We just recently heard from a friend attending one of the big conversion optimization conferences that over sized “hero” images were the talk of the event. Specifically, landing pages with the over sized images have been winning out over pages with smaller images in split tests conducted by a broad number of firms.
Hero Images: All the Rage, But Are They For You?
So what makes these large images work?
Justin Rondeau added his take on the subject on Crazy Egg, pointing out that some of the biggest brands, including Google and Dell, have been turning to the oversized hero images for their landing pages. In the case of Dell, a larger image on a contact page led to a 36% increase in form submissions – pretty lofty stuff for a company that is known as a leader in split testing and whose original form was already converting quite well.
So what makes these large images work? In part, they simply help unify the page design and make them more aesthetically pleasing. Another element of the success of oversized images is the use of original, high-quality images rather than stock images. Stock images, especially those with human models, tend to stick out like a sore thumb. The oversized images, on the other hand, need to be engaging and feel genuine and organic to the page.
So should you consider hopping on the oversized image bandwagon? If you are willing to invest in high-quality photography and split testing of your new landing pages, then you might well want to try them out. They’ve been reaping huge rewards for major brands, and they might well do the same for your company. The only way to know for sure is to try and to test!