CRO Glossary
Above-the-Fold Optimization
Design and copy improvements focused specifically on the visible portion of a page before scrolling.
This refers to the practice — not just the concept — of testing and refining what visitors see without scrolling, sometimes called above the fold. Because this area gets near-universal visibility, small changes there tend to have outsized impact compared to changes further down the page.
Common above-the-fold tests include swapping the primary headline, changing hero image style (lifestyle photo vs. product shot), moving the primary call-to-action button, or adding a trust signal like a rating or logo bar. Because so much traffic sees this section, tests here often reach statistical significance faster than tests on lower-traffic areas like footers or secondary pages.
The risk is over-indexing on this one area. Teams sometimes run dozens of above-the-fold tests while ignoring friction further down the funnel — like a confusing checkout step — that's actually costing more conversions. Above-the-fold optimization is a strong starting point, not a complete CRO strategy.
Related terms
Above vs Below Median Split
A segmentation technique that divides users into two groups at the median of a metric to compare high and low engagers.
Qualitative Feedback Loop
A recurring process of collecting and acting on user comments, session recordings, and survey responses to inform test hypotheses.
Experiment Metadata
The structured record of who, what, when, and how for a test — hypothesis, owner, dates, variants, and metrics used to track and audit it.
Pre-Test Analysis
The upfront work of validating traffic, metrics, and baseline data quality before launching an experiment.
Above-the-Fold vs Below-the-Fold Messaging Hierarchy
How the order and prominence of value-proposition messaging is split between the visible screen and the rest of the page.
Experiment Contamination
When a control or variant group is unintentionally exposed to the other condition, corrupting the comparison.
See this in the wild
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