Above the fold refers to the area of a web page that is immediately visible to a visitor without the need to scroll down. Above the fold take its name from the visible area of a folded broadsheet newspaper.
In web design, above the fold is really just concept to help us visualise a hierarchy of information – the most important content is selected and shown in the area that appears first.
Calls to action, important messages & information and navigation are usually placed above the fold so they are seen quickly by the viewer and generally generate more click-throughs. These days people are more used to scrolling and it’s less important than it once was but it is still essential to bear in mind what a visitor sees when they first load a page. In a user-focussed or customer-focussed website, the position & visibility of the navigation, key marketing messages, calls to action and other important content are fundamental to the design of your website, if you want to achieve your marketing objectives.