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Web Form Placement – Above or Below the Fold? 

By Gravity Forms Published August 26, 2020

Should you put your forms above or below the fold? This question has caused much ongoing debate amongst marketers and within the digital sphere as people strive to discover where forms are best positioned for optimal conversions.

In this article we discuss the digital fold debate, common misconceptions about form placement, and how the purpose behind the form can affect where it should be positioned. Let’s get started…

What is the Fold?

The “fold” traces its origin from the boom of the newspaper industry. Newspaper companies had to position eye-catching graphics or juicy stories ‘above the fold’ to compete against other publishers.

This resulted from the way that papers were (and still often are) sold. They were folded in the middle, and placed in newspaper stands, so only the top half of the first page could be seen by people. The principle of ‘the fold’ was that the catchier your above fold stories were, the more papers you were likely to sell.

The same principle still applies for web pages today…

The Digital Fold

The digital ‘above the fold’ area is the section of the web page that a visitor can see before having to scroll down.

However, unlike the newspaper fold, the ‘above the fold’ area for web pages is not absolute as it can vary depending on the size of the screen that people use to browse your page. Different resolutions, devices, browsers, and other viewing differences can vary the dimensions of the areas above and below the fold.

When designing a landing page, the positioning of the form – below or above the digital fold – is crucial and often causes much debate.

A Common Misconception

Many marketers often automatically think their lead capture forms should be placed above the fold. They believe that if they do not do this, they might miss a conversion opportunity, due to thinking that many visitors won’t scroll down the page and won’t see, fill out, or submit the form.

However, in actual fact, if you place the lead capture form in a significantly early position on the page, it could result in conversion friction. This is because visitors do not want to fill out a form and part with their private information if you have not given them the necessary information about your brand and products or services. Nobody engages with a stranger.

In reality, there are instances when forms that are placed above the fold will work, and there are instances when they won’t and are better off somewhere else on the page.

Users Do Scroll

The arguments surrounding placement and the fold debate leave many marketers and web designers undervaluing and overlooking the page area below the fold. Many think that all they have to do is place fantastic content above the fold, thinking that what happens below is insignificant.

Numerous studies have shown that the majority of web users do scroll down pages. However, often they do so only if the above fold content is promising – they will view the below content if they find the above content relevant to their needs.

Therefore, to encourage users to scroll down the page you need to ensure that your above fold content is high-value, helping to convince visitors that viewing more content is worth their time.

The Perfect Combo

The placement of a form will mainly depend on what kind of landing page you are creating and the purpose behind it, as well as your industry or niche.

For example, if you are a law firm promoting your services online, placing your form in the area above the fold is premature. You must first explain to users what your company can do for them, have the visitors go through your value proposition, and only then request for them to submit your form.

Other situations that may require a form to be positioned below the fold include…

• Selling an Expensive Product or Service – When looking to purchase overly expensive products, people need to trust the seller. You have to provide dependability and legitimacy to make your visitors comfortable enough to convert. Therefore, engaging and trust-building content must come first before a web form.

• Promoting a Highly Technical Business – If your service is sophisticated, guests may want to see in-depth information so they can understand exactly what your business is selling. This is especially relevant to SaaS, gadgets, and other complex products and services riddled with specifications and data. Only once your customers know what they will be getting will they be ready for your form.

• Long Term Subscriptions – If you offer a service that requires a long-term subscription, you have to give your visitors time to understand how your offer works. You may need to provide an overview of your subscription contract or other customer service information that will help them trust that subscribing to your service is right for them. You form should come underneath this content.

On the other hand, if you are offering a free trial, which needs little ‘selling’ and displays a form that doesn’t require users to input much personal data, you have more flexibility over whether your form is to be placed above or below the fold – here we would recommend above the fold.

However, wherever you position your form, you should always make sure your landing page gives exposition about your offerings before requesting a user’s information. When a visitor acknowledges that your story is applicable and beneficial, they will most likely not refuse to fill out your web form.

The Takeaway – Test, Test, Test!

There is no right or wrong when it comes to positioning your web forms above or below the fold. Form placement will very much depend on the purpose of the form, as well as the importance of other content on the page.

However, you shouldn’t leave form positioning to chance. Split test every landing page you create, placing the forms (and other content) in different locations – both above and below the fold. By monitoring form conversion rates, you will get a clear picture of what your audience is best responding to, and where your forms should be positioned for each situation. Good Luck!

Have you got any top tips on form placement or insight into what’s worked for your website? If so, please share in the comments below…

This article has been contributed by the editorial team from Kas Andz Marketing Group.

If you are interested in writing for our blog, please check out this page – Guest Writing for Gravity Forms.