A visitor lands on your page. They glance at what is visible without scrolling. Within five seconds, they have decided whether to keep reading or hit the back button. That visible area, the above-the-fold section, is the most valuable real estate on your entire website. And most landing pages waste it with vague headlines, stock photos, and calls-to-action that inspire absolutely no one to click.
"Your hero section says 'Welcome to our website.' Thank you, I was confused about where I was. -- Sally"
The Three Things Above the Fold Must Do
Every above-the-fold section has exactly three jobs: tell the visitor what you do, prove you are credible, and give them one clear action to take. That is it. If your above-the-fold section does anything other than those three things, it is probably getting in the way.
Element 1: A Headline That Actually Says Something
Your headline is the most read piece of copy on your entire page. It needs to clearly communicate what you offer and who it is for. Not your company name. Not a vague inspirational phrase. A clear statement of value. "We help B2B SaaS companies reduce churn by fixing their onboarding" is a headline. "Empowering your journey to success" is nothing.
What makes a strong headline:
- Specificity: who is it for and what does it do
- Benefit-focused: what does the visitor get, not what you sell
- Clear language: no jargon, no buzzwords, no corporate poetry
- Brevity: if it takes more than one line, it is too long
Element 2: A Sub-headline That Adds Context
The sub-headline supports your headline with slightly more detail. If your headline says what you do, the sub-headline says how you do it or what makes you different. Keep it to one or two sentences. This is where you can mention your approach, your differentiator, or a key benefit the headline did not cover.
Element 3: Social Proof That Builds Trust Instantly
Nobody trusts a landing page that only talks about itself. You need proof that other people, ideally people like your target visitor, have used your product and are happy about it. The best above-the-fold social proof is subtle and fast to process: a row of client logos, a short testimonial quote, a number ("Trusted by 10,000+ teams"), or a recognizable badge or certification.
Types of social proof ranked by effectiveness:
- Specific customer testimonials with names and photos
- Client logos from recognizable companies
- Aggregate numbers (users, customers, reviews)
- Press mentions or media logos
- Ratings from third-party platforms (G2, Trustpilot, etc.)
- Case study links with specific results
"Your landing page has zero social proof above the fold. You are essentially saying 'Trust me, bro' to strangers on the internet. Bold strategy. -- Sally"
Element 4: A CTA That Actually Tells People What to Do
"Get Started" is the most overused, least compelling call-to-action on the internet. Get started doing what? A strong CTA is specific, action-oriented, and tells the visitor exactly what happens when they click. "Start your free 14-day trial" is specific. "See pricing" is clear. "Get your free audit" sets expectations. "Submit" is a crime against conversion rates.
CTA best practices:
- Use action verbs that describe the outcome, not the process
- Make it visually prominent (high contrast, enough whitespace)
- One primary CTA above the fold, not three competing buttons
- Include a low-commitment secondary option ("See how it works" or "View demo")
- Avoid asking for too much too soon (email-only vs. full signup form)
Element 5: A Visual That Supports, Not Distracts
Your hero image or visual should show the product in action, illustrate the result the customer gets, or at minimum not actively work against your message. A stock photo of people shaking hands in an office does none of these things. If you have a software product, show the actual interface. If you sell a physical product, show it being used. If you provide a service, show a result or a satisfied customer. If you cannot find a visual that adds value, consider no image at all. A clean text-based hero often outperforms a distracting stock photo.
Common Above-the-Fold Mistakes
Avoid these at all costs:
- Auto-playing videos that slow down the page
- Rotating carousels (nobody reads past the first slide)
- Navigation menus with 15 items competing for attention
- Headline focused on you instead of the visitor
- No CTA visible without scrolling
- Generic stock photography that says nothing about your product
- Multiple competing CTAs that create decision paralysis
How Sally Reviews Landing Pages
Landing pages are one of Sally's specialties. She evaluates above-the-fold clarity, CTA strength, social proof placement, visual hierarchy, and whether the page actually communicates a clear value proposition. A Level 1 roast will call out the biggest offenders with zero mercy. A Level 2 SuperClub scorecard provides a complete breakdown with scores for messaging clarity, trust signals, CTA effectiveness, visual design, and mobile experience, all backed by specific evidence and actionable fixes.
Your above-the-fold section is not a canvas for self-expression. It is a five-second job interview where the visitor decides if you are worth their time. Make those five seconds count.