Above The E-Fold™

by WALT FRITZ, PT on FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Above the fold is the upper half of the front page of a newspaper where an important news story or photograph is often located. Papers are often displayed to customers folded so that only the top half of the front page is visible. Thus, an item that is “above the fold” may be one that the editors feel will entice people to buy the paper. Alternatively, it reflects a decision, on the part of the editors, that the article is one of the day’s most important.

Have you ever thought of your website in term such as these? What do you display “above the fold”? The conventional advice, when it comes to attracting new clients from your website, is that they should instantly find something that interests them when they first open your website, or else they will move on to the next site. Think of this as “Above The E-Fold”.

I look at a lot of websites on a daily basis, ones that pertain to bodywork, as well as a lot of others. Some blow me away, both with content as well as visual attraction. Others…well, I just move on. I need to find something that attracts me as soon as I open a page. In the case of manual therapists, I need to see a reason to visit you. I DO NOT CARE what you do, I care about what you can do for me. I DO NOT CARE what about your modality of choice, who trained you, what school from which you graduated, the fact that you are an avid runner, or that you are a vegetarian. I care to know if you can help my pain, for instance. The information above the fold should address this with no ambiguity at all. Save everything else for later. Grab my attention first, then elaborate on that. Why should I come to see you and only you?

While I’ve been writing this post, I went to my own private practice’s websiteto evaluate my own performance. While my above the fold information was there, I realized it needed a bit of tweaking. I moved the photo down and edited the text a bit so that my message was clear: Is pain keeping you from enjoying life? That is my catch phrase. I treat pain and I am very good at it. End of message.

What is your strength as a therapist? How well do you convey this message above the fold on your website? Remember, different browsers often display things differently, so always download and open as many as possible, to assure that your message is clear on all of them. If your above the e-fold message is not crystal clear, change it.

For Now,

Walt Fritz

Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars

All information, unless otherwise noted, property of Walt Fritz, PT, 2014.