Hero section

A hero section is the large, prominent area at the top of a web page — typically a headline, sometimes a supporting image or video, and usually a call to action — that most visitors see first, before any scrolling.

Why the hero section area carries more weight than any other single section, for every visitor immediately

The hero section is guaranteed to be seen by nearly every visitor who reaches the page, before they have decided whether to keep reading. That gives it disproportionate responsibility for whether a visitor understands what the business does and what to do next. A vague, atmospheric headline here wastes the one moment of attention a page is guaranteed to receive from every visitor.

The hero image’s direct connection to page speed, above the fold

The largest visible element within a hero section — commonly a background image or video — is frequently the same element measured by Largest Contentful Paint, one of Google’s published Core Web Vitals. A slow-loading, oversized hero image is simultaneously a performance problem and a first-impression problem. Fixing one generally fixes the other.

What tends to go wrong in a hero section: headline, subheading and CTA

A large background video adds weight and can distract

A hero section built around a large background video adds real page weight. On some implementations it carries autoplay behaviour that can be distracting or inaccessible, depending on how it is built.

Too many competing headlines and call-to-action sections dilute the message

A hero section crowded with several competing headlines, subheadings or calls to action (CTAs) dilutes the clarity it exists to provide. A single, clear statement of what the business does, and a single clear next step, generally outperforms a busier version — regardless of how much visual polish either carries.

What to do next with your website’s hero section design

Checking a site’s hero section specifically for load time on a real mobile connection, and for whether it states plainly what the business does, are both quick, high-value checks. For where hero section design fits into a build, website design services covers the scope it sits inside.