Many website owners – and even content creators! – struggle with writing a great About page for their site. An excellent About page is simple, sincere, and communicates the few most important things your audience should know. However, just because an About page is short and sweet doesn’t mean it’s always good. In this article, we’ll tell you why you need to write an excellent About page for your website or blog, whether your site is for your personal brand, for content marketing, an online store, or more. (Hint: your About page is one of the most visited pages on your website!) We’ll also give you tips for how to create an engaging and exciting About page for your website.
Table of Contents
About Page
You might not realize it, but your About page is one of the most important pages on your website. That’s because your “About” page is usually one of the highest-traffic pages on your website. About pages draw a lot of organic traffic. That’s why it’s important to write one that is user-friendly, helpful, and informative. A good About page will help both your readers and your business. It builds trust and encourages your audience to further their relationship with you or your business, whether that means subscribing to your email list, scheduling a service or meeting, or purchasing one of your products.
Things to Write About in Your About Page
There are a few things you should include in your About page:
- Present what you’ve got (your products, services, brand, etc.)
- Explain what you can do to help your website visitors
- Tell me how they can take the next step to get more from you (your call to action)
Think of your About page as an opportunity to show your audience what they can get from choosing you, your service, or product over another option that is similar to you (aka, your competition.) It is about more than just slapping up your mission statement on a web page. Tell your personal story. Think of your About page as a blog post (but perhaps break up the text a little more!) Don’t overthink your About Me page. Think of it as an opportunity to come up with a tagline and write about the unique value you offer.
Key Elements of Your About Page
These are the important elements to consider when writing your About page.
Headline
Yes, even your About page needs a headline! Make sure your About page headline is clear, simple, and includes benefits for your reader.
Benefits
More about benefits: many of the people who visit your About page are doing so because they believe you might be able to help them solve a problem. How can you benefit them? A sentence like “My goal is to help you…” or “I am here to help you…” is a great addition to your About page.
Images
Don’t forget images! Ideally, the visuals on your About page show you and give your audience an idea of what it is you can offer them.
Storytelling
Use your about page to tell a story. Storytelling is important in advertising, and if you think about it, in your About page you are advertising yourself.
Call to Action
Don’t forget to include a call to action. What do you want people to do after reading your About page? Whatever it is, incite them to do it with a persuasive and well-written call to action.
About Page Mistakes to Avoid
There are a few mistakes that are made repeatedly on About pages. Avoid these seven common mistakes on your About page.
Skipping the About Page Altogether
Some websites skip the About page altogether. As it turns out, a header, some content, and a good web design aren’t enough. Maybe you think About Me pages are a silly cliche or unnecessary. Or, maybe you’re so nervous to write the page you haven’t even written it yet. However, don’t skip this page! If someone is searching your name or business + about, you want them to find your About page. This is why your page needs to be named About. Don’t get cute trying to name it something else. Not only do you need to have an About page, it needs to be easy for your readers to find.
Not Including the Important Basics
Another common mistake on About pages is skipping some of the basic important details. Like, for instance, your name. What if someone wants to quote your website, or link to you, or tweet about you? Or, what if they are looking for your email address? Make sure to include all the most relevant details about yourself, including your full name (unless you’re Cher, you need to add your last name), your contact information, and any other relevant details at the top of the page. For instance, if you’re a doctor, make sure to list all your degrees and credentials on this page. Think of it as a more interesting version of a resume. (Side note: Yes, you need to include your name, but it doesn’t have to be your real name if you work under a pseudonym for any reason.)
Not Including a Photo
Yes, your About page needs text. But you also need to add a photo of yourself. Humans are visual, and will feel more comfortable hiring you or using your services if they can see what you look like. It also helps people remember you better if they can put a face to your name. Don’t skip this step.
It’s Boring
Think of most of the About pages you’ve read in your lifetime. They’re all pretty boring, right? For some reason, even the best writers seem to forget all their creativity when writing their About pages. In order to avoid being boring, follow these tips:
- Use your own, individual writing voice
- Get rid of all the jargon and corporate-sounding speak
- Be funny! (if this fits your brand and business)
- Don’t be afraid to let your personality show
Skipping Text for Video
One way to get creative with your About Me page is to add a video. However, don’t make the mistake of replacing your text with a video. Some people aren’t going to watch a video and just want to scan some text. So, if you do include a video on your About page, great! Just don’t skip the text, too. Perhaps embed your video high up in the content on the page.
Going On and On
Think of the last time you met someone at a party who wouldn’t stop droning on and on about themselves. Don’t be that person on your About Me page. While storytelling is a great tactic, and you should aim to tell a story about yourself on your page, no one likes a long boring story.
Think Your About You Page is About You
This leads to another common mistake on About pages: thinking that your About Me page is actually, well, about you. This is an understandable mistake. However, your About page is actually about the person who clicks the link to read it. When you are writing your About Me page, think about that person. Why are they reading your site? Tell them about the problems you can help them solve, explain how you can help, and point out how you are similar to them. It is a place for you to talk about yourself, but only in relation to how you can help your readers.
Overselling
While you might be able to convert some customers using our About page, don’t oversell your products or services on this page. Rather, this is an opportunity for your audience to learn more about you and how you can help them. If you do a good job of that, they will sell themselves on you, not the other way around. Skip the tendency to oversell yourself on your About page.
Examples of Great “About” Pages
Here are a few examples of great About pages to give you some inspiration for your own.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp has a great About page because it tells readers some personal anecdotes about the company’s founders, while also emphasizing how much the company loves serving its clients. And, note the great photo! (Plus, who can resist a monkey logo?)
Moz
Moz, the SEO software company, also has an excellent About page. A great way to start your About page is with a tagline, like Moz. Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself on this page, like they do here!
SEO Design Chicago
If you want to create a great “About” page like ours, contact us today! Our expert web developers and content creators can work together to design a creative, effective About page for your website. Rather than using about page templates, get a customized About page that your site visitors will love.
FAQs:
- What is an About page?
- What should I write in my About page?
- Good examples of About pages?
- Do I need an About page on my website?
- What is the purpose of an About page?
Contact Us Today!