Tech Term: Above-the-fold

When placing content on a web page, anything that can be viewed without scrolling is called, above-the-fold.  Anything that you must scroll down to see is called, below-the-fold.  When planning what to put on a web page it is important to consider the location of your content.  According to research conducted by the Nielson Norman Group, web users dedicate 80% of their time to items above-the-fold, and only 20% to things below-the-fold.  So to get the most out of your page, your most compelling content should be visible when the page is first opened.