How to convert in 3 seconds

It's all in the hero

Author

Brenden Tartaglia
May 16, 2025

Is your hero section killing your conversions?

You only have 3 seconds to convert attention into sales.

Waste them = thousands in lost revenue.

Every day, I see brands losing money because their email hero sections are working against them. Let me fix that for you today.

🔥 TODAY'S ACTIONABLE TIP

Most brands approach hero sections backward. They lead with what's new instead of what solves problems.

Every high-converting hero section needs precisely 3 elements:

  1. Header (max 5 words)

  2. Subheader (1-2 sentences)

  3. CTA button (3-4 words)

That's it. Anything more is just noise.

When we analyzed our top-performing campaigns (the ones bringing in $100K+ per month for clients), they ALL follow this exact formula.

📊 YOUR WEEKLY CONVERSION BOOSTERS

➤ EMAIL DESIGN

The biggest hero section mistake? No CTA button above the fold.

60% of subscribers never scroll past what they see first. If they can't see a button without scrolling, you're throwing away more than half your revenue.

➤ COPYWRITING

Your CTA is bleeding money if it says "Shop Now" or "Learn More."

These CTAs get ignored every time. Instead, use pattern interruption:

  • "Fix My Sleep" (for sleep supplements)

  • "See Weekend Styles" (for casual clothing)

  • "End Razor Burn" (for skincare)

➤ PSYCHOLOGY

People don't buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.

Your hero image needs to show:

  1. A person using your product

  2. AND/OR the result of using it

  3. A clear focal point

When we A/B tested product-only images against people-using-products, the people-focused images outperformed by 23%.

💰 THE REVENUE DRIVER BREAKDOWN

Your header determines whether people even read the rest of your email.

Keep it under 5 words and make it concrete:

❌ "New Spring Collection" ✅ "Shorts That Don't Ride"

One is generic. One solves a problem.

I recently helped a clothing brand switch from "Spring Arrivals Are Here" to "Clothes That Actually Fit" and their click rate jumped 37% overnight.

Your subheader has ONE job:

Bridge the gap between your header hook and your CTA. Don't explain your product. Explain why clicking matters RIGHT NOW.

2 sentences max. Be ruthless with editing.

Example: ❌ "Our new collection features premium fabrics sourced from Italy with sustainable manufacturing processes that ensure quality and environmental responsibility."

✅ "These shorts stay put through any workout. See why 10,000+ guys switched this month."

The right CTA drives revenue:

In our client campaigns, specific action-oriented CTAs outperform generic ones by 31% on average.

❌ "Shop Now" ✅ "Fix My Sleep"

❌ "Learn More" ✅ "See Weekend Styles"

Pattern interruption makes people pause and click.

🔍 HOW I CAN HELP

Need to fix your email revenue? Let's talk.

I've generated over $7M in revenue for ecom brands through email marketing in the last 18 months.

My team creates custom email strategies that convert browsers into buyers and one-time customers into repeat purchasers.

Access my proven email templates

I've created an 8-email flow guide that covers the welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, and more.

Hit reply and let me know if this was helpful.

Talk soon,

Brenden Tartaglia
Founder, Staircase Flow