There’s no denying that an About Us page, whether you have a multi-page website or a one-pager, makes any website complete.
In a 2015 study by KoMarketing on what B2B buyers want from vendor websites, 52% of respondents said they want to see the company information once they’re on a vendor’s home page.
This means that a business should establish trust and credibility with prospects once they are on its website. A great way to do this is by creating an About Us page that’s visible and easily accessible.
While the home page would likely be your website visitor's first encounter with you, the About Us page is where people would intentionally seek out to learn more about the business. Here, your visitors should have a glimpse of who you are, what you do, why you are doing it, your mission, company values, and any other information that can help them decide whether they should do business with you. It’s an introduction to what it would look like working with your business.
A great About Us page is distinct, relatable, and genuine. It effectively gives your business a human presence and helps you connect with your potential customers. But, how exactly do you create a good and compelling About Us page?
In this article, we’ll help you write your About Us page by giving ideas on what elements to include, and the essential do’s and don’ts in making one. Read on.
Why Do You Need An About Us Page?
Take this for example: whenever you meet a new person, you try to get to know them a little bit better, right? You look for similarities and things that link you to each other. Sometimes, you also gauge whether or not you can trust them. These are the same reasons why you need an About Us page. It’s a way of introducing yourself to your new website visitors or potential customers.
Here are a few more reasons why an about page is essential to your website:
- Gives your brand or business a personality
- Tells your story, your mission, and what your brand values are
- Connects the business to your prospective customers
- Differentiate yourself from the competition
- Builds trust regarding the legitimacy of your business
- Creates a good first impression on your website visitors
Ultimately, your About Us page paints a picture of who you are and functions as a sales page, giving your target customers reasons to buy from you.
What Should You Include In Your About Us Page?
Yes, an About Us page is something personal for you and your business. Its structure may vary according to what you want to highlight, but it should contain the essential elements of a good About Us page. To help you craft one, here are some parts you should not miss out on while writing.
Start with your mission statement.
What does your business aim to do?
Defining your purpose and what makes you unique can draw people in. This will give them an idea of why they should care about you or a reason to remember your business for. It can influence their decision on whether they should get your offers or not.
When establishing your mission statement, you can tell them why your business exists, what you do, and why you’re doing it. It should be simple, realistic, relatable, and to the point.
Tell your story.
Have you noticed that the best public speakers usually start a conversation by sharing personal stories? That is because storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to communicate.
As humans, we are all wired to connect the information we come across to form a narrative and to try and make sense of that information. If you, as a brand, simply just throw out information onto your website, you are essentially leaving it up to the visitors to decide how they want to interpret that.
Storytelling, therefore, is your way of being intentional and writing the narrative for your audience to digest. When done right, storytelling can help your audience become much more engaged.
How did the business start? What particular problem are you trying to address? You can share your “aha!” moment and talk about what made you start your business. Get your visitor’s attention with a story that they can relate to.
Sometimes, it’s not an obvious problem to them, but as they read your story, they will realize that they need what you’re offering. Once you have their interest in your story, you can then connect it to the next part, which is your products and services.
Is there an interesting anecdote you would love to share? Share it in the most compelling way. Tell the world about how you got to where you are today. Let them know who you are and your story. Remember, you’re just one of the million websites on the Internet that sells similar products as the next person unless they get to know you. Inspire and connect.
Aside from the company history, the About Us page is also the perfect space to share how you have evolved or grown as a business. What challenges did you face while establishing your business and how did you overcome them?
Explain what you do or offer and who you serve.
This is a must. Don’t be overwhelmed by sharing your back story and forget to let the audience know about products or services and your solution to the problem.
An About Us page should be clear about what a business is all about. What are your products and services? How do you make or deliver them? What’s your unique selling point? What will your potential customers gain from your offering? By going through these, you’re helping them understand what they are paying for or why they should get it. You can also link this part to a page on your website with more information about your products and services.
You also need to identify the people you’re dedicated to helping. Mentioning the people you serve helps website visitors identify if your offer is aligned with what they need.
Share your values.
If you want to attract like-minded people, then you should not leave this part out. Your business values are at the core of your business or company culture. They guide all of your business actions, and they set you apart from your competitors. Make sure to get this message across.
If you’ve not defined them yet, then it’s time to brainstorm with your team. Decide on what best represents your business.
However, when refining your values, make sure your values mean something. Don’t just use buzzwords that sound great; they may become empty and meaningless when everyone’s using them.
For example, although integrity and customer satisfaction are strong words that 55% and 49% of all Fortune 100 companies consider as their core values, respectively, they may not offer a distinct guide on how your employees will behave.
Instead, get real and make your values authentic. Think of what you’re most proud of and what makes you unique. If you’re big on environmental impact and strive for sustainability in your products, just like Impack, then make it known. Celebrate it!
Show your team.
Including human faces on your About Us page helps establish a connection with site visitors since it humanizes your company. Customers want to feel familiar with the individuals they are doing business with, so consider including a photo of you or your team.
These are just a few basic elements you can have on your About Us page. But don’t be limited by these. You can also add the following:
- Contact details
- Your location
- Social proof to give your prospects a reason to trust you
- A call to action to guide visitors to the next step they should take
Or any other important information, really! Showcase what sets you apart.
Best Tips For Writing A Great About Us Page
Now that you know what should go into an About Us page, here are some good tips on creating one.
Get personal.
Your prospective client will want to see something with a human touch, something authentic. If you’re going to write your About Us page from an objective third-party perspective or through a corporate-speak way, it will appear stiff and not sincere.
Getting real and personal means being vulnerable and transparent. It lets your personality shine through and allows your visitors to feel your passion for your mission. Now, you might be thinking: will that be a professional thing to do? Definitely! You can still appear professional while writing in a casual tone.
Use a first-person perspective to make your About Us page more personal and friendly. Write as if you’re talking to your website visitor face-to-face. And address your visitor as an individual, not as a group of people to build a connection. Instead of saying, “We provide our clients…” or “We provide people…”, use “We offer you…” Sounds better, right?
Know your audience.
Although your About Us page is about you, you need to consider your target audience and what they want. They probably visit your page for the information they need. If they don’t find it, they will find it somewhere else. So, it is only necessary to put the right information on your About Us page.
Instead of immediately listing out why your business is amazing, try to take a step back, and research your audience.
- What pain points are they experiencing that led them to your site?
- What are they looking or desiring for?
- What solutions do they need for their problems?
- What causes them to trust a brand or business?
By knowing and answering these questions while introducing your business to your audience, it will be easier to connect with them. Also, knowing their personas or demographics will be helpful.
- Are you talking to a new business owner or a multi-business owner?
- Does your target audience possess high-level computer skills or is their understanding of technology limited?
- Are you talking to a new parent, a high schooler, or a senior citizen?
Having a defined target audience will let you write an About Us page that’s targeted and more effective.
Make it simple yet informative.
Simplicity and straightforwardness are key — particularly when it comes to content. Too much text on your About Us page will be boring and might divert your audience's attention from the most important message.
While you can hire a copywriter to write content that is sure to engage your audience, it’s important that you know how to write simple yet informative content. Here are some best practices to follow:
- Be objective and determine your key messages.
- Make an outline based on your key messages.
- Explain each point but make sure everything is connected.
- Include facts and numbers to support your points.
- Use simple words and short sentences.
- Don’t use industry jargon excessively.
Make your information up-to-date.
If you’re looking for a piece of certain information, you want it up-to-date. The same is true for your website visitors who are checking your About Us page. They want the latest news and the newest products. So make sure that your page won’t appear abandoned.
Update it with necessary information like your recent achievements. Did you get featured in an industry-leading platform or mentioned by a thought leader in your industry? Share it with your audience.
What to Avoid on Your About Us Page
With the tips above, you can surely make your About Us page more effective. However, to make it even better, here are a few things you should avoid for your page to hit the mark.
Going design-crazy
An aesthetically pleasing design encourages website visitors to read more and engage. Engaging visuals are important on your page. These images get processed by the human brain much faster than words. Even if they don’t read everything on the page, they will understand your business with the help of your visual elements.
However, these images, layouts, and other design features should only support your content. They should not take the focus away from your content. Otherwise, your visitors will be distracted, and they might miss your key points or messages.
Putting everything on this one page
Similar to an overly designed page, putting every piece of information on your About Us page will do more harm than good. It’s not the only page on your site, so consider putting only the highlights and link to other pages, if applicable.
Also, avoid saying too much and boasting about every accomplishment you’ve got or everything you’ve done. Make sure to only give a healthy balance of interesting facts and information about the business.
Forgetting to tell people about what you do
Don’t you get frustrated when a page looks so promising only to end up not getting the information you need? Your audience will feel the same if you have a well-written About Us page without a clear idea of what you do or offer.
Absence of a call to action
You’ve put so much effort into creating your ideal About Us page. You wouldn’t want your visitors to check on your page and then leave, would you? You want interaction with them. You want engagement. And this is what having a call to action is all about.
A call to action is the next step that you want your visitors to take after reading your About Us page. Do you want them to call you or fill out a contact form? A button strategically placed on your About Us page can help achieve this goal, reach a bigger audience, generate leads, and convert them into loyal customers. Some of the most common calls to action are:
- Sign Up Now
- Learn More
- Contact Us
- Follow Us Here
Using hype or bold claims
Bold claims that sound too good to be true can be annoying for your website visitors. Instead of putting them on your About Us page, consider having specifics like facts, numbers, or customer testimonials. Describe only the things you can do and what makes you qualified to offer the products or services you’re selling.
Sales pitch
An About Us page somehow works as a sales page, but you should avoid making a sales pitch here. It’s not the point. The main goal is to introduce your business and let your visitors understand why you do what you do. Therefore, on the About Us page, do not focus on the details of products or services but talk more about where the idea comes from and how you develop it.
Final Thoughts
Creating a good About Us page is essential to building trust and converting visitors into customers. By following the tips in this above, you can create a page that engages and converts your audience. However, don't be afraid to make changes as your story evolves – updating your page regularly will help you stand out from your competitors.
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