Choosing your website’s hero image: Examples and tips

Hero images, critical components of website design, serve as the primary visual focal points on webpages and significantly influence user engagement and experience within milliseconds. These images, often accompanied by key messages and calls-to-action, can include full-screen videos, illustrations, or animations, typically appearing on homepages but also on other site pages like blogs or product pages. Choosing the right hero image involves various considerations, such as aligning the image with the brand’s mood and color palette, ensuring the image is responsive across devices, and maintaining accessibility by including alt text and adhering to color contrast standards. Designers are advised to avoid stereotypes in imagery, balance text and visual elements effectively, and utilize graphic design principles to direct users' attention to key content. Testing different hero images through A/B testing or user research is recommended to assess their impact on website performance objectively.