What Every Small Business Website Needs Above the Fold (If You Want More Leads)
by Sandy Waggett
10 min reading time
There’s a part of your website more important than any other.
It’s not your About page. It’s not your blog. It’s not even your services page.
It’s the section a visitor sees before they ever scroll—what’s called "above the fold."
And if you don’t get that part right, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of your site is. Most people will never make it that far.
At MSW, we’ve optimized hundreds of websites, and I can tell you from experience:
The space above the fold is the single most valuable piece of online real estate your business owns.
In this blog, I’m going to show you:
What “above the fold” actually means
The exact elements this section needs to include
Common mistakes to avoid
Real examples from our Performance Marketing Program
And how to fix this without a full redesign
Let’s dive in.
What Does “Above the Fold” Mean?
In website terms, “above the fold” refers to what’s visible on the screen the moment your website loads—before the user scrolls.
Think of it like the front window of your store.
If a stranger lands on your site and can’t immediately figure out:
What you do
Who you serve
And how to take the next step...
They’re going to leave. Fast.
Studies show users form an opinion of your website in 0.05 seconds
And 86% of visitors want to see product or service information immediately when they land on your homepage (KoMarketing)
So what’s showing at the top of your homepage—or any page, for that matter—is either building trust or sending people away.
Why “Above the Fold” Matters for SEO and Conversions
Search engines don’t just measure clicks. They measure what happens after the click.
If people bounce—meaning they hit your site and leave quickly—Google sees that as a sign that your content didn’t match the user’s intent.
This can hurt your rankings, your ad performance, and most importantly—your ability to generate leads.
In short: a bad above-the-fold section doesn’t just waste traffic. It wastes money.
The 4 Things Every Above-the-Fold Section Must Include
When we build websites inside our Performance Marketing Program, this is one of the first areas we optimize. Every high-converting above-the-fold section includes four essentials:
1. A Clear, Customer-Focused Headline
Your headline should instantly communicate:
What you do
Who it’s for
The core benefit
Weak: “Welcome to ABC Services” Better: “Stress-Free Accounting for Lake of the Ozarks Business Owners”
Avoid buzzwords and industry jargon. Keep it clear, conversational, and value-driven.
2. A Call to Action (CTA)
Your visitor doesn’t want to hunt for how to contact you.
Make the CTA button visible, specific, and direct:
“Book Your Free Strategy Call”
“Get a Quote in 24 Hours”
“Download the Free Guide”
This should be a button, not just a link—and it should contrast with the background so it pops.
3. A Visual That Supports Your Message
This could be:
A photo of you or your team
A product image
A clean graphic that shows a result
A short video (under 60 seconds)
People process visuals faster than text. Choose an image that says, “Yes, this is for me.”
4. A Line of Reassurance or Social Proof
People want to know they’re in good hands.
You can add:
A client logo bar: “Trusted by 150+ Missouri business owners”
A testimonial snippet
A sub-headline like: “Helping families and small businesses since 2002”
It’s subtle—but powerful.
Real Client Example: Before-and-After Above the Fold
One of our clients—a law firm—came to us with this headline:
That might sound polished, but it says nothing about who they help or what they do.
Here’s what we changed it to:
“Helping Lake of the Ozarks Families Navigate Divorce, Custody, and Support with Confidence.” CTA: “Schedule a Free Consultation” Image: A warm, professional photo of the lead attorney Below: “Serving Missouri families for over 20 years”
Website conversions increased by 60% in the first 45 days.
Why? Because the new headline answered real questions and built immediate trust.
Common Above-the-Fold Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
🚫 Generic Welcome Messages
Fix: Use a clear, benefit-focused headline that speaks directly to your ideal customer
🚫 No CTA (or one that’s buried)
Fix: Place your CTA button in the top right corner and within the hero section—easy to see, easy to click
🚫 Poor Mobile Experience
Fix: Test on your phone. Can users see your headline and CTA without scrolling?
🚫 Too Much Clutter
Fix: Limit your above-the-fold content to the essentials—headline, visual, CTA, sub-line. Keep it clean.
🚫 Stock Photos That Don’t Reflect Your Brand
Fix: Use real images whenever possible. People want to work with people, not faceless companies.
What About Other Pages—Not Just the Homepage?
This matters on every key page, not just your homepage.
Your service pages, lead magnet landing pages, even blog posts—all should have a strong above-the-fold section that guides the visitor toward the next step.
In fact, we’ve seen blogs with optimized headers + sidebar CTAs generate more leads than entire contact pages.
Mobile Tips: Design for Thumbs, Not Mice
On mobile, the above-the-fold section gets even tighter. Here's what we do at MSW to make it work:
Use shorter headlines (4–8 words max)
Stack text and CTA vertically
Keep image file sizes small for fast loading
Make buttons large enough to tap easily
Always test on multiple screen sizes
If you're not sure how your site looks on mobile—we’ll show you.
What We Do at MSW
When you join our Performance Marketing Program, we optimize the above-the-fold experience on every key page of your website.
We don’t just drop in a stock photo and call it done. We:
Write your headline with SEO and conversion in mind
Design mobile-first layouts that load fast and look great
Create CTA strategies that match your customer’s readiness
Layer in social proof, trust signals, and visual cues that build confidence
All with the goal of making your site more than pretty. It needs to perform.
Final Thoughts: First Impressions Are Everything
The most common mistake I see? Business owners assume people will scroll, explore, and figure it out.
But today’s customer doesn’t give you that much time.
They skim. They decide fast. And they bounce if they don’t feel seen in the first few seconds.
Your job is to use that “above the fold” window to answer their unspoken question:
“Am I in the right place—and can you help me?”
If the answer is yes—make it clear. And make it now.
Want Us to Review Your Homepage for Free?
We’ll tell you exactly what’s working, what’s missing, and how to fix it—no pressure, no guesswork.
Sandy Wardenburg Waggettis theFounder & CEO of MSW Interactive Designs, a premier digital marketing agency specializing inSEO, AI-powered content strategies, and website optimization. Withover a quarter century of experience (eek!), Sandy has helped thousands of business ownersincrease visibility, generate leads, and dominate their local marketsthrough strategic online marketing.
As aCertified High-Performance Coach, Certified Maxwell Leadership Coach, and LXCouncil Moderator, Sandy is not just a marketing expert—she’s atrusted mentor and business strategistwho equips entrepreneurs withdata-driven insights and future-proof tactics. She leadsAI & Marketing Mastery Trainingand exclusiveCEO mastermind groups, helping business leaders stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Sandy is also theauthor of the upcoming book, The Future-Proof SEO Blueprint: AI, AEO, and SEO Tactics for Small Business Dominance—a must-read for business owners looking tooutsmart competitors and win in the new era of search marketing. The book providescutting-edge strategiesonAI-driven SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and how to leverage AI tools to future-proof your digital presence.
When she’s not craftinggame-changing marketing strategies, Sandy enjoyscoaching entrepreneurs, speaking at business conferences, and empowering leaders to make bold moves in their industries.
🚀Want to take your digital marketing to the next level?Connect with Sandy atMSWInteractiveDesigns.comor call 573-552-8403.
