If You Want More Engagement, Stop Ignoring Your Hero Tagline

Written By Chris Shirley MA FRGS

When visitors land on your website, you have less than five seconds to make a good impression.

In that tiny window, they’ll decide whether to stay or go.

 And the first thing they see, is your hero tagline.

But Wait, What is it?

 

Your hero tagline is the short, punchy line that sits front and centre on your homepage. It’s the first piece of text that tells people who you are, what you do, and why they should care. If it’s vague, full of jargon, or simply missing, you’re wasting prime digital real estate.

Think of it as your digital elevator pitch, only quicker. In one line, you need to spark curiosity, signal relevance, and connect emotionally. “We build better brands” might sound fine, but it could apply to thousands of companies. “Design that makes customers stop scrolling” is sharper, specific, and outcome driven. It gives people a reason to explore further.

 

Your Brand’s Personality

 

At Hiatus Design, we know the hero tagline as the beating heart of your online identity.

It’s not just words on a banner; it’s a statement of intent. A good one reflects your voice, positioning, and audience in perfect sync. It speaks directly to the person you most want to reach and tells them, instantly, they’re in the right place.

 

If your tagline doesn’t make someone feel something, it’s not doing its job. Great design can draw attention, but words convert that attention into understanding and trust. When your visuals and message are aligned, the result is magnetic.

How to know if your hero tagline needs work:

  • You can’t describe your offer in one sentence.

  • It sounds like a corporate cliché.

  • It could appear on a competitor’s site and still make sense.

  • It doesn’t speak to your ideal customer’s need or ambition.

Fixing it doesn’t mean overhauling your entire site. Sometimes, a single line can transform how people perceive your brand. Test it, tweak it, and make sure it reflects what you stand for now, not what you wrote two years ago.

 

So, if you want more engagement, don’t start with ads or algorithms. Start with clarity. Start with your story. Start with your hero tagline.

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Chris Shirley MA FRGS

About the Author:

Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a mission-driven branding and website design company that works with clients all over the world.

Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).

https://www.hiatus.design
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