Most successful businesses today realize that they need a strong web presence to make the most of the opportunities out there. Many spend a lot of time honing their home pages to entice potential customers, but these same companies may be neglecting a very important section of their websites—the About Us page. You probably know you’re supposed to have an About Us page; even the most rudimentary website templates include it. But are you taking full advantage of the power of your About Us page? Often, this page is almost an afterthought. Companies throw some generic description of themselves onto the screen and call it a day. To do this is to squander an opportunity to fully utilize one of the most important pages on your website. Your About Us page is where you can build rapport with your potential customers—something that can be difficult if you’re not face-to-face with them.
Why Have an About Us Page?
A typical visitor who lands on your website likely spends a little time checking out your home page, but if they’re serious about finding out about what you offer and who you are, they’ll likely hop over to your About Us page within a click or two. This page is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your potential customers. Use this precious piece of website real estate to establish credibility and build trust. Unless you are a large, well-known company, a visitor to your site may not know anything about you. Before they are willing to part with any money or even their time, they’ll want to find out a little bit more about you. Unlike doing business with a brick-and-mortar store, the Internet can be an anonymous place. A potential customer who’s about to make a purchase will want to know who’s behind the curtain, so to speak. They want to make sure any transactions they choose to make will go smoothly and that they’ll receive the goods or services they order. Your About Us page is where you can allay any fears they might have and let them know that you are a legitimate company that stands behind what you promise.
About Us Best Practices
First, make sure people can find your About page. There’s a reason this page is usually called About Us, or something similar. It’s fine to get a little creative—“Meet the Team” or “Our Story”—but if you get too cute, your potential customers won’t recognize that they’re reading your About Us page or even know where to find it.
Show off your personality—simply.
Your About Us page is where you should show off a little of your personality, so don’t be afraid to have some fun. Make your writing easy to understand. To do this, stay away from too many buzzwords. Anyone visiting your About Us page should immediately be able to figure out what you do and what services and products you provide, so don’t use long, confusing descriptions. You also shouldn’t use limp, generic text or fill the space with marketese or legalese. Be genuine; try to tell a story if you can; and use rich language, so you grab your potential customer’s attention.
Use the Ws.
If you’re stuck on where to begin, focus on answering the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. Show your potential customers who you are, what you do, when you started doing it, where you’re located, and why you’re the best to get the job done for them.
Know your customer.
Even though you’re writing an “about you” page, you still want the content to relate to your potential customer. Ask yourself,
“How can I help them?”
Let them know how you can solve their problem. Offer solutions and benefits that they can readily understand. Give facts where you can; simply saying that you’re the greatest doesn’t hold much weight. Mention your specific accomplishments, like how your company saved another company X amount of dollars by providing the perfect solution. Have your received any relevant industry awards? Add them here as well, but don’t go overboard.
Make them stare.
Customers want to see who they’re dealing with, so it’s important to include pictures. But don’t just slap up any old photo, and remember that people can sniff out generic stock photos from a mile away. The pictures you choose are meant to build trust, so they should be genuine and of real people or places. You could use a group photo or individual photos. Even a photo of the founder of your company or a snapshot of your brick-and-mortar store will add credibility. Remember, this is the Internet; since people can’t see you face-to-face, a pleasant picture can go a long way in establishing trust.
Call them home.
Now that you have your enticing text and friendly photo, it’s time to add a call-to-action. People who’ve made it to your About Us page obviously have an interest in what you have to offer. Make it easy for them to take the next step. Your call-to-action can be as simple as asking them to call you for more information, or you can add a link to your online store, so they can hop over and make a purchase.
Keep on Fine-Tuning
Just like the rest of your website, your About Us page is never really done. Experiment periodically to figure out what’s working and what’s not. And remember to continually update your accomplishments. If you score some impressive new customers or contracts, add those! A fresh, up-to-date About Us page will help you spread the word about your company and draw in even more potential customers.
