The About Page on your website is usually the first place website visitors go to learn more about who is behind your blog or company. Think of it as their first impression of whether to do business with you or not – so make it a good one!
The goal of an About Page should be to present information you want to define about who you are as a person or company and what your brand represents. Then, if there is additional information you want to give to specific visitors you can create a second page and link to it. This concept would apply, for instance, if your primary audience are buyers of your products, but you have a secondary audience of sponsors. See our post Developing a Client-Focused Website for more tips.
Elements of an About Page
1. Statement
The first section of your About Page should be a statement of who you are as a person or company. This section is short and gives a brief overview (your service or product and how customers benefit) and should only be about 3 or 4 sentences. As you can see, Mike Wrightson of Bug Bully Pest Control takes a very personal, non-corporate approach in the opening section of his about page.
2. History
This section is your company or career history. You can include elements that make a good story of how you started, and then company developments since then. It is important to include highlights that make your company stand out from your competition and unique moments that define your history.
3. What You Bring to the Table
Definitely include a photo of yourself. People like to “see” who you are. Now that your reader knows a bit about your company, this section tells potential clients about how you can solve their problem, meet a need, etc. Include why the reader should continue following you and return to your site later on. This would be a great area for a video!
Remember that your About Page is a conversation with the reader about who you are; so use your own voice when writing. To help, pretend you are speaking to your reader in person when you write. Show your passion for your company and why you want them to become passionate too.
Include social proof such as a testimonial or two with photos and do include, if appropriate, personal information that visitors can relate to such as education, family, hobbies, etc., but keep it brief.
Take a look at Red Apple Auctions three about pages: one about Sherry Truhlar’s company (short and sweet), another about what makes her unique, and another about her personally.
4. Thank You
You should always thank your readers for visiting your site, and invite them to sign up for your newsletter or direct them to a page of your products or services. Don’t forget to include contact information so they don’t have to leave your page.
5. For Your Secondary Audience
If you have a secondary audience such as sponsors, you can write a brief paragraph at the end of the About Page that links to a second page just for them. On the second page, include details the rest of your readers may not be interested in including pricing, how to contact you, links to additional information such as a promotional kit and types of sponsorship you are interested in. You may want to link to previous pages that are sponsored.
The reason for a second page for this audience is that it will just confuse your primary audience. You want the primary audience to navigate to your product or service pages once they learn more about you.
6. FAQ
Another page you may want to link to in your About Page is a Frequently Asked Questions Page. This page can be a work in progress that gets updated as you get more questions from readers or customers. Start with the typical questions that people ask when they’re interested in your company and what you sell. Most companies have a list of questions that sales or support people get repeatedly.
Once your About Page is complete, have someone else read it over and tell you if it sounds as if you’re talking to them. This page is a part of your marketing, and should reflect on your brand positively and personally. If humor is part of your brand, then add it here. Definitely let personality shine through on this page. Your readers will appreciate the personal touch.
For more information on how to create an About Page, contact us.
