A hero image is a very large and specific kind of website banner. They are typically larger than most other banners and are prominently displayed at the top of websites. They are normally above the “fold”, which is the area the viewer sees before they scroll down. They are front and centre, with the navigation bar and other tools nearby.

Hero images cover almost the entire width of a webpage, leaving only room for calls to action and navigation options. Because of this, hero images need to be premium and professional. They should be an attractive visual that creates a mood for what new viewers should expect from your website.
There are a few common traits most professional hero images share. They are either high-quality static images, repeating videos or animations. Because they are placed alongside important directions for viewers, hero image colours are often well-thought out to allow some attention to go to sign-up options or navigation bars.