Hero Image Experiments: What We Learned About User Interaction

Hero area experiments for website design

Hero Image Experiments for Web Design

At Storm Website Design, we’re always refining how our website performs, not just visually, but in how users actually interact with it. Recently, we’ve been experimenting with different hero area layouts and background styles to better understand what captures attention and encourages engagement.

As an Aberdeen web design company, we believe it’s important to test ideas in real-world scenarios rather than rely purely on trends or assumptions.

Why the Hero Section Matters

The hero area is often the first thing visitors see. It sets the tone, communicates your value, and guides users toward their next step, whether that’s exploring services, reading more, or getting in touch.

Because of this, even subtle changes to layout, imagery, or messaging can have a measurable impact on how users behave.

Testing More “Designer-Led” Layouts

Our initial experiments focused on more creative, design-led hero sections. These included:

  • Abstract layouts
  • Layered typography
  • More stylised, artistic backgrounds
  • Less conventional content structure

From a visual perspective, these designs were striking and unique. They aligned with modern design trends and helped differentiate the brand aesthetically.

However, design is only effective if it performs.

The Results: A Drop in User Interaction

After implementing these more experimental layouts, we monitored how users interacted with the site.

The results were clear:

Reduced click-through rates on primary calls-to-action
Less scrolling beyond the hero section
Lower overall engagement with key pages

In short, while the designs looked impressive, they introduced friction. Users had to work harder to understand what we do and what to do next.

Returning to Clarity and Structure

Following these insights, we began refining the hero area again this time focusing on clarity, simplicity, and familiar structure.

This included:

  • Clear, concise headlines
  • Straightforward supporting text
  • Strong, visible call-to-action buttons
  • Background imagery that supports, not competes with the message

Early signs show a noticeable improvement in user interaction, reinforcing a key principle in web design: clarity consistently outperforms complexity.

What This Means for Our Clients

These findings directly influence how we approach client projects. While it’s important to create visually engaging websites, performance and usability always come first.

For businesses in Aberdeen and beyond, this means:

  • Prioritising user understanding over artistic experimentation
  • Designing with real user behaviour in mind
  • Continuously testing and refining key elements

Ongoing Design Optimisation

This isn’t a one-time test. We’ll continue experimenting with different hero styles, layouts, and imagery to further improve performance.

Web design isn’t static, it evolves alongside user expectations, technology, and data.

If you’re looking for an Aberdeen web design partner that combines creativity with measurable results, Storm Website Design is here to help.