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16 Comments

Why Does Almost Every Blog Start with Top Header Image

I checked and almost all blogs start with an image and then the content part starts. Is there any trend or data is there which tell blog posts having top image below/above headline work well and vice vera.

Please feel to share what blogs design UI/UX you like most

  1. 5

    For my blog, I opted not to go with large intro images (example post: https://joshwcomeau.com/gatsby/using-netlify-functions-with-gatsby/). I think the UX is better; I can still add images up top if it’s relevant / beneficial, but I don’t need to find a maybe-totally-unrelated image to make the layout work.

    Also worth mentioning that Medium used to have large intro images, and they ditched them a few years ago. I like it more without them 🤷‍♀️

    1. 1

      Very nice web! I think for software related posts, the header image doesn't bring much value. For more "visual" topics yes because they bring attention.

    2. 1

      Beautiful design indeed!

    3. 1

      I checked your blog, i really like design and simplicity of the blog. It’s hard to make something simple and usable. I agree most of time I see the irrelevant header image for posts, which don’t needed. I think a good headline is sufficient enough to grab the attention and it don’t require the support of an image.

  2. 4

    I think it also depends on the topic of the blog.
    In the case of technical blogs, I don't like and don't use them on my blog. I like more simplicity in it.

    But in the case of travel blogging for example I'd prefer having an image to draw people's attention because travel is a more visible thing.

    Same for blog post listing page. You could have small cards with the image and name of the post or just list of the posts names.

    1. 2

      Agree with you. For travel, cooking, fashion, etc image work. Whats your thoughts for Saas businesses ?

      1. 1

        That's harder. I'd probably prefer without Header but again it depends on the SaaS topic 😃

  3. 3

    People usually don't stop and think or ask why? They just follow everyone else. Designers are not immune to that either.

  4. 1

    From a marketing and economics perspective, images on every post might unwittingly be cutting out audiences that are of lower "value" in the short-term.

    If users can't afford to pay for the mobile data or the fast connection that lets them load all of your content, they might not see your content, your calls to action, or your ads, or be able to afford additional purchases. This in turn keeps your average revenue per reader metric up higher because there's fewer readers to average your revenue over. In the short-term this might look good, but it could cut down on the likelihood that articles will be shared, which could attract yet more valuable readers.

  5. 1

    Not sure you need an header image for each blog post, but I believe having images/gifs/videos embedded throughout the blog posts helps keep people engaged and interested in the article. Also, I think an attractive open graph image really helps drive people to your article.

  6. 1

    People are naturally drawn to pictures and images. This is why TikTok, Instagram, and other types of visual networks are so popular.

    Sure you can make a blog with only text but at some point, you'll have to distribute your content and this top image will be your OG:Img for sharing so...

    1. 1

      Yes, it can we mix of both ie with or without header image. Header pictures are bit kind of trend now, so I think people like to see same kind of design.

      There is one UX law “ people spend most of time on other websites. This means users prefer your website to work same way as all other sites they already know.”

  7. 1

    I actually made this change yesterday to this blog post.
    the reason I added the image at the top was that I thought the beginning of my post is dry and ppl will probably not read more than 1 paragraph. But If they see an interesting image with no context it will catch their attention and they'll be curious to read more.

    And I guess It worked. I shared the blog post yesterday on hacker news and it made it to the first page!

    1. 1

      Interesting insight, I think top image help to generate some interest and initial engagement

  8. 2

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