Designing an effective website banner<\/a>\u00a0means it should be responsive on mobile displays. Since most people view your site on their smartphones, don\u2019t ignore a mobile responsive design. Keep in mind that it’s not about adding flashy graphics; an effective website header should convey your brand message with the right elements and have clarity.<\/p>\n In this article, we will explore the five key dos backed by real examples from brands that got it right. We will also look at five crucial don\u2019ts of banner design that you should avoid.<\/p>\n Sounds like something you want to learn? Keep on reading!<\/p>\n Before jumping into design tools<\/a> to create an effective website header, you need to have a clear \u201cwhy\u201d. It will bring clarity to your design.<\/p>\n Have a clear purpose upfront, as it will help you focus on a single message you want to convey. Once you have established that, the next step is to create your design. You might have noticed that many brands use banner images for various purposes, including:<\/p>\n Benefit Cosmetics, a beauty brand, perfectly uses its site header for a single purpose: to sell new arrivals. Their homepage hero image has simple text that describes the products next to the image and a simple and effective \u201cShop Now\u201d button. It is direct and shows that sometimes simplicity is perfect to convert impulse shoppers.<\/p>\n To make things clear for you and your audience, ask yourself, \u201cWhat\u2019s the one action I want visitors to take after seeing this image?\u201d Is it to promote a product? Increase newsletter sign-ups using newsletter software<\/a>?<\/p>\n Choosing the right banner size helps to improve visibility and user experience. There\u2019s no rule that says you should stick to a single size. However, through testing different formats and a bit of trial and error, we have identified the most effective dimensions:<\/p>\n It is important to design in multiple standard sizes. A poorly sized banner stretched across different platforms can cause issues like pixelated images, overlapping text, or unreadable CTAs. To prevent quality loss when upscaling smaller assets for larger desktop displays, an image enhancer<\/a> can be a lifesaver for maintaining crisp details across all screen resolutions.<\/p>\n Talking about creating an adaptive design, Amazon Prime comes to mind. Prime uses adaptive website banners on its website for both desktop and mobile views. On desktop, they have used a horizontal one to persuade visitors to sign up for the streaming service with a button \u201cJoin Prime.\u201d<\/p>\n On mobile, they use a more compact mobile leaderboard (320×50) to fit smaller screens. The layout, images, and text are resized appropriately.<\/p>\n Use tools like Adobe Photoshop, Figma, or Sketch to create and resize your design.<\/p>\n No exaggeration, but ad copy<\/a> can actually make or break a web banner\u2019s effectiveness. There are various approaches to get this right, but it’s crucial to focus on three key elements:<\/p>\n Think about a site banner design you remember seeing; we bet it didn\u2019t have a large chunk of text that took ages to read. Your visual must be scannable in seconds. Make your message clear to let your audience take action on the spot.<\/p>\n Look at the website header of Dropbox. The text is concise and states the value proposition in one line, followed by the \u201cSignup Free\u201d CTA. This short and clear message motivates visitors to take action without giving it a second thought.<\/p>\n Test your text by reading it yourself or ask your friends. If they understand your message in under 3 seconds, then you have done it right. The sweet spot lies between 15 and 20 words.<\/p>\n You might have heard the phrase \u201ca picture\u2019s worth a thousand words,\u201d but when it comes to website visuals, it\u2018s only true if you pick high-quality and royalty-free images. Avoid pixelated ones, as they look cheap and can damage your brand.<\/p>\n Picture quality makes a big impact on your header design. You need to make your images look purposeful. It is best to use professional photos, but we have seen many brands achieve results with in-house photos as well.<\/p>\n Here\u2018s something most people miss: the type of image really matters. For product-featured visuals, clean and simple shots work best as they help visitors focus on the product.<\/p>\n Fashion and lifestyle brands mostly use high-quality and royalty-free images. Think of H&M; they use striking, in-house photographs of the models on their website header. This lets people focus on the product instead of getting lost in reading big text.<\/p>\n Use tools like Unsplash, Pexels, or Adobe Stock for high-quality royalty-free images. Choose images that match the energy and emotions you want to convey with your campaign.<\/p>\n Call-to-actions (CTAs) are the most important elements on your website. They motivate people to take action. Even if you design the most visually creative website banner, if it doesn\u2019t have a CTA, it won\u2018t drive results. Agencies that combine google ads expertise<\/a> with on-page SEO optimization can help ensure that banner clicks convert into measurable leads and organic traffic uplift.<\/p>\n We can\u2019t say there is a universal CTA that works for every industry. However, you can design high-converting CTAs using human psychology<\/a> and countless A\/B tests.<\/p>\n It might seem simple, but most people get it wrong by using generic CTAs. Instead, you need to be specific and tell users exactly what they should do. We have found that action driven texts drive the highest results.<\/p>\n Take Netflix as an example. Their hero image is clean with a simple headline that says \u201cStream Unlimited Movies, TV shows and more!\u201d and the \u201cGet Started\u201d button tells people what they need to do to stream unlimited movies. One more thing that makes the CTA stand out is the choice of bold red color that instantly grabs the attention.<\/p>\n Keep your CTAs to 2 to 3 words max. Short and punchy phrases like \u201cDownload Now\u201d or \u201cStart for Free\u201d create urgency and drive more clicks than longer ones.<\/p>\n Colors influence moods<\/a> and are powerful tools to attract attention when used correctly. However, many rookie marketers make the mistake of using too many flashy colors in their website headers.<\/p>\n Adding too many colors can distract people from your message, which means they will leave without taking any action.<\/p>\n Go with hues that provide enough contrast to make your message readable and maintain harmony. Use bold colors to make your design visually attractive, but do so sparingly to highlight sale or discount offers.<\/p>\n To see how adding too many colors in a banner design gives it a cheap and unprofessional look, let’s look at Shein\u2019s website. The design is cluttered and has too many bright shades that don\u2019t complement each other. It looks overwhelming and makes it hard to focus on the actual offer.<\/p>\n Ideally, you should stick to your brand\u2019s logo and color palette<\/a>. Use your brand\u2019s primary and secondary colors and add an accent color to highlight your CTA.<\/p>\n Okay, so you have designed a visually stunning banner for your website. Now what? Well, you have to place it somewhere visitors can see it. No matter how pretty the design is, if people can\u2019t see it, they won\u2019t perform your desired actions.<\/p>\n The result? Fewer impressions, lower click-through rates and big bucks wasted on ads.<\/p>\n If you place it in the cluttered sections, it may break the navigation flow and annoy your visitors.<\/p>\n To understand where to place your visual, you need to study human psychology and the audience\u2019s online behavior<\/a>. Place it where users naturally look first. Consider the top of the page or the hero section of your website.<\/p>\n Look at the website of Overstock; they have placed their site\u2019s ad design in between the crowded product grids. Most visitors don’t notice it since it’s not placed in the primary display. As a result, people miss their key announcements or limited time discounts.<\/p>\n Use heatmaps to determine the best placement for website ad designs. Look for high-click zones. These are the sections where users interact the most.<\/p>\n If you stumbled upon this article, chances are pretty high that you are reading it on your smartphone. It proves that marketers need to adopt a mobile-first approach when designing all the elements of the website\u2014including the website header.<\/p>\n Create a design that adapts to different screen sizes. Use optimal images and text for mobile devices.<\/p>\n We have already discussed different dimensions for mobile displays in this article; refer to that if you are not sure about the right size for mobile view.<\/p>\n Consider the mobile app of ASOS. Their mobile app banner has an image of a model with a text overlay. If you look closely, the text doesn\u2019t fit the smartphone screen, and it gets cropped from the mobile view.<\/p>\n Use mobile-first design techniques like large and clear fonts, tappable CTAs, and vertical layouts.<\/p>\n Let’s be real, no one likes a cluttered design. Minimalism is the new trend<\/a>, and that\u2019s why big brands swear by it. Aim for minimalism in your creatives when you design a website display ad <\/a>and avoid cramming big texts into limited space. When people are bombarded with too much information, it creates confusion. Moreover, it reduces the chances of conversion.<\/p>\n One of the most important elements of a banner ad design<\/a> is the call to action. If you add too much text, your copy becomes ineffective and your CTA becomes weak.<\/p>\n On Macy’s website, the hero section has a large chunk of text all crammed in a small space and no CTA button. As you have guessed, instead of guiding visitors to take particular actions, it leaves them more confused about where to go first.<\/p>\n Stick to a single, clear message. If you have multiple promotions, use rotating sliders or place the banners across different sections of the page.<\/p>\n We all have heard the saying, \u201cIt’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.\u201d The same is true for your design. Fonts give a tone to your design. That\u2019s why you need to be careful when choosing a font<\/a> for your website header.<\/p>\n Make sure you stick to your brand\u2019s fonts so that your banner stays consistent with your overall website. Then test whether your text is legible on a mobile display before you finalize the design. Always use clear fonts, as they are readable on small devices, and avoid fancy script fonts<\/a> wherever possible.<\/p>\n Urban Outfitters uses mismatched fonts in their website\u2019s hero image. The typeface is similar to street style and grunge fonts that may fit their style but don\u2019t look good on the design. These fonts make it difficult to read the main message, which means shoppers don’t understand the offer.<\/p>\n Keep the number of font type, size, and weight to a maximum of three: one large font for the title, a smaller one for body text, and a bold font for CTA. This adds visual hierarchy<\/a> to your text and guides visitors to take the next step.<\/p>\n Now that we have reached the end of our discussion, it\u2019s safe to say that the most effective web banners don\u2019t have to be the flashiest ones.<\/p>\n Keep things simple and your message clear; no need to reinvent the wheel. You can start by picking any design ideas that we have shared in this article that fired up a creative spark and take it from there.<\/p>\n Last but not least, remember that testing different variations is the key to success. Focus on clarity, purpose, and what your customers want. Do this, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a design that converts!<\/p>\n5 Dos of Website Banner Design<\/h2>\n
1. Define the Purpose:<\/h3>\n
\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"benefitcosmetics\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/benefitcosmetics-1.jpg\" "\\"benefitcosmetics\\"")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n2. Determine the Correct Size<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"banner](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner-standard-size.jpg\" "\\"banner")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nExample:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"amazon\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/amazon-8.jpg\" "\\"amazon\\"")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n![\"mobile](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/mobile-banner-size.jpg\" "\\"mobile")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n3. Use Simple and Clear Text<\/h3>\n
\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"dropbox\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox.jpg\" "\\"dropbox\\"")
\nImage Source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n4. Use High-Quality Royalty-Free Images<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"hm\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hm.jpg\" "\\"hm\\"")
\nImage Source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n5. Add a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"netflix\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/netflix-1.jpg\" "\\"netflix\\"")
\nImage Source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n5 Don\u2019ts of Website Banner Design<\/h2>\n
1. Using Too Many Colors<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"shein\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shein.jpg\" "\\"shein\\"")
\nImage Source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n2. Poor Placement<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"overstock\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/overstock.jpg\" "\\"overstock\\"")
<\/center>Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n3. Ignoring Mobile Optimization<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"apps](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/apps-fashion-online.jpg\" "\\"apps")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n4. Complicated Design<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"macys\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/macys.jpg\" "\\"macys\\"")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n5. Choosing the Wrong Fonts<\/h3>\n
Example:<\/h4>\n
Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n
![\"urbanoutfitters\"](\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/urbanoutfitters.jpg\" "\\"urbanoutfitters\\"")
\nImage source<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nWrapping Up:<\/h2>\n