Web Copy That Sells, 3rd Edition

THE FIRST LOOK

What is the most important element of a website? The first screen (or the first eyeful) is the prime selling space of your website, and what you put in it makes or breaks its success. Do not confuse the first screen with the first page, which is often referred to as the home page or the landing page of a website. The first screen is only part of the page that appears on the screen when you land on a website; it’s the screen you see before you scroll down or sideways. In a print newspaper, its counterpart is the information above the fold, which draws maximum readership.

Often, the first screen is the first, last, and only thing people see on a website before they click away. For this reason, don’t make the mistake many companies ...