How to create an effective ‘About’ page

For almost all the websites we review, we end up recommending a re-write of the ‘About Us’ page.  Your ‘About’ page is a massive opportunity to connect with potential customers and to convert them online, but this opportunity is so often wasted.  This blog explores why people get it wrong so often and what you can do in less than 30 minutes to massively improve your ‘about’ page.

The ‘about’ page – are you getting it wrong?

When we ask our customers for their website content, the content for the ‘about’ page is often difficult for them to write.  Some companies find it quite awkward knowing what to say and often revert to a humble back story about how the company started, worried about being too pushy about their plus points incase they drive people away.  Others can provide chapter and verse on their company and want to present really long paragraphs about their company and product – but readers struggle to relate and will often give up a few lines in.

Why it’s so important to get it right

We know from analytics that your ‘about’ page is likely to be the second most visited page on your website, after your ‘home’ page.  This means that many visitors will have found your ‘home’ page, they haven’t immediately left (that’s a good start!) and have clicked through to find out a little bit more about how you might fit with their needs.  If the content they find on your ‘about’ page is not compelling, then it has the potential to become your highest exit page.  

So, here is the crucial point – your ‘about’ page is not about you. Your page is about how you are the perfect fit for them, the customer.  It should make customers feel as though they have found exactly what they want to meet their needs and they don’t need to do any more googling – you are the one for them.  So how do you write an ‘about us’ that isn’t about you?

How to upgrade your page in 30 minutes or less

The content of your ‘about’ page is ultimately about achieving the “know, like and trust” factor.  After reading it you want your potential customer to transform from vaguely interested into someone who feels like they know you, like you, and trust you enough to take the next step – for some companies, this will be making an online purchase but for most it will be clicking on further links, following you on social, subscribing to your email list, contacting you or making an enquiry with you.

We believe that everyone can dramatically upgrade their ‘about’ page in 30 minutes or less, either by tweaking what is already there or by completely re-writing it.  Here are our top 7 tips to make your ‘about’ page a winning converter for you:

1. Know, like and trust – Tell customers your story and how your journey and experience has made you the best at what you do.  Forget industry jargon here – go for a conversational tone and use emotional words to help connect with the visitor.
2. Talk about the customer, not yourself. Keeping the content customer focused will help keep their attention for longer because it will be more relevant for them.  So rather than saying “we are a great team and we love making these fantastic products they are so great!” try turning the same comment over into how much it will benefit the customer, such as “our passion for designing products that exactly solve [this problem] means we are the only company that exactly meet our customer’s needs.  As a result, 90% of our business now comes from word of mouth and repeat business”
3. Solve their problem – Make sure your ‘about’ page really clearly solves the customer’s problem.  What is it about your business that people like the most about you?  Do you make the longest-lasting boots or the most elaborate cakes?  Do you offer the best personal service?  Maybe you have the fastest turnaround times and never let anyone down?  Whatever your best features are as a company, show them off!  If you’re not sure what your customers value most, why not ask them?  Feedback from customers or even employees may just surprise you!
4. Have a ‘Call to Action’ – If you’ve captured people’s attention with your winning copy, it is so important to channel people’s attention into the next step you want them to take.  Include links or buttons (known as a ‘call to action’ or CTA) which shows them where to go next.  This could take a variety of forms depending on what your business is.  You may wish to direct them to an online store or another area of the website or you may want them to contact you via an online form or social media.
5. Prioritise the content above the fold – When people browse the web, their attention span is astonishingly short.  You only have 2-3 seconds to capture people’s attention before they have decided whether to carry on reading or click away. Make sure the most important information is above the fold, i.e. on the portion of the page that is viewable when it first loads.  Don’t hide your most important information a few scrolls down the page.
6. Include multimedia – Create interest by including a variety of different media on your page.  This doesn’t necessarily mean a headshot (although high-quality pictures of the face behind the business can really help with the ‘know, like and trust’ factor) it can be pictures of your team, your premises or your best products.  Videos are fantastic converters for some businesses, or it may be that infographics or graphic design will work for you.
7. Let your customers sell you – Other people’s recommendations of a company are hugely beneficial for building trust.  Include at least one (and preferably more) testimonials, comments and reviews from your previous customers so that people can see how well-liked your business is.  It will reassure them that they are looking at an established and well-respected business, which may just tip them over the edge and make them want to take action with you!

And don’t just leave it there…

Once you have re-vamped your ‘about page and got it completely focussed on wooing your customers, we strongly recommend you monitor how it’s doing so that you can keep polishing it in the future.  Talk to your web support team who will be able to perform page testing and monitor it for traffic volumes, heat map testing, bounce rates, visit duration and conversion rates so you can see exactly what parts of this page work well for you and which need updating.