The Hero Your Website Deserves
If I were to ask you who is the hardest worker for your business or company, who would you say? I’m sure 98% of you probably raised your hands for that one. There’s someone, or should I say something, that would gladly work its butt off for you 24/7. A real hero!
No, really, it’s the hero section of your website. For those of you who don’t know what your hero section is, it’s the first section of your homepage before you have to scroll. I can almost guarantee most of you aren’t giving your hero section the tools it needs to succeed, and that's sad because if you just gave it the chance, this hero could make life so much easier for you!
Show them they’re in the right place
You’d be surprised how easily confused your customers are. That’s not to say your visitors are slow. Quite the opposite. Studies show it takes a whopping .05 seconds for users to form an opinion on your website. While there are endless characteristics they can form opinions on, the first thing they are asking themselves is “Is this where I want to be?”. If they can’t figure this out in the first couple of seconds, you’re in trouble. To avoid this, your heading should clearly state one of the following:
- What your product or service is. Being specific here is key! Let’s say someone is looking for an attorney who can handle complex commercial real estate contracts. They visit two websites. One hero header reads “The Best Law Office Around!” and the other reads “A Law Office Specializing in Commercial Real Estate”. Which site would you take a deeper dive into? By letting your visitors know exactly what you do, they will believe you can help them with their specific problems or need.
- Who your business serves. Again, the more specific you can be, the better. If you can identify your ideal client and essentially call them out, they will feel compelled to keep exploring your site. While you may want to reach larger pools of people, you have to remember that each user is an individual. The quicker you can connect with that particular person, the easier it’s going to be to win their business.
Personally, if you can pull off both, you are ahead of the game. Check out our hero header for example:
By telling people what you do AND who you do it for, a potential client who identifies with both states can almost be sure they won’t be wasting their time by scrolling on and learning more about what you offer.
Tell them what to do next!
Unlike my kids, your web visitors are actually really good at listening to directions. Since you won your first battle, give them a reason to stay on your site for another couple of nanoseconds, your next duty is to get them to take a step in the right direction. Your call to action can be anything from asking them to contact you, fill out a form or just telling them to keep on scrolling. Believe it or not, people like it when they are told what to do. The reasons are simple. Our brains are lazy and we’d rather quit (leave your website) then admit we don’t know what we’re doing. That’s why this first interaction is so important. Each interaction results in more commitment from your visitor. The more time and energy they’ve invested in your site, the less likely they will leave before they perform your desired action. Here are some tips on incorporating a clear call to action in your hero section:
- Don’t get fancy. If you want them to call you, the button or link should say CALL US. If you want them to fill out your contact form use CONTACT US. It can be tempting to add humor or slang that matches your brands persona. Don’t force it though. There is plenty of room to add humor and personality, but only after you’ve hooked your visitor. Prioritize clarity over cleverness and you’ll be on the right track.
- Make it POP! A good call to action shouldn’t be hard to find. Ideally, it should be impossible to miss. Using bright and bold colors and/or different fonts for your links and buttons is the easiest way to do this. Just make sure to keep your text legible. A neon yellow button might attract attention, but if it’s paired with white type, your users will feel like they are looking at the sun.
I hope this has helped you think of some ways you can get more bang out of your hero section. As always, if you are looking for some help designing a website that could take your business to the next next level, fill out our contact form or e-mail me directly at zane@krum.marketing. I look forward to hearing from you!
