Regardless of business, size, niche or market, your about us page is a big deal. It’s often one of the most visited pages on your site so getting it spot-on is important.
The problem is, it always seems to be the hardest page to write.
There are a few very good reasons for that. Your product or your services are there, in black and white. Of course writing about them, selling them as well as you possibly can is important, you know better than most what they are, what they do.
Those facts give you a solid foundation (and therefore the confidence) to shout about them from the rooftops.
About us pages are a whole different prospect. Typically they might tell your audience about your business’ early days so there might be more than a hint of nostalgia. An about us page is personal, you are putting an intimate piece of yourself out there for the masses...
That can be tortuous and the risk of overthinking is a very real one. You might look at similar pages from others in your industry or search online for help and advice, it isn’t much use unfortunately. Everyone’s about us page is different (it should be) and the vast majority of online advice is aimed at marketing specialists or copywriters.
Is it any wonder that getting it right is so hard?
Give them what they need to trust you
That’s one of the main reasons people look at your about us page, trust! Your visitor probably already has a good idea of why they are visiting your site. The things they need to know is that you can be trusted and you are good at doing the thing they need you to do.
It shouldn’t be a long, intimidating wall of text so keep your about us page relatively brief, somewhere around a side of A4, or 500 words. If it is too impersonal you won’t win hearts, too personal and you won’t win minds, a tricky balance but all the best about us pages get that balance just right.
Here’s how.
Start by talking, not writing
It could be talking to someone else, or even to yourself. A lot of people find it much easier to explain what they do and why they do it better than the competition when they are doing it verbally.
Doing it interview style is even more useful, you can think of questions, discuss memories and really get to the root of what you want to say by simply having a natural, relaxed conversation.
Think about the times you have spoken to others and they have asked what you do, what sort of questions do they ask? What do they find interesting? What sort of things do you feel proud to tell them?
Right here is the foundation for your about us page.
What makes you unique?
We all have unique points, our companies and services do too. Not a single business owner dreams of providing exactly the same service as their competitors. So what is your favourite USP? Is it linked to your story or the reason why you decided to start your business? If so, then it is solid gold content for your about us page.
For example:
You might supply artisan tiles, sourced from the mountains of Northern Italy after spending time there as a child, growing up in a village where craftsmen plied their trade...
You might supply reconditioned metalworking machinery to start-ups on a small budget after working in a technical college and realising how expensive such things can be...
You might run a chain of leisure centres aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of local communities because you feel a passion for giving everyone access to great facilities...
These are all real examples of people whose stories I have used to create about us pages for clients.
Getting personal
Getting to know a little bit about you earns trust and if you are the captain of your company’s ship then some details might be an important part of its story, but only if they are relevant.
Remember that the space for your content is limited, so avoid sharing too much. Your audience doesn’t need to know your favourite holiday destinations (or perhaps they do if your business is travel)
You get the idea?
Say ‘Cheeeese’
You might well give a sigh and frown at the thought of your image being online for all and sundry to admire but give it some thought.
People really like to see who they might be dealing with.
It doesn’t need to be you alone, it could be a team photo or an image of you working or even things and places that are relevant to you and how your company works. Few things build a connection better and that, ultimately is the goal of your about us page.
Getting it all on the page
If you think it’s been tricky to get to this point, things are about to get trickier because getting it all down on the page coherently is the final challenge.
Structuring your about us page is just as important as the words and sentences and subheadings that make it up.
It has to be engaging, well written and follow a logical order. Something like this:
1. Start with a headline, a beginning that showcases your favourite unique selling point
2. Then you should expand on that same point, expand on the story of your original idea and your business’ USP and how that can benefit your reader
3. What else sets you apart from the crowd? Remember your audience want to trust you so say a bit more about your story
4. Finish off with a (very useful) call to action
The call to action addresses any feelings your audience might face when they are done learning all about you, your company and the reasons why you are awesome at doing the things you do. It provides a clear direction of what you would like them to do next. It might be to visit your online store, to get in touch for help and advice or to sign up to a mailing list.
Creating the best possible about us page can be a daunting experience. To do it well is to look at our values, achievements and our ethos, it’s deeply personal but trying to do it objectively, giving your audience just the things they need and ushering them onward to where you want them to be are all a part of the formula for success and you can do it!
For any help and advice on how to go about creating a first class about us page, leave a comment below and I'll offer some help and advice. If you would prefer a more in-depth reply, get in touch.
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