If you know me, you know that branding gets me so pumped up! I’m passionate about a good brand and how it’s displayed on a website. I mean, I named Voiceover BrandSites BRANDSites instead of Voiceover Websites because in my mind, I cannot separate the two, they are so linked together.
I want to talk about the most important branding element of your website today. It’s the area “above the fold”, cuz it’s so dang important! Come, let me evangelize about the importance of your above the fold area.
What the Heck Does Above The Fold Mean?
This is a term back from the newspaper days (I know we still have newspapers but the term was coined way back when). It refers to the paper as it lays before you unfold it to see the entire paper. “Above the fold” is everything you see before you open up the paper.
Similarly with websites, above the fold is everything you see before you scroll. This section is your money maker, your billboard, your highest value real estate! THIS is where your brand shines so bright. This is where you win people or lose people, it’s a high stakes first impression.
Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what you need to include and also show you how it makes consistent branding across all other platforms SO easy once it’s designed.
Your Client’s Website Journey
I’ve written a little play for you. Here is an example of a prospect or client’s journey when they land on your website for the first time and interact with ONLY the above the fold area (if you’re nailing your website goals of course):
- They click your website link. Your site loads (within 2 seconds or less) and they go – “Oh wow that looks so great, gee I have a positive first impression of this person.” They have all these physiological and emotional reactions to your brand.
- They check out your BrandLine, see what demos you have and go “Oh ok, I see who this person is, I get a sense of where or how they fit into my needs, I’ll check out their demos…”
- Then they listen to your demos and go “Wow they are talented! I shall SAVE this website to my bookmark folder, and/or download these demos for later when I need a VO that fits their sound.” Then they download your demos… Or save your website.
Then they can do a number of things, it’s a choose your own adventure! They can either…
- Leave your website having gotten everything they need – JUST from above the fold.
- Or… They may see your contact information in your header navigation and say “Ah, here is their contact information, I will contact them now about a project”…
- Or… They may see your call to action button that may say “Request A Quote” and think “Sure, I will contact them now about a project”…
- Or… They see your social media links and go “Oh! Here are their social media links, I will click on them to see what they are up to, after all, I love the gram”…
- Or… They will explore your website further based on their impression of the above the fold area. They see your navigation and go “Oh here is their navigation, sure, I’ll check out their about me, testimonials, recent work, etc.” Or they just scroll and check out the rest of your site.
This entire prospect journey should be available above the fold. And $50 bucks says I know what you’re thinking now…
So What should be above the fold on my voiceover website?
I’m so glad you asked.
Here is a checklist of all the items/features you need to have above the fold:
- A Clean and Organized Header Navigation
- Your Primary Keyword – Used in Main Header “H1” text.
- Your Downloadable Demos
- Your Unique BrandLine – Who You Are/What You Do/Why You
- A Call To Action – What do you want them to do next?
- Social Media Links (in the header)
- Contact Information (in the header)
- Your brand colors, imagery, language, and design are all infused in the above the fold section. So your prospect “gets” you.
Want to learn about these items in further detail? I have a downloadable PDF that goes over each of these points with elements/features you can check off for each of them. I’ll post it shortly for download!
Now for my favorite part of this blog post…
How The Above The Fold Branding Translates Across All Platforms and Marketing Materials
Doing all the work figuring out your personal brand, and then bringing that brand to life on your website (specifically above the fold) makes it so easy to have a consistent look across the web.
Let’s take my website as an example. Here is my above the fold area:
Here is what my LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook banners look like. Instagram doesn’t have a banner or it would match too.
YouTube: follow me here
LinkedIn: follow me here
Business Card:
Here is my business card – FRONT AND BACK!! (gotta use a good Friends reference when I can)
I hope you can see that the design and branding of your above the fold area translates across all website mediums.
When someone travels from your website to any of your social media channels they will see it is consistent.
When someone travels from your social media channels, or your business card they will see it is consistent.
This is branding gold, and I LOVE crafting this for voice actors.