Did you know that after your Home page, your About page is probably the most read page on your whole website? (check your Google Analytics if you’re not sure.)
That means you want your About page to nail it!
Here are 9 ideas to stand out from the crowd with a stellar About page.
Is your About page inviting and easy to consume?
Be sure it looks inviting and easy to read or consume. If it looks overwhelming — like a vast sea of type — most readers won’t bother.
To see what I mean, go to this SlideShare presentation for an amusing look at what not to do!
It’s still about your audience, not you.
You’d think your About page is the one place on your site you can talk about You! And you will. But you still want your audience to come away with benefits. You still want them to know your services or products are there for them.
Your business is people, not a building.
I love this quote from Dianna Huff’s free guide, 31 Tips for Generating B2B Website Leads:
“Small businesses love to put pictures of their buildings on their About page. Here’s what I tell people: You don’t take buildings to lunch. You take people to lunch. So show the people inside your building.”
Can you use memorable visuals?
If your business is you, absolutely include a photo of you. Other visuals that draw attention are photos of your team, a timeline, a video, a chart.
I like this idea from CampBrain, a software company in the camp and tourism market. It looks inviting, it’s easy to read and includes photos of their people:
Show your team and your culture on your About page.
It reinforces that your business is people — not a nameless, faceless thing.
Photos are great for this, as are videos. This video is on the About page of Bending Branches, a paddle manufacturer. It shows their employees making the paddles and using them:
Highlight testimonials.
Put a couple of your best customer testimonials on your About page. It helps establish authority and trust. Besides, you don’t know if your visitor will ever make it to your Testimonials page.
If you have an interesting company history, tell us about it!
Especially if you’ve been in business for decades or have a unique story.
I love the way Gunflint Lodge’s history starts out — with a glimpse of the prices for gas and lodging back in their early days (gas for 20¢ a gallon?!):
Talk about your hobbies, interests and quirks.
This is optional, but personally, I love knowing about the lives behind the business people. You may be different. That’s ok.
Sometimes your readers will discover a similarity, a common passion or experience, a common core value. In my own case it’s often been enough of a “Wow, that’s cool! You do that too?” that I’ll give that person my business over someone else equally qualified.
Include a Call-to-Action.
Don’t just say “see ya” at the end — ask your visitors to do something. Maybe it’s to read your most popular blog posts, or see your current special. To sign up for your e-newsletter or download your free offer.
In summary, your About page should never be an afterthought. Put energy and creativity into it. It’s an important page on your website and deserves special treatment.
Does your About page need an overhaul?
I’d love to help! Email today to get started: sharon@sharonbrodin.com
(PHOTO: The title photo is sea glass we found along Lake Superior’s North Shore. One of my boys snapped this cool picture.)