In terms of above the fold content, nothing has quite captured the internet like the bold and dramatic hero image. And while this might be a tried and tested web design method, too many websites are beginning to look a little bit too similar. So if you want to use a hero image on your landing pages, how can you be sure to stand out from the crowd, and bring something new to the digital landscape? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. And we work with a variety of customers and clients across Manchester and the North West, including small and local business owners. In fact, producing quality websites for local and small businesses is something we excel at, and we know just how to use web design to help your business thrive. As a result, we have produced this guide to choosing a hero image, for small business landing pages.
What is a hero image?
So what exactly is a hero image? Well, to put it simply, a hero image is a high quality, high resolution image that occupies most of the space above the fold. So when a user first loads your website, all they will see is this hero image, along with the heading and some text, the company logo and the navigation bar. As well as a call to action button. This makes for a minimalist experience, with a minimal amount of potential distractions. And can really help to grab users attention, and direct users towards the call to action button.
Choosing a hero image
So if you want to use a hero image on your landing page, what should you consider when choosing a hero image? Well, here are some of the top priorities:
- The quality of the image- because the image will be displayed across the screen at a large size, you need to use an image that is really high quality
- The colour scheme- the image you choose needs to fit into your website colour scheme so that it is not too jarring for users
- The design of the image- you might have your heart set on a particular image, but does it fit with the website? If not, maybe consider altering or editing the image in some way to make sure you get a hero image that produces exactly the desired effect
Once you have an idea of the type of hero image you need, you can also consider the marketing purposes. After all, a hero image shouldn’t just look amazing, it should have hidden qualities to. For example:
- the hero image can provide cues to your audience, about what to do next. For example, a hero image with a person looking to their left, can easily be used to draw the users attention to a well positioned call to action button.
- a hero image could really celebrate your product by using the product as the focal point of the hero image
- a hero image can evoke an emotional response
- the hero image should match up to your heading, and support what your text is saying
For more information or advice, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.