Deciding to create a website can often be overwhelming. A seemingly never-ending process where you are nudged by designers to make decisions on colours, keywords and even reality itself. It's a lot. In the end though, captivating content is the way to create a website that works.
This captivating content comes in many names. You might know it as 'About Us', 'Mission & Values' or even 'Story'. Informative and often dismissed as a chore, these elements help you answer a question that every customer has when visiting your website: "So, who are you?"
Keep scrolling down and learn about the best methods on writing a compelling About Me or About Us segment on your website. Not a marathon reader? Use the bookmarks below and discover our tips step-by-step.
So how should an About Us page actually look like?
Most About pages share a common problem: they are hastily composed almost as an obligation. A few words about the business, hidden away at a distant corner of the website.
That does your (probably) wonderful business an injustice! Think of your About Us page as a well-polished tool which is targeted at increasing your sales. It's the one chance you have to highlight your strengths and dazzle them with your unique brand personality and story.
Think about it. When entering an artisanal store we immediately look to understand more about the people behind the brand and if their products are sustainable - hopefully! Recent research by eCommerce giant Shopify reveals that just like brick and mortar stores, online shoppers are just as curious to discover your About Us and even more likely to make their decision based on what they find.
Online visitors are also curious about the mission of your business and its values. The About page will be carefully placed under the microscope and shoppers will check whether they share the same core beliefs, or move to the next one. Much like a dating profile, your about page needs to bring out the best in your business if you are to get any hot matches.
The About page is the ideal place to share some insightful information about your business and inspire trust in your brand. It should cater to the following objectives:
-> Convey the story behind your brand and why you launched your business.
-> Communicate your business cause and which customers you serve.
-> Describe your business model or give more info about your production.
-> Introduce yourself or the whole team with compelling visual content.
-> This essentially puts a -friendly- face to your website giving you a chance to display group images and fill the whole page with visuals.
Essentially, the About Us page is where your business can show off its wins and act as a salesman answering the most fundamental of questions a person visiting your store might have: why should I buy from you?
What to actually write in your About Us page
The best examples of About Us pages are the ones which succeed telling their brand story. Just like every other story you read, your About Us page needs a protagonist. Don't be alarmed, you have already met them - it's you!
Depending on the case, that might be yourself, a founding group or your current team. Either way you need to picture your business as a character of its own, with its distinct personality and of course, story.
Don't be afraid to share the story of how your business began, fell and got back up again. After all stories are all about challenges, evolution and redemption and we all love to see our main protagonist claiming their rightful throne from their borderline psycho uncle-murderer in the heart of Africa. Yes, that's Lion King.
This is an example of what your visitors can see as they scroll down your story in your About Us page:
Start at the beginning. Who you were or how things were before you began your business journey. Imagine your ideal customer and try to communicate these thoughts in a way they would resonate. (If you must use examples of animated lions go ahead - as long as the message gets through!)
Which problem motivated you? Describe the issue that inspired you (the protagonist) to take action.
How you took initiative and rose to the challenge. Explain how you started finding a solution (i.e., launch your business) and the problems you faced along the path.
Arrive at the solution. Describe the details of what your business brings to the table. How it is reaching its original purpose and the milestones you’ve recorded.
What comes next. Envision the perfect tomorrow for your business and state its ultimate mission and goals.
Looking for more inspiration? Here are some more detailed aspects that you could include in your About Me page, giving your narrative some backbone.
Introduce your team
Humanise your brand by including pictures of your team or self. Communicate how your business works, relaxes or even celebrates to evoke empathy from online visitors. Empower your company by highlighting the people behind the brand and what makes them a good fit to serve your target market.
The business model
For most businesses, their model is derived from their unique value proposition, which according to our friends from MasterClass, it can really be a powerful point when selling your brand. Definitely deserves a spot on your About Us page.
Some examples of this might include:
-> How you guarantee competitive prices and savings for your clients.
-> Material sourcing for your product (e.g., organic rye from a Mediterranean island's rural producers).
-> Is portion of your revenue donated to charity? Say it! Also, thank you!
Avoid cramming everything with long text sections or mundane numbers. These practices commonly result in visitors getting bored quickly and dropping out of the site. Incorporate illustrations or infographics to better convey the above in an interesting or even engaging way!
Press mentions, testimonials, awards
Do not shy aways from credited reviews, press or any other client-generated copy that can be included on your About Us page. Highlight how your company is directly or even indirectly impacting your industry or customers.
Press, awards, and other brand victories are useful examples of milestones that can be used to help communicate your story.
Social media links and calls to action
In today's market, social media are concrete proof of your actions as a company, product value and of course, popularity. Integrate your social media channels directly on your About Us page and also benefit from directing traffic directly to your network!
Make sure to also funnel visitors to your other pages! Your About page is an excellent port for your visitors to find their online bearings, with their next stop being other web pages, such as your blog posts or social channels.
Be sure to include the relevant CTA buttons into your About Us page, thinking about how you can best facilitate your visitor’s journey onwards, by encouraging these actions:
-> Follow all your social media channels
-> Subscribe into your mailing list for updates
-> Check out your featured products or services
-> Read your latest blog
Inspire trust with an About Me page
When you’re setting out to write your About Us page, don't be worried if it takes a while to get the ball rolling. Take it from us, we've been there.
While it initially might seem that there is simply not that much you can say about your business, take a step back and think about the basics. If you believe in your business, which you should, you then know exactly why you are doing what you do and what you can offer to serve potential clients. That's more than enough to start with!
For those of you who are already knee deep in their stories and just stumbled upon this post, worry not! Review your analytics and see if your About Us page is keeping or pushing visitors. Improving your About page and your website in general is something that you should actually do on a weekly basis for a myriad of reasons. But more on that later.
Maybe it’s the right time to go back to the drawing board and begin using your About page like the amazing sales tool that it is, helping your online business become what you always wanted it to be.
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