What do I need in an “About Us” page?
The “About Us” is one of the most important pages on your website.
After the homepage, the “About Us” page is usually the most viewed web page. It is here that people look to see if they can take you seriously. It’s where you tell your story and establish a connection with visitors.
People are looking for answers to questions such as:
- Is this a big company or small?
- Is it a public company, private or family-owned business?
- How long have you been in business?
- Who’s the boss?
- Where are you based?
- What makes your company special?
- What are your core values?
- Why should I use your services and not those of your competitors?
Doing business on the internet is all about trust.
Visitors to your site want to be assured that you’re a real, viable business. A well-written “About Us” page showcases you and the people behind your company, and makes your business seem human and real.
To convert a visitor into a sale, you need to prove to them that you can provide what they need. It is through the “About Page” that you can introduce yourself and your team to your website visitor, tell them what you can do for them and build a rapport that will hopefully turn them into a customer.
How to write an about us page that works?
Rather than writing about what you do, the “About Page” is where you tell customers what solutions and benefits you can offer.
Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.
Including images on your “About Us” page isn’t just about making it look pretty, it’s about building trust. You want your business to come across as human. Using images on your “About Us” page is about building trust. Readers will be evaluating your site and putting a face to the name gives it a credibility-boost.
Go to an “About Us” page with no photos, and what do you see? A cold, distant, faceless entity. Faces build rapport. Include a group photo or individual photos of your staff, photos of your premises, sign-written company vehicles, uniforms etc. to show that you’re real. The more real you can come across as, the more likely users will be to trust you and therefore do business with you.
If your “About Page” is just a rewrite of your company’s mission statement, a repeat of things that already appear on the home page, or talks only about your products or services, you are selling yourself short.
I’ve put together a few pointers on how to write an about us page to help you avoid some very common pitfalls.
- The “About Us” page isn’t about the company; it’s about the reader. What readers really care about is themselves. They want to see what you can do for them. How wonderful your products and services are is of little importance. Rather than writing about what you do, tell customers what solutions and benefits you can offer, prove to them that you have what they need.
- Avoid being too formal. Writing in a conversational voice is far more appealing than the stilted, formal style many writers use to try and build credibility. Not only can formal writing be tricky to follow, but it can also easily backfire, making your business look aloof at best and dodgy at worst. Be conversational in your writing. Write as though you’re speaking face-to-face. A friendly tone will make you more likable.
Tell a story. Focus on the things that make you human. Get personal. People want to connect with other people. And what better way to add personality and being creative than by highlighting your hardworking staff.
- Be very wary of the best, most perfect, outstanding superlatives and it’s as-good-as-it-gets, cliche-filled hyperbole. A salesy and overly self-congratulatory page won’t establish the rapport you need. Put the reader first, use plain language, and communicate what customers really want to know: how you can help them. Use short, punchy sentences.
- Think industry jargon makes you sound clever clogs? Think again. People want no-nonsense explanations about what your business does. If they can’t work out what it is you do, how will they know they need your product or service? This page is all about what makes your business special. Avoid business babble and try to get rid of jargon.
- Don’t just copy-and-paste your company mission statement onto your page. That might look great to the execs, but it doesn’t mean anything to anyone else. Explain your core business using plain English in an engaging way. Be you. Be warm and be approachable. The more your “About Us” sounds friendly and real, the more effective it will be in connecting with visitors.
- Every business has a story to tell. Stories can establish a sense of connection, humanise your brand and, most importantly, provide context and meaning for your product. Tell the story of how your business came into being. Cover who the key players are, the beliefs and principles that shaped the business, and details about your team.
- This page shouldn’t be a biography, resume, or company background page. Yes, of course you can include biographical and background information, but your story needs to be presented in the context of how you can serve the customer. Show readers you have the products or services they need, and an effective team available to provide them.
Tips on how to write an about us page
Visitors are on this page to get to know you and your team. It is here that you can introduce yourself, tell your visitor what you can do for them and build a rapport, hopefully turning them into a happy customer.
Let visitors see who you are
You’re ‘About Us’ page, is about connecting with your visitors, if you were meeting them in person. So, don’t just give the same boring impersonal facts presented on many websites. Get creative. Showcase the personality of your business and the people behind it.
Your “Meet the Team” page
- Show your personality with fun photos of your team. Not everything needs to look as serious as a driver’s licence photo.
- Share stuff. Highlight each staff member’s personality with fun facts about them such as hobbies, favourite movies, favourite band, favourite sports team, favourite food, favourite drink, name of their pet etc.
- Tell a story. Why are they working for you? How did they get there? What did they do in a previous life? What aspect of their jobs are they really good at: reversing trucks, making coffee, buying pies, bringing cakes, fixing computers, being nice to clients, tidying up? What part of their job do they most enjoy: chatting to clients, making beautiful spreadsheets, breaking things, fixing things, making things look gorgeous?
The most common information to include for each employee is:
- a headshot
- name
- job position / description
- length of time in the job
- qualifications (where relevant)
- a short description (this can even be in note form – a series of bullet points)
It is a good idea to get as creative as you can with your team pages and to add personalised details to humanise your business. Once your visitors get to know you, they’ll like you. And if they like you, they’ll trust you and give you their business.
Meet the team – examples:
- Ricky Jones: Concrete Layer
Ricky was laying concrete for many years in Australia before he saw the light and decided to return home to Orewa in 2012 and began working for us. Ricky’s lunches are a true work of art and something the entire team takes a very keen interest in (we can thank Lisa for those). Another keen fisherman, he can be found out in his boat when not spending time with family or passionately following the (ill-fated) Warriors.
- Darren Smith: Concrete Layer
Darren is the team’s man on a mission. This is one very driven young man who works like a demon and always seems to have an energy drink in his hand. Frank says they work Darren pretty hard and they are really pleased with his work ethic and commitment since he began with the company in 2017. Yet another keen fisherman, getting out on the water or hanging out with his best friend, Bruce the labrador cross, is what Darren likes to do in his spare time.
- Fiona ….
Call ….. and you’ll speak with Fiona who runs the administrative side of the business. Fiona is very handy. Not only does she have great systems in place, she is a very clever knitter, woodworker and has the most incredible vegetable garden.
- When you call …..
The entire business is kept afloat by John’s sister, Louise, who runs the office, keeps everybody in line and ensures everything is as it should be. Louise will be your first point of contact when you ring …….. Louise has filled this role admirably since leaving her previous role as a business administrator in the city and joining the firm in 2011.
Writing ‘About Us’ pages
It seems me that a lot of Auckland small businesses and organisations are reluctant to add details to the “About Page” beyond some contact information or reiterating their mission statement, simply because they don’t know where to start, or what to write, or they think they should come across as very “serious” or “corporate”. Whatever service or goods you’re providing, the job of your website is to convince people to trust you, and to do that they have to know you.
I’m here to help. If you’re feeling daunted by the prospect of creating an “About Us” page, get in touch. You only get one chance to make a good first impression I can help that first impression is a good one.
Interested? If you’d like to get a good “About Us” page up and working on your site, get in touch.
