Why above-the-fold?

The term above-the-fold advertising is a design concept that was used in placing important news stories or stunning photographs on the front page of newspapers. When newspapers are delivered to readers, they are usually folded in half, making only the upper half of the front page visible. Knowing this, graphic designers would place the headlines or photos that were most likely to make readers dive into the paper on this area, above-the-fold of the front page. Today, the term is used to refer to the most lucrative advertising space on a website – the portion of the site that is visible as soon as a visitor navigates to the page.

For Publishers, above-the-fold advertising space is the most important place on your site – see this article on positioning your ad units. Advertisers are willing to buy more ads, and pay more money for ads placed above-the-fold. The basic reasoning behind this is that customers who do not look anywhere else on a site will likely view above-the-fold ads. This leads to a greater number of page impressions and a higher click-through rate. Some advertisers value this space so highly that they are only willing to work with sites that agree to place their ads in the coveted above-the-fold advertising space.

Gourmet Ads contributes the success of above-the-fold advertising by serving our ads from a highly efficient server that ensures that ads pre-load, which allows viewers to see the ad before they see anything else on the page. Advertisers look favorably on this type of advertising, because customers are willing to look at an ad while they wait for the rest of the page to load. This gives advertisers the time they need to make a lasting impression on potential customers.

Above-the-fold ads mean more views and greater revenue

For Publishers, placing Gourmet Ads-served advertisements in above-the-fold locations can lead to more views, and a higher click-through rate that will make your page more valuable to our customers. Gourmet Ads’ ad server monitors incoming visitors to determine the type of browser they are using, their screen resolution, and the size of the monitor the ad is being viewed on so that visitors get the best possible experience each time they visit. Not only does above-the-fold advertising improve the value of placing ads on your site, it also appeals to customers who will see a professionally designed ad on your page as they enter.

Above-the-fold advertising is a win-win situation for Publishers and advertisers. Above-the-fold advertisements create the type of traffic that drives sales and increases revenue-targeted views that encourage customers to click through and find out more. By placing Gourmet Ads advertisements in your above-the-fold advertising space, you can help bring in the clicks that will make your site more profitable and make advertisers more willing to place ads on your website.