Why is an about page so important?
Your about page is your chance to shine, to talk about you (which you should most definitely avoid everywhere else on your website – but that’s a whole other conversation).
Your about page is an opportunity to build trust with your readers, differentiate yourself and evoke emotion – to connect with your reader. Don’t waste this opportunity listing your resumé.
Who cares?
Well, that would be anyone thinking of doing business with you, in any capacity. Whether it’s someone looking for work, looking to invest or simply just considering being a happy customer of yours, the about page is often the go-to to get the skinny on you/your company. People like to know who they’re dealing with. The humble about page is the ultimate opportunity to tell them everything they need to know.
How can you write a winning about page?
Think about what you do to help your customers and clients, and then think about why you do it and who you do it for. What’s your story? Where did you come from and how did you get to this point in time? Your story shouldn’t be a book, but it should provide some genuine insight as to the what why and who of your business. Be yourself, be approachable. Share your accomplishments in a non-boasty kind of way.
What your about page is not.
Your about page is not the place for sales copy. It’s not somewhere to use industry jargon. It’s not your resumé and it’s not the place to harp on about every little thing you got right over the last 30 years.
Keep it human. You’re a human. The person reading this is a human. Yes they may be about to buy from a company, but they’re at your about page to read about the people that make the company, so show them your human side. Be friendly.
How to structure your about page.
Here’s the thing about about pages, (you see what we did there), the best ones are unique. They’re a bit left of centre, quirky, personal. This means it’s really hard to provide a sure-fire framework, or a template to help you create the perfect about page. With that in mind, here’s a few ideas on what to include in your about page:
1. What’s the why?
To quote the legend that is Simon Sinek.
Start With Why.
Succinctly explain why you do what you do and why you care about it. What’s your motivation? Your why will help explain why the reader should buy from/hire you and not your competitor.
2. Who’s the person you do it all for?
Who do you exist for? It’s important that your about page resonates with your perfect customer. Even thought it’s technically all about you, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to let your visitors know they have come to the right place. Talk about their problems and how you can help them overcome them. Think about what objections they might have and address them briefly here. Show that you understand. Craft a benefit driven headline that simply explains what you can do for them.
3. Think about your language.
That is your language and tone. Most businesses can afford to be a little casual here, but the language and tone still needs to sit well with the rest of your site. Keep that in mind, but be conversational. Let your personality out of the bag.
4. What’s your story?
Tell your story. How did you get here? What are the interesting (or fun) facts that have brought you to this place in time. What challenges did you come across on the way and how did you overcome them. This is a great way to humanise your brand. Again, we’re not looking for a million words describing every little thing that’s happened in your business, we’re looking for interesting milestones, chance meetings and pivotal light-bulb moments that tell the story of how you made it.
5. What have you achieved?
If you’ve got 100,000 happy customers under your belt, or you built 20,000 homes, or saved 10,000 dogs from the streets, here’s where you can talk about that. Briefly, or graphically. Get to the point. Quickly.
6. Be visual, be available.
Include images/illustrations or video footage or your people. Let visitors know how to contact and connect with you. Doing business with a faceless entity is scary. By including photos, contact details and social profiles, you’re more than just a company, you start to humanise your brand. This can help break down barriers by addressing one of the readers biggest fears – what happens if something goes wrong? Who do I deal with if I have a problem? How do I get in touch with them?
Crafting the perfect about page.
As I said earlier in this article, there’s no magic formula to crafting the perfect about page. These ideas will help you get started, but the proof is in the pudding. Get feedback from as many people as you can. Check Google Analytics, tweak your copy and check again. Be open, be honest, build your brand and build trust. You’ve got this!
Further reading:
Your about page sucks – How to make it better
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