Which section of your website do you devote the most time to? Your home page probably receives a lot of your focus, and rightly so – it’s likely your most important landing page. Your products or services probably get a lot of attention, too. The content on these pages is paramount to your website’s success.
However, there’s another crucial page that rarely gets the same level of concern. What does your About page look like? Is it a smattering of employee headshots with two-sentence bios for each one? While this is the approach many business owners take, it isn’t the one that’s most productive.
Why do you need an about page?
If you look at the sum of what we know about how people interact with websites, all the data and studies from the past two decades, it all comes down to a few major points. Time and time again, we have proven that what customers need from business websites is a sense of credibility and trust. More important than your prices, the finer points of your website’s design, or anything else, people visiting your website want to know that you’ll deliver on what you promise and that their data is safe with you.
This adds up to a need for an about page that proves your trustworthiness. There are many ways to prove your credibility – having a clean, professional design, genuine customer reviews, and clear and available contact information are certainly some of the ways to do this. In addition, though, you need a beautifully designed and content-rich About page. It’s a good idea to take it one step further and include a brief About blurb on your home page, too. According to 2015 data, when asked what information they wanted to see on the home page, over half of website users said “About/Company Information.”
Including About information is a way to build both trust and rapport with potential customers. Unless you are a large, nationwide company, their visit to your website may very well be their first interaction with you. They want to see who is behind the curtain and feel reassured that any eventual transactions will go smoothly. People are unlikely to feel an emotional connection to your business unless they can see you and learn about you.
What should an about page include?
1. Who you are
This is, of course, the most foundational aspect of an About page. You should include details about your background and why you do what you do. This might include details about your education and certifications, how you got your start, and what draws you to your field. Your about page should be unique and should set you apart. Avoid jargon and make sure you are using your own voice when writing this page. To make this page both more personal and more personable, you will also want to include things like how you enjoy spending time outside of work and a photograph of yourself and your team members.
2. Who you serve
While this should also be on your home page, the About page is a great opportunity to revisit and clarify who your ideal customer is. What kind of business or person do you serve? Do you cater to small or large companies? How do you hope to help people? All of these topics can help potential customers determine if your products or services will be a good fit for them.
3. An about page should indicate why they should choose you
What makes you unique compared to your competitors? Do you have a specific education or background that makes you uniquely qualified? Do you provide detail-oriented customer care that will help them get their money’s worth? The About page is an opportunity for you to set yourself apart and tell people what makes you different. Another great way to build trust is to have a beautiful, professionally designed logo for your website and your business as a whole.
What’s the best About page you’ve ever seen? What other pages do you want to see guidance on? If you want to develop better content overall, find our tips for that here.
