Your About page can be one of the most difficult website pages to write for yourself. How much do you reveal? What is the best tone? Will people really be interested? Are you getting too personal?
I get it!
I have written several of these myself – FOR myself, and for other people. It is MUCH easier to write for other people!
First of all, if writing these things is so hard, maybe we should ask ourselves:
Is it worth it?
People Check Your About Page
Although your About page will rarely be your first landing page for most of your visitors, any potential customers or clients will eventually look for more background information.
If you watch your analytics, you will see that a certain percent of target visitors click on that link. If the number seems low, remember that people only need to review your About page once or twice before they feel comfortable working with you.
When customers and potential clients are looking for more background material about you, that means they are already thinking about making a purchase. The presentation of your background material is therefore part of your conversion process! It should exist on your page, be easy to find, and perform its duty.
In other words, YES, About pages are important, and worth the effort to create well.
Your About Page Isn’t About You!
Ok, on the surface, your online biography seems to be about you. However, a successful About page should demonstrate your credibility and convince the reader to become a customer. Your content should reinforce your sales messages by providing a consistent image of your passion and professionalism.
It is NOT just a confessional or historical portrait of you as a young person.
In other words, you should not include irrelevant details about your childhood, or historical details that conflict with your business story. If you are selling baked goods, go ahead and include that story about how you dominated the school bake sales! But if you are an accountant, omit the story of your travels through South America. People skim online content, so every detail needs to reinforce your sales message.
The most important overall message of your About page will be:
You can trust that I will proudly deliver on my product or service.
Your About Page Builds Trust
When a potential customer starts looking for the About link on your page, they are expressing both interest and skepticism. Your website has obviously caught their attention, but they are not ready to buy yet. They need to know more about you, and build their own confidence before making a purchase or contacting you.
One thing you should ALWAYS provide, then, is your real name and contact information. So many people with new websites want to hide their real identities, but this is a big mistake! Let people know that you are a real person, and that you can be contacted in person.
Usually, just knowing you can be contacted is enough, and people will opt for an email, or just follow through with the purchase. What they really needed was the CONFIDENCE that you are a real person, and that you will respond if they have any issues with your product or service.
Simple Rules To Improve Your About Page
- Keep the link easy to find in your main menus and footer.
- Call your About Page “About,” “About Me,” or “About Us”
- Include biographical details that support your business message.
- Omit details that work against your message, or are irrelevant – even if you love them.
- Include your real name and contact details. If you can, add a map!
- Include images of yourself, your team, and your place of work or general location.
If you find it daunting to create your own About page, it is worth hiring an assistant to work through the details for you! It is much easier to write an online biography for someone else, so try trading About pages with a business friend, and write eachothers content.
Have a question? Contact me!
