A common trend on websites today is the presence of extensive series of images that takes most of the space on the homepage. These large images are called hero images. This practice is done to catch the attention of potential buyers for your online store.
We’ll discuss the importance of hero images and what are the best ways to use them plus point you to several resource websites to help you create your own for your online store.
Where To Put Your Estore Hero Image
Hero images are usually found just below your site’s logo and navigation bar. They are often used to announce promos, showcase the best selling products, answer the most fundamental questions, or only catch the attention of potential customers.
Let’s look at IGN.com‘s website:
As you can see, the hero images represent IGN’s top stories. Notice that they have their hero image bright enough to be eye-catching.
Meanwhile, the hero image for Play-Asia shows their Amiibo products and a call-to-action that these items are on sale.
What Makes A Great Hero Image?
We can then say that a hero image should include:
- High-quality, eye-catching images
- Witty, thought-out copy
- A call-to-action that links the hero image to your products
You can also switch out your hero images if you have season-specific promos or events, or when there are new products in-stock that you want your customers to know.
Some e-store owners may have problems with getting great pictures of their products. Then again, if you own a current-generation smartphone, and with proper lighting, you can take better product photos than you can imagine!
You can also look on websites that have royalty-free stock images like Pexels or Pixabay.
As for graphic manipulation software, there is always Adobe Photoshop, which now goes on a monthly subscription. And then there’s the free and open-source alternative GIMP which may not be as powerful as Photoshop, but may just do the job for you.
Always note that hero images should showcase more of your products than the copy and call-to-action, like some of the examples below:
Remember that hero images are essential components of an e-store, and it functions more than just eye candy. Try putting one on yours now!