A clear website banner answers three questions quickly: what this page is about, why it matters, and what a visitor can do next. Build the message as real page text, choose imagery that supports rather than competes with it, and test the layout at narrow widths, enlarged zoom, and with a keyboard. A banner that looks polished at desktop width is not finished until its message and controls still work when the layout changes.
Start with the message, not the decoration
A banner or hero is the first prominent section of a page, not a place to fit every campaign message, feature, and link. Begin with the audience’s immediate question: what is this page about, and what is the useful next step?
- Write one focused heading that names the page’s subject or value.
- Add a short supporting explanation only if it clarifies the heading.
- Use one primary call to action when the visitor has a meaningful next action. Give it a clear label such as “Compare plans” rather than a vague “Learn more.”
- Remove decorative elements that compete with the heading or action.
The NSW Design System describes the purpose of a hero as laying out interface elements “to communicate a focused message.” Its guidance also cautions against using a hero to replace titles on content pages. A hero should support the page’s heading hierarchy, not obscure what the page is about. See the NSW Design System hero banner guidance.
Choose a layout that suits the page
A text-only hero can be the clearest option when an image adds little. Text beside a supporting image works when the image gives useful context. A listing page may benefit from a task-oriented hero that places search or filters near the top. These are patterns, not universal rules: choose the one that makes the page’s purpose easiest to understand.
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Keep banner copy as real text
Put headings, supporting copy, and calls to action in the page’s HTML rather than embedding them in an image. Real text can wrap at small widths, resize with zoom, be translated, and be exposed to assistive technology. Text baked into an image can become unreadable when cropped or scaled and may be unavailable to visitors using assistive technology.
W3C’s Images Tutorial advises avoiding text in images where possible, except for logos. If an image containing words is necessary, the text alternative should include those same words. Do not rely on a picture of a button as the only way to act: use an actual interactive control.
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Write alternative text according to the image’s purpose
There is no single alt-text formula for every banner. Decide what the image does in its specific context:
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- Decorative image: use an empty alternative,
alt="", so it does not add redundant output for screen-reader users. - Linked or button image: describe the function or destination, rather than merely listing visual details.
Do not describe every detail by default. The aim is to make the relevant information or action available without forcing a screen-reader user through a lengthy visual inventory.
Make the layout responsive to width and zoom
A responsive website banner must preserve its meaning and functionality as the viewport narrows or the page is zoomed. Let the heading and explanation wrap naturally. At smaller widths, stack or rearrange text and image regions when that improves readability, and ensure controls do not become clipped or difficult to activate.
For applicable content in a horizontal writing direction, WCAG’s Reflow understanding document uses a width equivalent to 320 CSS pixels as a reference point: users should retain access to information and functionality without having to scroll in two dimensions to read ordinary content. Content can reflow or be relocated; the essential test is that users can still get to it and use it. See W3C’s Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.10: Reflow.
Check reading and keyboard order
When the visual arrangement changes, keep the logical reading and keyboard sequence understandable. A two-column desktop hero may become a stacked mobile hero, but the heading, explanatory text, image, and action should still make sense in the order a keyboard user encounters them. Test focus movement after responsive rearrangement; a visually prominent action should not appear in a confusing position in the focus sequence.
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Review the actual small-screen crop
Do not assume that a desktop image crop will remain useful on a phone. Check whether the subject is still visible beside or behind the copy, whether text has enough room to wrap, and whether image and text should stack instead. If a crop removes essential information, use a layout or image treatment that preserves it rather than relying on visitors to infer what is missing.
Protect text legibility, contrast, and interaction
Text over a photograph is not automatically readable because it looks readable in a design mock-up. Check the actual foreground and background in the rendered banner, including any gradient or overlay behind the text. Check button labels against button backgrounds as well. W3C WAI’s design tips for web accessibility call out text placed over images and gradients as a contrast consideration.
Do not use color alone to communicate a status, choice, or distinction. If a banner uses a colored badge or label to convey information, include words or another visible cue so that meaning is not lost when color is not perceived.
For a banner that animates or rotates automatically, provide a visible control to stop or pause it. Consider whether motion is needed at all: multiple rotating messages can compete with the page’s main point and may disappear before someone has time to read or act. If the banner contains multiple panels, check that each remains usable at narrow widths and that the controls are identifiable and operable. WAI’s design guidance recommends controls for content that starts automatically.
Choose and load the hero image deliberately
The hero image is often among the first assets a page needs, so its loading behavior matters. For an HTML image, provide known width and height values. These let the browser reserve space based on the image’s aspect ratio before it arrives, reducing the chance that the page jumps as it loads.
Do not lazy-load an above-the-fold hero image. Lazy loading is useful for images below the fold, where it can defer downloads until they are more relevant. For responsive candidates, srcset can offer images at different sizes and sizes can describe the expected rendered width so the browser can select an appropriate resource. The web.dev responsive images guide explains these techniques.
Example: responsive image markup
Replace the sample file paths and dimensions with the actual files and intrinsic dimensions for your image. This example assumes an informative image; for a purely decorative image, use alt="". Keep the heading and action as separate HTML elements.
<section class="hero">
<div class="hero__copy">
<h1>Plan your next project with confidence</h1>
<p>Compare the options and find a plan that fits your work.</p>
<a class="button" href="/plans/">Compare plans</a>
</div>
<img
src="/images/project-hero-960.jpg"
srcset="/images/project-hero-480.jpg 480w,
/images/project-hero-960.jpg 960w,
/images/project-hero-1440.jpg 1440w"
sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 50vw"
width="1440"
height="960"
alt="A team reviewing a project plan together">
</section>The dimensions above describe the 1440-by-960 source in this example; use the real dimensions for your files rather than copying them blindly. Do not add loading="lazy" to an above-the-fold hero image. The sizes value should reflect the layout’s actual rendered width, not merely the image’s source size.
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Use high fetch priority sparingly
fetchpriority="high" can tell the browser that a resource is important, but priority choices have trade-offs because other assets may then receive less attention. Consider it only when the hero image is genuinely vital to the page’s initial experience. Do not promise a specific speed gain without measuring the result on the actual site. See web.dev’s fetch priority guidance.
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Review the banner before release
Use this review to catch problems that a desktop-only design check can miss:
- Message: Can someone identify the page’s subject and the next action, if one is appropriate?
- Hierarchy: Is the main heading part of the page’s heading structure, rather than just text drawn into an image?
- Responsive behavior: At a narrow viewport and with enlarged zoom, do all words, links, and controls remain available?
- Keyboard use: Does focus move through the content in a sensible order after the layout changes?
- Image purpose: Does the alternative text match what the image contributes, or is an empty alternative more appropriate?
- Legibility: Is text readable over the rendered photo, gradient, or background, and are color-coded meanings also available in another form?
- Motion: Can visitors pause automatically moving content using a visible control?
- Loading: Are image dimensions specified, and is an above-the-fold hero image kept out of lazy loading?
These checks reflect general design and implementation guidance, not a guarantee that a particular banner or site conforms to an accessibility standard. The NSW Design System describes its own component’s target, but an individual implementation still depends on its configuration and code.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should every website banner have a call-to-action button?
No. Include a primary action when there is a clear next step for the visitor; a focused informational hero can work without one.
Should a decorative hero image have alt text?
If the image is purely decorative and adds no information or function, use an empty alt attribute: alt="".
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