Wait, websites can have heroes? Yep, you read that right! Websites can, indeed, have heroes – just not the kind in tights and capes. Today, in part three of our “Dissecting Your Website” series, we are going to talk about website heroes – what they are, what they do, and some tips to make them as effective as possible. If you want to start the series from the top, make sure you’re caught up on part 1 and part 2 first!
Hero – What is it?
The hero section is right below - and sometimes includes - the header. Our Essential Attorneys’TM websites feature quite a range of hero designs, proving that the options for this section are quite varied. Some have textured or brightly colored backgrounds that are easily distinguished from the header, others have large image backgrounds with no division between header and hero, and some of our newest designs feature video backgrounds. The hero section has undergone the biggest changes as web design trends come and go.
What does it do?
The hero section is really your viewers’ first big taste of your brand story. I think this is one of the most critical parts of the website to design because it really sets the tone for the rest of the site. When people visit your estate planning or elder law website, they immediately want to know who you are and what you do. The hero is a great place to get that message across, whether it is by images, text or video. Effective web designs also include a call to action in this area because it is one of the first places viewers will look.
Best Practices
Because every firm has a different, unique brand story, the right solution for your hero section will not necessarily be the same for everyone. But this is a good thing! You want your website to be unique and stand out. On the other hand, it also means that I can’t give you an exact formula of what to include in a hero section for the most effective website.
That being said, try not to over-think the hero section. You want your brand message to be loud and clear, so don’t clutter up the hero with too many elements. A great, succinct tagline with a clear call to action is all you really need. Make sure that anything else in this section is emphasizing and leading to your call to action, not distracting viewers from it.
Next week: We are going to keep on moving down the standard web page. In part 3, we’ll be talking about effective call to action items.