In the Good Old Days of direct mail, which is to say, before 1997 and the advent of the Internet, I and other direct mail marketers agonized over what to put above the fold.

Maybe you did as well.

That tiny top panel on a sales letter or self-mailer had to grab attention and stimulate interest or the whole package was likely to end up in the file that is emptied daily.

Your landing page faces a similar challenge today. In an age where the landing page has replaced the business reply card as the reply mechanism of choice among folks who market by mail, what you say above the fold is vital.

The fold is the bottom of your website visitors monitor. Everything they can read without scrolling is above the fold. Which means you have around 140 square inches of real estate upon which to make your pitch. Use it wisely.

Above the fold is where you put your selling promise or offer. Here is the place to remind visitors why they are herebecause you invited them here with a compelling offer in your direct mail package.

Above the fold is where you put a beauty shot of your product. A shot that matches the one from your sales letter or print catalog.

Above the fold on your landing page is where you remove navigation bars, links to privacy statements, links to your homepage and every other hotlink likely to lure visitors away from the purpose at handconversion.

Think of your landing page as your retail store. Think of your above-the-fold navigation bar as someone standing at the door of your store, inviting your brand new visitor to immediately leave your store and browse elsewhere in the mall. Now you see the value of removing all links on your landing page that lead your visitor away from your intended purpose.

All that your visitor should see and read above the fold should motivate the visitor to stay on the page, continue reading, and take the action you desire (buy, order a free trial, subscribe for your newsletter, download a report, watch your online demo).

If youre reading this on a computer monitor, and if youve had to scroll a few times to get this far, youve proved my point. You should now be converted.

2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the Author" message).

Alan Sharpe

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation consultant. As President of Sharpe Copy Inc. Alan specializes in helping businesses generate leads, close sales and retain customers using cost-effective, compelling direct mail and email marketing. Alan also uses his direct mail advertising services to help charities raise funds and raise awareness of their causes, using fundraising letters. Sign up for Alan Sharpe's B2B Direct Mail Tactics e-newsletter. Every Monday morning, receive in your inbox a short, helpful article on direct mail lead generation.