What Is a Hero Section of a Website and Why It’s So Crucial?

The art of creating a wonderful & lead to sale website starts with an attractive hero section. But before you dive into the art of creating one, you must know what is a Hero section. 

If you’ve ever landed on a site that you don’t really need, but somehow, you still decided to keep scrolling. Or there might be a site with a specific thing you need instantly, which you only need to check out and do. However, you still decided to keep searching, not specifically for anything. 

In both cases, the things that affect your action might be the hero section. It’s the first impression when encountering a website, and if done right, will have a great impact on how users interact. 

In this article, we’ll give you a clear vision of what is a hero section of a website, why it’s important, and how to tackle it. So stop all the wait, let’s start now. 

Get to know what is a hero section

In the simplest word, just in case you haven’t imagined what is a hero section yet, it’s the first thing you see on a web page. Normally, the hero section will contain a background image or video, with big text & a button. That’s normally what other sites do, but if you want to make sure you’re doing things right, here is what it should contain: 

• What do you offer
• Why people should trust you
• The benefits people will receive from you
• What they should do right after this 

In other words, here is where you can make your brand stand out from the flock of businesses and websites on the market. Secure your users’ attention, make sure they know what you’re selling and ensure that they concentrate on taking the next action. 

But why is it so crucial to your website? 

On the internet, users constantly need guidance on what to do next, right after they have been attracted to you. Therefore, the hero section is both the first look and the guide to keep people following through on what you’re selling (or how you’ll help them).

The hero section is the beginning of the whole customer's journey, and when you’ve succeeded, the rest will become so much easier. By constructing a good hero section and a series of actions, you’ll clearly present your users with the main steps to get to know you and spend their money on your site. 

How to create an incredible hero section 

Now, let’s get your hands dirty and start creating a site’s hero section. You either can do it yourself, or let the professional do it. However, it all comes down to the following steps to make sure everything is at its best. 

Start with a stunning Hero image or video 

The first thing you see on a landing page (or a homepage) could be anything. From a graphic, or photograph to a short video or GIF, choose what you like. Users will be attracted to colorful designs or graphics, and sometimes the most effective thing can be an engaging video. In fact, video is one of the best ways to boost conversion rate and user engagement. And in these visual elements, you can also add text to highlight special information and let people understand what you’re offering.

In any case, you should make sure the images or video used in this portion are of the highest quality possible. But it should also load instantly when people come. If it couldn’t load quickly in the first second, no matter how beautiful your design is, users cannot see it (sometimes they refuse to). 

Add a powerful headline 

Words are powerful, they can evoke emotion or lead to action. Thus a tagline is the most incredible tool you’ll have for your website. Therefore, a statement or a headline is the first text a user can see when clicking on your website. It should grab people's interest, and encourage them to keep exploring instead of clicking back. 

With this one line, a maximum of 8 words, you should quickly sum up the information of your business, blog, or services. The headline should be bold, eye-catching, and stand out from the rest. So keep practicing and re-write if necessary. The more effectively you can write this statement, the fewer people will click away. 

Support with a great sub-headline

Yes, we know we’ve just said you only have very few words for a statement. However, a sub-headline is an extra room to expand the message you’ve made previously. Here, you can add brief information about your product & services and insist on trust. Thus, this little line is where you help user to define your store or company so they’ll know exactly what’s going on. 

Never forget a Call to action (CTA)

Even if you’re creating a beautiful hero section, without a strong call to action, it will still not lead to conversion. Many websites forget about this part and make their customers confused. This will lead them to choose other websites that have clearer instructions. People are always unsure of what to do on the internet. So the more guidance you give, the more people will stick to you. 

Call to action also acts as a booster for customers in their determination period. And the possibilities for this portion are vast. You can lead them to subscribe to a newsletter, download your app, leave comments or check out the latest deal. Just keep your CTA short and direct, and people will follow up. 

Social proof is necessary 

It’s abnormal to add social proof here, but hear us out. On a website, you’ll only have a maximum of 3 seconds to impress a user. And besides beautiful graphics or eye-catching taglines, what else could make people trust you? Adding a small section for social proof is a wise choice here to gain instant trust and make people eager to explore more. But how to delicately do it without adding way too much information? Here are what you can add: 

• Mention the number of customers who have used your product (the larger the number, the better trust).
• Display your product rating & review (if it’s more than 4.5/5 or 9/10).
• Namedrop your partners or influencers who have used your products.
• Add a testimonial slide to maximize your space. 

Let’s sum it all up

You’ve already known what is a hero section, and even how to check all the boxes of creating a good one. Keep in mind, in real life first impressions matter a lot, so it’s the same online. The first section on a website will dictate whether a user will stay with enthusiasm or leave in boredom. Try to do your best to convince people to keep reading and scrolling, and all the above features are a must. 

However, don’t get too nervous around your hero section. You can always test out a few options before setting one up to see which works best. Once you’ve launched your site or landing page, constantly keep track of it to improve and revise it if possible. And asking for a professional to do this whole work for you sometime can be a better choice to save you some time and effort. Let us know if you need one, and for the rest, you can count on us!