Do I like scrolling?
Sure, but within reason. I would much rather see a site that expands than one which is a fixed height. In my opinion, this just makes sense. On the flip side, if you take your 11-page Word document and cut-and-paste it online you can bet I am not reading your article. I would put some money that others are not reading it either. Why? Because there are better ways to communicate this material. Break it up; make it interesting… let me read what I want to read. If you want me to read something from end to end then post a PDF. No guarantees I am going to read this either, of course, but at least I know what I have signed up for.

Do I believe placement matters?
You bet I do. I like standards and I like conventions. They are there for a reason. Sure things change over time, but there are reasons things are done a given way. Can I have my navigation at the bottom of the page? Sure. Can I have a big image for my homepage with no text? You certainly can. Can I make my site exactly 1024 pixels wide? Nothing stopping you. If you come to us for a website with any of the above will we let you know that you’re crazy? Absolutely.

What does all this have to do with placement? Once word: expectation. I expect navigation to be at the top. I expect the logo to be in the top left. I expect to be able to click that logo and get to the homepage. I also expect the main message is going to be at the top of the page. However… that does not mean I feel the rest of the page is a waste (and here’s that grain of salt part). People read in different ways and have different interests so having a number of ways to capture their imagination is key.

Let’s take a look at the 37 Signals example given by Paddy. Yes, it was well down the article and, yes, I was still reading. Paddy’s point is valid – there is a wealth of information on the page, but the information at the top (above the fold) is their four main products… and, at the bottom, their ‘call to action’ is a repeat of these same products. So, while this is a good example of using your homepage real estate, I feel the key info is above the fold.

I am confident if we broke out Analytics and looked at 37 Signals the stats would tell the story as expected. In a nutshell: Higher on the page, higher click through.

Do I like and respect creativity?
Most certainly. While I like standards and convention that does not mean everything has to look the same. Not by a long shot. One of the big attractions for design firms using Smallbox is that we are building the CMS to suit your design not the other way around.

However, in my opinion, the real art comes in building the form around the function. Make it unique or compelling because it tells the story better or makes it more interesting, not just to be different. And if that story runs a little long? Not to worry. If the writing is interesting scrolling is not an issue.