My favorite webpage is usually titled “About Us.” Now the main thing to remember is that you may think it’s all “About You” [your business], but really it should be titled “For Them” – because it’s one of the key ways you can communicate your brand and increase trust between yourself and your potential customers.
By nature I’m a nosy creature and there’s nothing that makes me lose interest in a website more than a dull, lifeless About Us page. I’m sure you’ve seen them – a scant paragraph of text something along the lines of:
“We are a widget business based in Any County. We produce lots of different widgets to fit all budgets.”
As a customer I want to know
1. Who you are? – a personal and chatty note from the owner works well here and a photo added is even better. Brief staff biogs are often helpful too as it immediately reassure your customer that they are handing their cash over to a professional organization who employ people rather than a hobbyist in a back bedroom. If you are a solopreneur, then just make sure you include the personal note with some tasty biographical information included.
2. What’s Your Mission? – Are you “in it” for something more than making money [if I’ve hit the nail on the head there, then best not mention that]. Customers love to know why you do what you do – did you create a product to solve a problem? Did you set your business up as a result of a personal experience you had? Do you have strong ethics or have a passion for helping others? If you support any charities or do voluntary work, then think about adding it to your About Us page.
3. What’s Your History? Consider adding the history of your company here. Can you demonstrate an “impression of increase” to your customers. Such as, “I began working from my kitchen table, now I have an office and employ staff” or “I started with just one service, now I offer 3 different ones.”
3. Blow Your Own Trumpet! Have you won or been nominated for any awards? If so, here’s the place to dust off your decorations and place them on this page for all to see. Place a link to your media/press page here too.
4. Do you a special offer or a freebie for customers? Think about highlighting it on this page [include links] and make the most of the extra traffic an “About Us page” generates.
5. Remember to use images, especially photos to illustrate the page. Perhaps of a best selling product? Your office? Include your logo too if it works.
6. Sign off with some kind of “call to action” to encourage interaction.
7. Make sure you also include some contact details, however brief. Make it easy for a customer to reach you as this builds your credibility and increases trust.
Seen any cool “About Us” pages? Let me know below!
Alison Rothwell
Alison is the Director and Founder of WP Fiddly Bits, the WordPress Website Maintenance experts, and contributes to the WP Fiddly Bits WordPress blog. She also uses her background in marketing to help clients get found everywhere online.
