One of the most common pages on a website is the “about us” page. It is among the first content pieces and pages to be written for a website and generally gets opened by visitors to learn more about a company. This supporting page has a lot of power for educating potential clients about your company’s history, products or services, and mission. If you are just starting a website with an about page or want to update the one already in place, here are some great tips to help you have a killer “about us” page.
The Introduction
Start off the “about us” page with a quick introduction. It does not need to be too long, but it should give the visitor a glimpse about the history of your company. Think of this section like you are introducing yourself to a person for the first time; what can you say that summarizes you, gives a glimpse at your passions, or helps them feel like they are a friend?
Remember that no one likes meeting someone who goes on for too long about themselves. It is important to say enough information that a person gets an accurate impression of you and your company but saying too much is a major turn off. The other thing that turns people away is language that is too technical, or all industry jargon. Keep the overall message simple and straight forward and it could help your sales increase.
About Us Page Do’s
When writing the content for your about us page, there are some basic items you should mention. Feel free to add personality into each of these items, but be sure to include the following points:
Tell Visitors What They Want to Know.
When most people click on an about us page, they are looking to learn about your company and what you are selling. If you sell something like computer software, tell them in one or two sentences what the product does. For companies that sell a service, list the basics about what you are offering.
Most websites offer drop-down lists for other options to investigate specific details, so do not worry about covering everything on this page. If you have a mission statement or something extra special, be sure to include that somewhere too so it is consistent messaging across the platform.
Help Build Trust.
Be honest with your site visitors and remember that they are potential clients trying to decide if you are worth their time and money. Some questions you can address to help them know if you are trustworthy include:
- How big is your company?
- Are you publicly traded or privately owned?
- How long have you been in business?
- Where is the company based? Do you have multiple locations?
- Where are your products made?
- Who started the business and who is in charge now?
- What are your company’s core values? Include ethical standards or practices here.
- Do you contribute to your local community or a charitable organization?
- How can they contact someone in your company for questions?
These questions help give a glimpse into the moral character of your business which many people like to know before buying. It can also show your interest in the sector you sell. For example, a company for car repairs would be more valid to a consumer if the “about us” showed the owner’s love of cars.
Remember to be honest in your description of the company. It is not hard to double check information for accuracy when seeing if your company is truly trustworthy.
List Credentials.
If your company has a special certification, it is important to list it on the about us page. Potential clients will often be looking for industry-specific credentials if they matter. For instance, a construction company needs to show they are covering their employees and worksites with insurance for most people to trust working with them. Schools accept degrees from accredited locations only. Stock market traders have their own set of licensing exams that qualify a person to do the job right too.
Other important credentials to list are special awards your company has received. Were they voted best in the state in your industry? List it! These awards show that your business is trustworthy and that people have already used and liked you. If it matters in your industry, people are likely to look at the “about us” page first to find it.
Be Interesting.
Keep information interesting to avoid boring your reader. There are different tricks to this like using bullet points, short paragraphs, keeping wording condensed, and formatting the page well. Covering basic information does not have to be boring, so make it fun to read. If you can find a way to present the information in a new way, try it.
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About Us Page Don’ts
Don’t Build Up Too Much Hype.
Everyone believes their product or service is the best to ever exist; it is why they started the company in the first place. It is fine to talk about how great you are, but be careful not to over-hype it. Have you ever had a friend go to a movie and not stop talking about how it is the best movie ever made? Generally, the movie does not live up to the excitement that your friend gave you. This can go for products and services too.
The best way to talk about how great you are is to let others do the talking. Post real reviews from real customers. Show awards received for specific reasons. Be honest when you talk about why your company is great, but do not oversell it.
Don’t Disrespect Competitors.
While many marketing strategies want to disrespect competitors, do not go there. You may be bringing more attention to them than you want and casting a negative light on yourself. Instead, give reasons why your product, service, or company are different from anyone else on the market without listing names or using insults.
This is usually a simple use of wording. If your company sells buttons made from a new material, address it using positive language that highlights that new material. Rather than saying “Company A’s buttons are not good enough” or “Company X has so many negative reviews because their buttons break” rephrase it. “Our buttons are unique because they are made with this patented material which means they will never break” will carry more power.
It draws attention to the positives about your product and company rather than the negatives of another company. Plus, people respond better to positive messages.
Don’t Forget to Optimize for SEO.
Every page on a website should be optimized for good search engine results. Many people overlook the “about us” page because they think it is just an informal page with little consequence. The “about us” page is a great place to optimize for keywords and locations. Use appropriate keywords that are relevant to your business. When the site page is indexed, these words will be very applicable to placement on a results page.
The other reason you should optimize your “about us” page is that it could be a common landing page. Others may link to it when referring others to your company and your marketing team may utilize it when link building. While keyword stuffing is never a good idea, having them placed in relevant places on the page could help your credibility to the search engine bots.
Don’t Speak in Generalities.
If you are in the software business, do not just say that your product will improve a company, if a B2B marketing model, or that it will make someone’s life better. Instead, be specific and list reasons your software can help grow their company. This may include improving their organization, simplifying a specific process like payroll, helping them save time on a task, or giving them a needed sales tool.
Speaking in general terms does not show what is special or unique about what you offer. When people visit an “about us” page, they are looking for more details. Menus that have various products or service levels listed do not always offer a clear picture on the company. Be clear about who you are and why you matter.
Look for Examples
A good piece of advice for writing content is to look at your successful competitors. Notice what they have written or how they have formatted their site. You are not trying to mimmick their business, but see what has been successful for their business. Do they have a way of approaching the audience that stands out to you?
If you do not want to look at competitors or do not have competitors, find a site that has been successful with their about us page. Again, this does not mean you follow their formatting or copy their strategy. Sometimes seeing a good example can spark ideas on ways you can improve your own page or messaging.
Consider Your Audience
Overall, the best advice for writing a killer about us page is to consider your audience. If you are thinking about the college students, parents, or businesses that are likely to be your clients, write the page with their perspective in mind. Writing with one person in mind can help simplify the messaging.
Once you have an about us page written, try sending it to someone that fits your ideal demographic. Ask the person their honest opinion and then consider their remarks.
Having a great about us page can help drive sales and increase your conversion rates. Get a visitor to believe in your company, product, or service the way you do and they will help build your business. They will become a loyal customer and tell their friends.
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