Do You Really Need That Hero Image? What UX Data Tells Us About Engagement

Hero images are everywhere. They dominate the top of nearly every modern website. They’re big, bold, designed to impress, and are often the first thing users see when landing on a page. But here’s the question: are they helping, or getting in the way?

In several recent Search Experience Optimization (SXO) tests across different service-based websites, we explored how hero images affect user engagement. The findings were clear: removing or resizing hero images led to higher engagement, better click behavior, and more conversions.

What’s a Hero Image and Why Do We Rely on It?

A hero image is the large, prominent banner at the top of a web page. It’s often intended to communicate the brand’s visual identity, set the tone, or convey a key message quickly. In theory, it’s meant to grab attention.

But in practice? It can do more harm than good, mainly when used without a clear purpose. The most common issues we see with hero images include:

• • Pushing key content below the fold, making it harder for users to find the CTA
• • Slowing down mobile page speed, especially with large or uncompressed image files
• • Distracting users from high-priority actions or content deeper in the page

What makes it tricky is that hero images are rarely questioned. Designers and stakeholders often default to them without asking if they serve the user’s or the business’s goals.

What Happens When You Rethink the Hero Image?

Instead of debating best practices, we ran controlled tests across multiple sites in different industries. In each case, we either resized, removed, or restructured the hero section and measured user behavior before and after using Microsoft Clarity and Google Analytics 4.

Test 1: Shrinking the Hero = Faster Conversions

In one test, we reduced the size of the hero image and added call-to-action buttons above the fold on a group of pages where the CTA was previously hidden. The goal was to make the most critical next step visible immediately when the page loaded, without the need to scroll.

What happened:

• • Pages per session increased from 1.74 to 1.76
• • Active time on page increased from 1.3 min to 1.4 min
• • Form submissions rose by 23.63%
• • Phone calls from the page increased by 81.25%

This was a classic case of better visibility leading to better outcomes. Users didn’t need to hunt for what to do next. By simply shrinking the visual block at the top, we removed a barrier to conversion.

Test 2: Removing the Hero Image Drove Exploration and Engagement

On another website in a different industry, two of the most frequently visited commercial pages focused on inventory and rental information. These were high-intent pages where visitors arrived with a clear purpose, often searching for specific products or pricing details. The original hero sections were large and visually dominant, which pushed essential content further down the page.

After removing the hero images and tightening the layout, the results showed clear improvements:

• • Pages per session increased from 2.74 to 4.97 and from 2.37 to 4.03
• • Active time on page increased from 1.2 min to 3.1 min and from 1.4 min to 2.3 min
• • Users interacted with 20 times more elements on the page
• • Request quote conversions improved by 20.40%
• • Rental inquiries conversions increased by 3.79%

We aren’t saying that this removal definitely increased conversions, but it is noted. Visitors were not just staying longer. They explored more, engaged with interactive elements, and accessed key content faster. The pages became easier to navigate by removing unnecessary visual barriers and aligning more with user intent.

This test highlighted a consistent pattern across multiple experiments. When design elements are reduced or removed to prioritize clarity and speed, user engagement often improves.

Test 3: Cleaning Up Layout, Improved User Focus

In a third case, on a service page about slab leaks, the layout was reorganized to improve readability and more efficiently guide users toward important information. Although the hero image remained in place, the surrounding elements were restructured. The goal was to reduce friction, clarify the visual hierarchy, and ensure that key service content was accessible without extra scrolling or confusion.

After these layout improvements:

• • Pages per session increased from 2.61 to 4.32
• • Active time on page increased from 2.7 min to 5.9 min
• • Click activity became more focused, with fewer dead or rage clicks

The page didn’t just look cleaner, it worked better. The new structure guided users to scroll intentionally, engage with the service information, and click into deeper parts of the site. It reinforced a key principle in SXO: every element above the fold should earn its place. We saw increases in form submissions and phone calls, but again, we do not want to say this test is the sole reason.

These results suggest that layout clarity directly impacts how users interact with a page. Even without removing the hero image, adjusting the structure around it made the content easier to digest and encouraged deeper engagement.

How Hero Images Affect User Engagement (and What to Look For)

From these tests, one thing became clear. Hero images impact user behavior more than most people think. They shape what users see first, how fast they act, and whether they stick around.

To evaluate whether your hero image is helping or hurting, ask:

• • Does the hero section communicate value, or just take up space?
• • Is the image optimized for mobile speed and responsiveness?
• • Are users scrolling past it quickly or bouncing entirely?
• • Is the critical information on the page visible immediately?

Less Can Convert More

So, should you keep that hero image? Maybe.

A hero image can still be effective when it reinforces the page topic, adds relevant visual context, and does not delay interaction or increase load time. In these cases, the image supports the user experience rather than getting in the way.

However, if the hero image is purely decorative, feels generic, or pushes the primary call to action below the fold, it likely creates unnecessary friction.

Based on our repeated testing across different websites, leaner layouts consistently outperformed hero-heavy ones in engagement and conversion metrics. What works for one site doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. Test it out yourself and measure how user behavior changes.