Check your analytics and you’ll often see it hovering in the top 5 most visited pages, and there’s a good reason for that – it builds trust with your customer and tells them what you’re all about.
Plus, future employees will be scrutinising your About page, keen to find out more about your business before they join, so it’s crucial that it does a fine job of reflecting what you stand for.
What makes a good About page?
The best “About Us” pages all have this in common:
- They tell your company story
- They’re professional, but sound human
- They share your values and your mission statement
- They describe your ideal customer
- They are unique to the brand
- They let your customer know you’re here to help
… all this, without a hint of sales messaging.
Get it right, and your About page can be one of the most effective sales tools on your website.
So, what do you include? What do your readers want to know? What do you want them to do after reading?
What do you need to include on your About page?
Ultimately, making your About page more about your reader – rather than you – is key.
What does this mean? Well, still make sure you tell your brand story, but remember to provide help, advice and prompts for your reader along the way. For example, there could be related posts on your website that you could point them to, services that you can mention and key team members that you can offer contact details for so your reader can get in touch.
Use your About page to outline what you’re about while providing value to your reader. By framing your About page as a story, you’ll be evoking an emotional response that your list of products or services can’t quite do in the same way!
Use these prompts to get started on your emotive, story-led About page copy:
- What’s your mission statement? Early on, tell your reader what you do and who you help in a succinct sentence or two.
- What inspired you to start your business? Here, you’re showing your reader that you understand their challenges and that you have created a solution for them.
- Who is your product/service for? Describe your target audience personas by weaving them into your About page story. e.g. “we are proud to help directors in the real estate sector with…” or “Since 2007, we’ve been committed to helping divorce lawyers throughout the South East explain how…” By being clear here, you’re helping to disqualify those who you don’t serve, while highlighting how great you are for the ones you do!
- What are your brand values? If you have these in your brand guidelines, why not share them here for your reader too? They’ll demonstrate the human side of your business, which will help your customers (and future employees!) relate to the work you do.
- Do you have any relevant awards or qualifications? Add these, along with any adversity overcome to achieve them, to showcase your expertise and build that all-important trust with your customers.
Other elements to include to make your About page stand out:
If your company has been around a bit longer, share your milestones on your About page. This could be in the form of a timeline, a list or an infographic.
Don’t forget to add social proof! Testimonials and case studies will serve your About page well by exemplifying how brilliant you are at what you do without sounding boastful, even if you just add a snippet to case studies that are elsewhere on your website.
5 About pages to inspire you
Here are just a few examples of About pages from a range of industries that successfully illustrate the fundamentals needed to educate the reader, all while having fun with the content and design!
1. Ryan Robinson: I love how Ryan takes the reader through a clear, linear journey in his trademark conversational tone as they scroll down the page.
Why it works: The About page subtly weaves in trust factors though the images, yet retains and demonstrates Ryan’s personality.
2. Facebook: You might be surprised to see Facebook on the list, but the corporate side of their website is worth a look.
Why it works: On their Company Info page, they match aspirational language with a strong creative identity to outline the common About page sections: Our Mission, Our Culture, Our Principles, Our History.
3. Refinery29: A particularly immersive example of an About page, Refinery29’s offering works as a menu-of-sorts to the Corporate side of the publication.
Why it works: It begins with a tried-and-tested trust factor, a quote from AdAge, then explodes into a video that sets the tone of Refinery29. Scroll down for a short, snappy and succinct bio, followed by three simple CTAs for the reader to go next (rule of threes, because they rule!).
4. Mailchimp: The email marketing giant puts on a friendly front on their About page to tell their story.
Why it works: The design of the page itself is uncluttered – no fussy animations here – to let the copy do the talking. Mailchimp’s About us page works well because its storytelling is strong. By sharing the founders’ goals of the platform in the story, their About page feels relatable and empowering.
5. Lonely Planet: The entirety of Lonely Planet’s About section is easy to navigate, informative and full of CTAs to help guide the reader along, but it’s the Our Story section that really sets them apart.
Why it works: Lonely Planet have framed their story as a timeline, which allows the reader to learn more about the founders and the humble beginnings of the global brand, as well as effectively demonstrating the brand development over the years. The bite-size anecdotes are sweet and endearing, and are bolstered by the personal photos of the founders themselves.
Need help with your About page?
From attracting future talent to providing that human touch that your customers crave, you’ll have seen just how important your About page is.
Still not sure where to begin or struggling to set aside time to do your About page justice?
Having someone outside your business craft your messaging for this page is a wise investment. Outsource a writer like me for your “About Us” page and they will take an objective look at your brand and work with you, asking you the right questions to produce an accurate, relatable and humble About page that gets to the heart of your brand. Get in touch with me today to get started!