How to Choose a Hero Image That Makes Your Website Stand Out
A picture speaks louder than a thousand words — the proverb is a perfect explanation for why your website should have a hero image. If you are wondering what hero images are, well they’re those large images that you see at the top of web pages — often portraying what the website is all about. A good image is not only appealing but lets your reader know what he is about to view without having read a single word. While many go simply with a collage, others are more conscientious about how to choose hero image. As a website Design Company for WordPress here’s what we at Litmus advise them.
Some basic tips
Your website hero image is often the first thing that your visitor sees — and it should have a strong impact while communicating the primary purpose of your business. As we said earlier, an image of your main — or bestselling — products works if these products are already popular and familiar to the general public. If however, you are selling something other than physical products, you should be more careful to craft your image to align with the services you offer. Again, you can highlight your USP in your image, instantly bringing it to the attention of the viewer.
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Choose colours according to the mood of the website
When customers ask about hero image best practices, we tell them that colours are perhaps the most important element of image design. Here’s a good rule of thumb to follow when selecting the colour scheme for your hero image — make sure it reflects the colours in your logo — or vice versa — and ensure that it aligns with your offering, mission, and vision. Think also about the mood you want to set before your visitors dive into your content. For instance, bright and contrasting colours signify joy and gaiety while darker colours depict professional sedateness and subtlety.
The right colours can help set the right mood so leverage your website hero image to do just that.
Send a Strong Message
As far as hero image best practices go, selecting the actual image — or creating it — is as important as selecting the right colours. It’s hard to put one before the other so, do these two parallel. Remember that your image must communicate your message and value proposition loud and clear as well as your USP. You’ve probably spent time defining your brand identity and persona — let your hero image reflect this persona. Pick a pic that strongly portrays what you and your brand are all about.
Images speak without speaking — use them effectively to create a strong first impression on your consumer.
Illustrate
When customers ask as to how to choose hero image, we say, “think out of the box.” For instance, surprisingly few websites use illustrative images depicting scenarios. Your hero image need not necessarily be a photograph selected from stock websites. Get creative and think of images that reflect your brand, its character, and value.
For instance, the first image you see when you visit the Keep Portland Weird website is that of a city shattered by an earthquake with a message to match.
Illustrations can work wonders for a first impression — which is proverbially the last and long-lasting one.
If you are worried about creating the perfect illustration for your brand, talk to Litmus Branding and let us help.
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Idolize your Hero
Every brand has a hero product, service, or value proposition. The last maybe its USP. Focussing on this hero and idolizing it in your hero image will not only send the perfect message and create a strong impression; it can drive sales directly.
Dribble.com, for instance, focuses on reading books and has effectively leveraged this in its hero image.
Making your hero product or service the central focal point of your hero image will draw attention to it, make it recognizable, and drive sales.
Create a Scene
Create a scene in your hero image that resonates with your buyer persona, their wants, desires, aspirations, and emotions. This will help your buyers relate to your product and brand identity. On a subtler note, you can either go with resonating your brand identity or your product image-making either the central focus of your hero image.
Close Up, for instance, goes with their value proposition and brand identity, which they have carefully created through effective marketing and branding efforts. Their hero image reflects the feel of freshness and highlights their USP. Bark Box, on the other hand, focuses on the box of goodies for dogs — its hero product.
Making your hero image relatable to your audience helps retain the image in their memory — and your product becomes easily identifiable — eventually driving off the shelf sales.
These are just some of the ways you can leverage your website real estate to drive sales. There are many different types of hero images that you can use — such as animated images or video. And finally, remember that no one element of your brand identity or persona stands alone. Each should be aligned with the other as well as with your mission, vision, value, and goals to create a holistic picture of your brand in the minds of your consumer.
Litmus Branding provides a host of branding and marketing service to its clients. Check out the service you need now.