of whitespace and imagery. When well placed, they will let visitors unconsciously know that more content exists down the page. Remember Less is More.
Final Thought
Website architecture is a key element in user experience. So it doesn’t matter if you have a website with 10,000 unique visitors a day or ten. If they made it to your blog or website then I am confident they are expecting to use the scroll bar to explore your content.
Now that I have said all of that, I feel inclined to let you know that your blog posts are too long. Just because I’ve told you that people actually scroll down pages doesn’t mean you need to make them scroll their life away. Keep your blog posts to the point and informative. And don’t forget to use your More Tag to avoid flooding your homepage with complete blog posts.
If you already know all of this stuff, go make sure you don’t have too many plugins installed!
Check Out My Page Fold Video
Yes..my posts are too long..but I love the sound of my own voice so much I just can’t shut the hell up! It’s true..I always scroll the sites i’m on, gotta see what’s up or interested in more of what was on the top fold. It’s funny how we come up with these ‘rules’ of internet conduct when everyone is so different and their gonna do their own thing anyway…well, to a large degree.
Your getting to be more human every day Clifton.(what gives?)
Your friend, Kim…is grinning at you.
I like that you brought up the rules of the ‘internet’ because you are right. These rules get created randomly but realistically there are no rules because the internet is constantly evolving. Since the explosion of social interaction, the internet has grown into a living thing that can’t realistically be defined but we can only try our best to understand it and more importantly, how people use it. Thanks!
Great post bro.
I feel like someone said “keep everything above the fold” in 1996 and people listened. Then they told all their friends, who told some friends… and now it’s 2010.
Thanks for smashing the myth!
Garrett
.-= Garrett Miller´s last blog ..Young Entrepreneur- It’s Time You Get A Coach =-.
LOL I love it! It’s like, can you keep a secret? When before you know it, everyone has found out. Best way to go viral…share a secret. :) Thanks Garrett
Clifton,
Thank you for the classic hat/video, made me chuckle and your masterful sharing of web wisdom.
Jeff Jenson
Jeff, glad to hear from you my friend. The hat was a last minute decision to cover a seriously bad doo. lol It was within arms reach. Thanks for stopping by!
Clifton,
Great tips as usual. I for one do scroll down to see what is on a page. You never know what’s there :) Keep sharing all your secrets. :)
Val ;)
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Why We’re Triggered in Relationships – The Lizard Brain =-.
Thanks Val! People Do scroll down and you are an example of that. :) Encouraging people to scroll also increases time spent on each page which will increase the chance for a sale or interaction. :)
.-= Clifton Hatfield´s last blog ..Your Blog Posts Are Too Long =-.
Hi Clifton!
Thanks for the great info…..you have no idea how much stress that relieves! As far as long blog posts, I try to split mine, but they are still long. I think I took an oath to be long-winded when I became a lawyer! LOL!
Great fun and great value as always!
Mentor Mama
.-= Nancy Burke Barr, JD´s last blog ..HOME BASED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY- “Honesty and Common Sense” =-.
lol long winded typer!
Sometimes I get carried away and right a long blog post but I then proofread it and realize that much of the content can be hacked out to simply my point but still deliver value. :) Thanks for sharing your feedback!
.-= Clifton Hatfield´s last blog ..Is Talk Fusion A Scam =-.
Clifton,
As always, your post is as informative as it is entertaining!
thanks for all your help and guidance,
Love the hat,
Holli
Thanks Holli! If you check out my Sitemap, you will be able to easily view titles for past blog posts and learn a lot of additional information about blogging and how to use your blog. http://cliftonhatfield.com/blog-sitemap/ Thanks!
Thank you everyone for commenting on my blog post! I greatly appreciate it and look forward to seeing everyone around in the near future.