Which Messages Should be “Above the Fold” on Your Product Page?

There are many “gurus” out there that will claim to have all of the secrets to building a successful Shopify store. When in reality, getting site visitors to convert doesn’t have to be so difficult. All it takes is hard work and building in some key messages to give your site visitors the nudge and guidance towards a purchase.

The average online shopper’s attention span is only 8 seconds before a distraction takes over. They’re being barraged with content from all directions and it’s a constant battle for their attention. That’s why it’s more important than ever for Shopify merchants to build in key messages above the fold on their product page to give buyers the information they need to make a purchase decision.

What is “Above the Fold” Content?

Above the Fold is a term to describe the content on a webpage that a site visitor sees before having to scroll. According to Optimizely, “Above the fold content is the part of a web page shown before scrolling. Any content you'd need to scroll down to see would be considered 'below the fold'. The 'fold' is where the browser window ends, but the content continues underneath.”

The term actually comes from newspapers, where the most important news and the major headline would appear on the top of the front page. Optimizely further explains, “When newspapers were displayed on a newsstand, the headlines and lead stories that appeared above the fold were the most visible. Catchy headlines and vivid imagery were commonly used to attract readers’ attention, convincing them to buy the paper.”

Why is Above the Fold Important?

Much like how it was used to sell newspapers, above the fold content on your product page is absolutely crucial to converting site visitors. But how do you know what to display above the fold on your website? You have limited space, so anything above the fold must be compelling enough for visitors to take action.

Some of the most common elements that are included above the fold are clear headings, your product images and price, product name, and a compelling call to action, whether it’s “buy now”, “add-to-cart,” “pre-order,” and so on. But that’s the basics. How do you optimize even better?

Above the Fold Messages for the Apparel Industry:

The apparel industry is considered a 3 trillion dollar industry and 2% of the world's GDP. Apparel and fashion brands are everywhere! For example, Club Ride Apparel, an active lifestyle brand, places an emphasis on providing easy-to-understand sizing information for every customer to find something that fits them. But, sizing information, while often crucial to the purchase decision, is also often lost and overlooked on the product page. 

It’s typically hidden below the fold, in a link to a pop up module, or even in a link to another page. The Club Ride team started using Because, to add a specific call-out above the fold to get site visitors to pay attention to their sizing chart link. Without any code, they were able to add the message, “Pssst. 👇 Questions about sizing? Click here!” This addition engages visitors to take action and answers their sizing questions proactively, avoiding questions with their support team.

Other messages that help increase conversion above the fold are related to low inventory or best sellers, creating urgency with visitors on the particular product they’re viewing. You can show how many of your products are in stock and available for purchase. It’s best to use this type of messaging only on low inventory items.

Experts recommend a threshold of less than 20 or even less than 10, especially in the apparel industry. Other industries that have much higher inventory but do quick flash sales may be able to take advantage of higher thresholds and still drive urgency with visitors if they know they quickly sell out.

Merchants can often add a ‘low stock’ badge to their product image or below their price using their site theme. Show messaging based on thresholds like “greater than 0 and less than 10 inventory stock” tied directly into your Shopify inventory data. You can then display inventory messages such as, “Only 5 left, order before it’s gone” that will dynamically update on each page, or more generic messages like “This one’s selling out quickly babe. Grab before it’s gone!”

Some other “above the fold” ideas for your apparel and fashion store:

• Messaging on warranty, showing which items are eligible for warranty.
• Messaging on returns and your process of accepting and processing returns on apparel.
• Messaging on shipping and how much a site visitor needs to unlock free shipping on their order based on what’s in their cart

Above the Fold Messages for the Furniture and Home Goods Industry:

The Furniture and home goods industry is growing with new types of brands emerging for every furniture you can buy. Direct-to-consumer mattresses? Check! Easy to assemble furniture to your doorstep? Check! Direct-to-consumer grills delivered in no time? Check! By placing key messaging on your site above the fold of your home goods store, you can get visitors to stay on your site longer and guide them through to purchase by proactively answering questions related to your products.

Concrete Countertop Solutions, a family-owned business with over 341 products on its site, struggled to keep its product pages updated with accurate information such as inventory status and shipping expectations, which differ from product to product. "Transparency around availability and shipping times is of the utmost importance” says Dario Baldoni, VP of Technology and Marketing at Concrete Countertop Solutions. They were able to increase add-to-cart rates by over 38 percent after adding those messages above the fold on their product pages, relaying key messaging right before a shopper clicks add-to-cart.

Sam Marlow, director of British home furnishings retailer Lime Lace Interiors, said their company has also had great success focusing on adding strategic content above the fold on their product page. Sam said they “create bespoke banners to highlight certain products in [their] portfolio. Not only for flash discount codes, but also to highlight certain products which have recently been seen in national publications to give our customers confidence in the products we sell.” Lime Lace Interiors has also added strategic messaging for visitors with the callout: “CODE "OFFER” FOR 15% OFF at Checkout” which only shows to site visitors arriving to the site for the first time.

Some other “above the fold” ideas for your home goods store:

• Messaging on local delivery, showing which items are eligible for local delivery, and up to a certain mile radius you deliver to.
• Shipping costs and timelines based on a site visitor's geolocation and the inventory of the product they’re viewing.
• Cross-sell ideas on what pairs well with the product they’re viewing.

Above the Fold Messages for the Beauty Industry:

The beauty industry is estimated to be worth over 500 billion dollars globally and growing by 4% worldwide each year. Small and medium-sized beauty brands have the opportunity to compete with major brands in the beauty industry by delivering the same content site visitors would expect on the bigger brand name sites.

Your first mission is to make sure your visitors discover the value of your products immediately and get any questions answered about those products as quickly as possible. This is where key messaging above the fold matters. Don’t make them scroll to find out key answers like how your products are made, if they’re vegan, don’t use animal testing, etc. Add messaging above the fold on your ingredients lists, where your product is made, and any efficacy trials or other stamps of approval and certifications your beauty products have received. Especially to the socially and environmentally conscious modern beauty consumer, this is key. And of course, you can’t neglect the basics like how much they need to qualify for free shipping, inventory and availability, and promotions they can take advantage of.

Iremia Skincare, a female-founded Canadian-based skincare brand, educates its customers by listing how safe their ingredients are and how the product benefits them. Some messages they have added above the fold are - “Antioxidants For Complete Rejuvenation” and “You can support your skin's barrier by providing restorative fatty acids like the ones we use in this intricately created, golden blend of nutrient-dense oils.” This is an informative approach to engaging their site visitors.

Fancii, another Canadian beauty brand that sells vanity and magnifying mirrors, also uses above the fold content to increase conversion on their Shopify store. Regina White, their Relationship Manager, says “DTC is a significant part of our business. Although we also sell via Amazon and a plethora of incredible retailers, DTC truly is the heart of our business.”

Regina and team quickly realized the importance of their above the fold content in their DTC success. “As we're quickly growing our audience-based (worldwide here we come!) we realized that we needed to be able to provide on-site, on-brand messaging that spoke to our customers to help reduce any purchasing friction.” And the results we’re more than they ever expected: “Across 10 strategic product page campaigns, we've seen a 15% overall increase in our conversion rate, a 2% overall increase in add to cart rate, and as high as a 48% increase in conversion on specific campaigns. Apart from that, we've also seen a significant decrease in customer inquiries about expected shipping times and product availability…”

Some other “above the fold” ideas for your beauty & cosmetics store:

• Showcase your most popular items with a message that shows which items are popular, featured on social media, or selling out fast.
• Educate your site visitors on your product. Explaining exactly what it’s for and how the product can be used.
• Messaging on where your product is made is just as important as showing your ingredients.

As demonstrated across all these popular ecommerce industries, it’s absolutely crucial in today’s online shopping world for Shopify merchants to build in key messages above the fold on their product page that are helpful for shoppers to make a decision and truly have a seamless buying experience.

To learn more about the different types of messages that should live above the fold on your product page, check out the Because blog, download our product page automation app, or book a demo with our team to see how it works.

Author Bio: 

Jonathan Roque is part of the Because Intelligence team, a no-code automation platform that integrates into Shopify and helps over 1,100 growing ecommerce stores increase their conversion rate.