Web users spend 57% of their time above the “fold” with a sharp decline afterward. 74% of their time is dedicated to the first two screenfuls [Source]. This makes the main hero one of the most valuable parts of a website.
Considering that. Take a look at the first two screen-fulls of this website:
It’s a nice enough-looking website.
But the first thing they do is talk about themselves and what they do…This doesn’t make any sense when you consider how visitors arrive on a website:
- They click an ad for a product or service.
- They search for the product or service and click a result.
- Someone tells them about the product or service.
The bottom line is that no one arrives on a site these days without knowing the product or service in advance, pair this with the research that most site visitors never go beyond the first half of a site and it becomes pretty obvious that a lot of websites are wasting their most valuable real estate.
A Better Way?
Put the goal of the site front and center. Take a look at a few examples.
GrooveHQ:
And I love this example from CrazyEgg.com. Their entire site is stupid short and simple:
Websites don’t have to be super complicated to do a good job.
Pick A Goal:
- Capture Leads
- Sell Something
- Educate on a topic
Whatever goal you pick, make sure it’s front and center on your site.
I generally think the following layout works best:
- Hero Section – Take your best shot!
- Testimonials Section – Provide social proof.
- Proof Section – Backup your social proof with credentials