How important are website banners for your business?

Remember before the internet came along? When every business relied on using printed pages for advertising? The very meaning of the term ‘headline’ was because it appeared at the top or ‘head’ of the page. This is the best area to place your website banner because it’s the space that meets your natural line of sight.

As time went on, this space obviously became the most important part of the page. When Radio/TV arrived the format of media adapted but the traditional name was kept as people listened to the news ‘headlines’.

A website is no different really.

We can get a feel for what the website represents in only a few seconds. That’s why the content at the top of your screen is the most important because visually,  it’s where you first look at. You could almost consider it a form of a virtual real estate at the top of your website. You wouldn’t underestimate the importance of the first impression in a business meeting, so why a website?

When designing a website banner you need to consider:

Visibility

A good website banner should represent your business or organisation accurately. It should always help the company brand make a connection with the visitor right away. A business brand name is the first obvious thing that should appear on any banner.  You can always try to showcase high-quality images but you don’t want your page looking cluttered with overkill.

Slogan

A catch phrase or motto is also great to include, depending on the type of organisation and the website’s purpose. You might want to come off more serious so bear in mind how your tone is perceived.

USP

 Your ‘Unique Sales Proposition’. Ask yourself what is it that makes your company so different from everyone else? This quality needs to be visible in the banner design,  giving off an instant symbolic impression that includes your corporate identity.

Contact details

You can include other important information briefly in the banner such as email address, phone and fax number, street address or even products & services. This, however, might not be necessary.

You see, with the banner occupying the top 5-10 cms of the page you may be tempted to make the most of the additional space. People do process information better visually but don’t cram too much of it in the same space on the web page. Too many conflicting or distracting images might cloud the thought of your potential customer. Something that compliments your brand can be good.

If you have any more questions then drop us a line on info@sitesforbusiness.co.uk