We all know the importance of web design but did you know that when visitors come to your website, you only have around 7-8 seconds to catch their interest? That’s not a lot of time to make a first impression! Your website’s hero section is one of the most critical parts of your design.

A well-designed hero section can help your conversion rate and generate more revenue for your business. Have no idea what a hero section is? In this blog post, we will show you how to create a hero section that will impress your visitors and help your business stand out from the competition!

What Is a Hero Section?

A hero section is a large, prominent area on your website that includes an engaging image or video, a short headline, and a call to action. Hero sections are a powerful way to grab visitors’ attention and guide them to make a purchase.

Your hero section should be high up on your homepage, above the fold, so visitors see it as soon as they land on your site. Your image or video should be striking and relevant to your brand or message. And the headline should be clear and concise, telling visitors what problems your website solves.

If you want your hero section to be truly effective, make sure it answers the following questions:

• What problem do you solve?
• How do I buy it?
• Will this make my life better?

Why Should You Use a Hero Section?

The Hero Section is one of the most important aspects of any website. It’s the first thing visitors will see when they land on your page, and it sets the tone for the rest of their experience.

You should use the hero section to highlight the actual content on your website. This could be an introductory video, a call to action, or your most popular blog post. Whatever you choose to feature, make sure it’s engaging and will grab the attention of your visitors.

Your Hero Section Can Convert More Leads

Visually appealing hero sections with bright call-to-actions are essential for converting leads. Not using the right hero image and call-to-action can put a brake on your website’s goals.

A hero image with a happy customer using your product can set the tone for the rest of your customer’s journey. They see your product and the end result: happiness and satisfaction. This will make your customer feel more comfortable and build confidence in your brand.

How to Design a Stunning Hero Section

If your site’s hero section isn’t up to par, here are some tips for designing a stunning hero section that will make visitors stick around.

Display Hero Image

The first thing you’ll need to do is add a hero image to your page. There are four types of hero images: product hero images, customer hero images, founder hero images, or non-contextual hero images.

Product Hero Image

A product hero image is a high-definition, oversized image that highlights a product’s characteristics. Using this type of hero image is beneficial for ecommerce and software companies since they showcase their main product. Shining a spotlight on the product you’re selling builds trust for your customers.

For example, if you have a website for a landscaping business, you would want to use a video of a family enjoying a barbecue on a fresh lawn. On the other hand, if you have a website for a restaurant, you would like to use images of people at your restaurant enjoying the food.

Customer Hero Image

The next type of hero image is showing your customers using your product. This perspective empathizes with your visitors by demonstrating that you understand their pain points and can satisfy their needs.

The best practice when utilizing a customer hero image is to target your ideal audience. When choosing this kind of hero image, it’s important to convey how to use your product and how it makes your customer feel.

For instance, a carpet cleaning company could use a picture of children playing on a clean carpet with a header, “Your Family Deserves a Clean Carpet”.

Founder Hero Image

Founder hero images are large images of the founder of a business. These kinds of hero images are best suited for independent business owners such as psychologists, consultants, accountants, or make-up artists.

A founder hero image puts a face to the business name and connects the customer directly to the service provider.

The best advice when using a hero image is to convey your brand’s message as strong as possible. Perhaps as a photographer, you could use an image of yourself with your camera in a studio. Or, working on a design on your computer as a digital designer. Keep in mind that your founder image should relate to your business so your customers aren’t left questioning what you do.

Non-Contextual Hero Image

A non-contextual hero image is an image that is unrelated to the product or founder. This type of hero image could be difficult to implement since it has no relation to your business or offer.

The goal behind a non-contextual hero image is a bit unclear since it can distract visitors and leave them questioning what the website is about. In terms of converting visitors into customers, confusing them is the last thing you’d want.

This is your chance to make a great first impression, so make sure you use visuals relevant to your brand. It’s best to use photos or videos to grab attention and tell your story.

Create Responsive Design

To ensure your hero section looks great on all devices, you’ll need to create a responsive design. Responsive design means your content will resize and rearrange itself to look good no matter what screen size it’s being viewed on.

It’s important to remember that everyone views your website from a different device. Creating a hero section that automatically adjusts to the type of device is a must!

Keep It Short and Sweet

The average web user has the attention span equivalent to Doug from Up, so make sure your hero section is short, sweet, and to the point. Get right to the point, and don’t try to cram too much information into this small space. There are a few general tips you can keep in mind to make sure your hero section is both short and sweet.

Identifying the main pain point for your target audience is a great first step. For instance, a company that sells keto desserts would benefit with a headline that says, “Finally, Healthy Dessert That’s Delicious”. Why does this work? The headline is short, identifies the pain point that healthy dessert that tastes good is hard to come by, and takes it a step further by implying that the customer’s search is over.

Use Positive Messaging

Keep the tone of your hero section positive and upbeat. It is your chance to make a customer kill, so avoid using negative words or phrases. Instead, focus on what you can do for the user and how to solve their problem. When done right, positive messaging can help to set the tone for your entire website. It can convey who you are and what you stand for as a company.

Your positive message should also be concise and to the point. Visitors to your website will likely only have a few seconds to read it, so ensure your message is clear and easy to understand.

Use Strong Calls-to-action

Your hero section should have a strong call-to-action that tells users what you want them to do. Whether it’s buying your product or signing up for a service, make sure your CTA is clear and easy to follow.

Steer away from basic call-to-actions such as “Learn More” or “Join”. These simple words inspire no one and can actually drive traffic away from your site.

Excite your customers buy using engaging words for your call-to-action. For instance, instead of using “sign-up” for a newsletter with deals, you can say, “Send Me Specials Now!”. Here are more call-to-action examples you can get inspiration from.

Examples of the Ideal Hero Section

1. Asana

Asana’s homepage has an effective hero section despite its simple design.

First, the headline targets an audience of business owners or project managers whose pain point is unorganized workload. The company further explains the benefit of their product by describing their offer,

Asana helps teams organize work so you’re equipped to do more with less.

Next, the hero image(s) are people who are working on projects and checking off their tasks using the project management system Asana. And to take it up a notch, Asana engages their visitors by being able to check off the tasks in the hero image! You can check it out for yourself!

Finally, the call-to-action is to “Get Started”. Although the actual text might not be engaging, Asana can get away with it since they have other means of engagement such as a video, an example of their product, and employees actually using the product. As a business owner, this is something you’d want for your company.

2. InVision

InVision‘s homepage is very striking and engaging. The bright colors and background video make it all the more compelling.

For starters, the hero image (video) is the actual product being used by a variety of team members. Seeing what’s possible with InVision’s product keeps you glued and helps envision (no pun intended) yourself using the platform.

Secondly, the headline is perfectly executed by keeping it simple and further describing the utility of the product.

Lastly, the call-to-action is bright and attention grabbing. Plus, the button is leads you to try the product for free!

As an added bonus, InVision includes prominent brands that use their product. This is what we call social proof which is meant to build trust to any potential customer who is questioning the validity of the company.

Troubled With Your Hero Section Design?

If you’re looking to add a stunning hero section to your website that looks stunning, responsive, and converts, schedule an appointment with a consultant today! We can help you create a hero section that will wow your visitors and enable you to achieve your business goals. Contact us today to get started!