Hero shot for your website

What’s the best hero shot for your homepage?

Here’s how you can figure that out.

It’s one thing to end up with a mountain of high-quality visuals…

…it’s another to figure out where they are best suited to be used. 

And that especially relates to the images you choose to leverage on your website - specifically, the top of the fold image on your homepage - aka, your “hero” image.

It’s literally the first thing that any potential client, partner, member and subscriber sees when they enter your home turf online. 

It’s an important photo that inspires people to enter into your world to read more about how you can help solve their problems…

…or it bounces them out of there in search of another expert. 

How do you effectively choose the right photo for the top of the fold on your homepage?

The bad news is that there is no one way to do it. The good news is there’s ways to parse through the gazillion lifestyle and promotional photos you have to find a good fit.

You do that by thinking critically about what you specifically need…

Do I use a portrait or a lifestyle photo where I’m working with clients?

It depends on what’s most important to you at the moment of updating your website. 

If you have multiple tentacles to your business - keynote, workshops, masterminds, virtual, books, etc. - but one of them is the backbone of the entire operation, I’d choose a photo that catches you in that act.

For example, if you offer all of the options mentioned above but are drawing most of your revenue by speaking, and want to book more keynotes, use a photo where you’re on stage. 

Lead with your moneymaker, when applicable.

But, if all things are equal, and you’re not necessarily looking to lead with one aspect of your business over another, then selecting a portrait where you’re directly addressing the audience is the better way to go. 

This image serves as a generalized hello to your audience waving them into your world.

If I do lead with a working lifestyle photo, does it need to be a wide shot?

Not necessarily. 

The goal of this photo is to catch you flatteringly and confidently in the act of serving your people in the way you do. 

Would it be great to post a keynote shot where you’re speaking in front of thousands of people? Well, it’s eye-catching. But, it might not be the best shot to use as a hero shot.

Why?

You are very tiny in that image. It’s hard for people to connect directly to YOU the person. 

And since this is the first image that people who enter your site come across, it might not be in your best interest to share that photo there because they will have difficulty directly connecting to you. 

That is not to say there isn’t a place for this photo on your website - you ABSOLUTELY must use it.

But perhaps, it would make better sense for them to see it AFTER you visually introduce yourself through a photo where they can connect with your face. 

Now, If your best stage photos were taken in a half-filled room where 100 people are spread out all over a gigantic ballroom, select a photo that ignores the emptiness and highlights your passionate delivery from the stage. 

Same thing with workshops and other training. 

As long as there is an impression that people are in the audience and you look confident in front of the room and they can visually connect with your face and expression, that is what matters most in a hero image. 

If I do lead with a portrait, should it be a wide shot or a close up?

Similar to the working lifestyle photo selection process described above, you want to create an opportunity for your audience to connect with you. 

As a result, a closer-up image makes the most sense in that it affords your audience to qualify your personality to see if it’s a fit for them. 

By close-up, I mean a frame where you fit in the shot from your belly button to the top of your head. You could veer a bit closer or wider, but avoid the extremes. 

If you’re too far, your face is hard to make out in the image. Too close, and it could be uncomfortable and awkward - and it could also affect the design of the text and buttons that live near the image (more on this later). 

All you need to do is give your audience a taste of who you are and they’ll determine from there whether they want to learn more about how you can help solve their problems.  

Whether a working shot or a portrait, what type of emotional sentiment should I offer in this photo?

Regardless of the hero photo you choose, you want to project a perception of confidence, approachability, likability and expertise. 

For a portrait, skim your session images and find one that has this vibe and run with it. And think about the other aspects of your personality that you want to convey to your audience. Which image(s) capture those sentiments, as well? 

With an working lifestyle shot, you have the added layer of incorporating body language into creating the emotional sentiment of the photo, so it’s a bit more tricky to pick, but the energy conveyed in the image will only serve to keep eyeballs on your homepage and inspire them to read to the CTA.

And make sure your mouth, eyes and eyebrows aren’t doing anything crazy in that photo! Picking shots where you’re speaking can be a tall task, depending on how demonstrative you are when presenting.

What else should I be thinking about when choosing a hero image?

You need to keep in mind the overall design of the homepage. Specifically, I’m talking about layout, copy and graphical elements. 

Before you choose a photo on your own, consult with your website designer to see what they’re thinking in terms of the type of photo you need. 

For some designs, it would make more sense where you’re placed on the left side of the screen, and the right side is open space for text, branding elements and a CTA button. 

In other designs, it’s the opposite. 

In addition to where you’re justified in the shot, you also need to think about composition. 

For some designs, a tight shot won’t work based on the graphics surrounding the image. The same can be said for a wide shot. The same can also be said for using a vertical shot versus a horizontal one. 

Again, before you set your heart on using any photo anywhere on your website, consult with your designer first to get your creative parameters established before you go hunting. 

As I mentioned at the top, there is no one way to cook up a great hero shot for the top of the fold image on your homepage. 

I get it - it’s a pain in the ass. 

But, if you approach the process thinking specifically about where you are with your business and where you want to go, and take into account the creative constraints of your overall site design, that will help you down a path to identify the right photo for you…

…until you outgrow it in a couple months and are on the hunt for the next one :) 

For more information on visual storytelling strategies for experts who speak, write books, facilitate, run workshops and consult, I invite you to sign up for my blog. That’s where I share the goodies - check it out for yourself :)