Do you read newspapers anymore? Seriously, do you? If you haven’t, do you at least look at them? Alright, if you’re still answering no, pause reading this (I expect you to return!) and take a minute to go inspect one.

Notice anything? Anything catching your eye?

I honestly haven’t read a newspaper in…well, a few years, but I do look at them as I pass them on newsstands. Why? It’s for the exact same reason I told you to check one out: their eye-catching ability.

Newsies can teach people in SEO web design a thing or two — especially when it comes to designing above the fold.

Designing Above the Fold in Newspapers

There’s this concept that newsies have called, “above the fold.” This is all the news that you can see when the paper is still folded in half.

Why is this such a big deal? That’s their free advertising! As people walk by a newsstand, they’ll see everything above the fold — and if the people in the newsroom have designed the paper properly, it’ll pull the casual readers in and make them buy a paper.

They employ catchy headlines, great photography and witty openings on all of their work above the fold. You need to use many of the same techniques in your web design.

SEO Web Design Above the Fold

You can apply this same concept to SEO web design. When people stop by your site, they’re going to spend a few second there, no more — unless you can entice them.

Look at your site when you first land there. What do you see without scrolling down?

If there isn’t something compelling on your homepage, starting from the very top, then you’re in trouble. Everything above the fold (in this case, it’s everything that shows up without having to scroll), should serve a purpose.

Designing Your Website with SEO in Mind

Say it with me, “Everything should do something.”

Do you have navigation above the fold? Do you have something to let people interact with you? Is there compelling text? Is it colorful? Is it eye-catching?

You only get one shot at impressing most people, don’t squander your opportunities. Just like how newspapers are drawing people in simply by the headlines, pictures and designs above the fold, your site should be too.

What exactly is a digital destination? It’s really more of a concept and an ideal than a specific set of ideals — at least at this point.

That’s what makes digital destinations so ephemeral, you know when you’re on one, but you’re not exactly sure what makes them so memorable.

A Brief History of  Interactivity

With a digital destination, there is interaction. Websites are not traditional documents. This is the culmination of mass communication and documentation.

Take it way back and there were cave drawings, which served their purpose — though there was a slight issue with portability.

Fast forward, you have handwritten scrolls. These were definitely more portable, but there was now an ever so small issue with reproduction.

Fast forward, you have the printing press. Now there are documents for the masses, but they are in bound books, not really interactive. Not only that, but these books weren’t cheap, so people didn’t want to ruin them.

Fast forward, you now have affordable printing. People can now slightly interact with their documents — at least to the extent that they can draw on them.

Fast forward, you now have the Internet. Finally, we’re at the stage where people can interact with documents, can influence their design and can truly experience the content. That’s just it, for people to learn, they don’t need to just sit there and quietly absorb it — they need to experience it!

This level of interaction sets the basis for a digital destination — more on what exactly that means later.