Define the viewport before judging the fold

A browser window, a mobile address bar, zoom and font wrapping all change what appears before scrolling. A desktop screenshot cannot establish what a mobile visitor sees. Start with representative widths and actual content rather than an abstract fold line.

The first screen should orient a visitor: what this page offers, who it is for and what to do next. It does not have to contain every feature, answer and testimonial. Packing everything into that space can weaken the hierarchy you wanted to improve.

People scroll, but exposure is not equal

NN/g's scrolling research observes how attention was distributed in its studies. It supports reviewing both the first screen and the rest of a page. It does not establish that every page today has the same percentage of attention above the fold.

References: NN/g: Scrolling and Attention

Review a first screen in three passes

First read the original screenshot. Then inspect an attention prediction. Finally return to the page and try the intended action. Each pass answers a different question.

Can a new visitor explain the offer without scrolling?
Are important words readable, and does the primary action have an understandable label?
Does the predicted map emphasise meaningful elements or mostly decoration?
Is there a reason to continue, with content visible or clearly suggested below?
Does the mobile layout preserve that relationship without hiding essential controls?

Avoid confusing the top third with the hero

Heatpoints summarises maps using a three-by-three grid. A dominant zone outside the top row is outside the top third of the captured image. It is not necessarily below the fold or outside the hero component.

The published site study uses this geometric definition. It cannot identify a hero's DOM boundaries, and it does not measure how many people scroll. Keep that distinction when citing the study or reading your own results.

References: Study methodology and corrected interpretation