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How to Create an Ideal About Page for Your Website

Creating an effective About page can be difficult.

It has to serve several purposes including convincing potential clients to do business with you and showing your brand mission and vision.

On top of all that, it has to be short and to the point.

So, how exactly do you create an ideal page for your website?

In this blog post, we will discuss tweaks you can make to your existing About page. You can implement these changes on your own without professional assistance.

Let us get started.

Consider potential clients first.

If you think your About page should be all about you, you would be wrong.

Your About page’s main purpose is to encourage potential clients to do business with you. Once they have finished reading the content on it, they should want to learn more about you or get in touch with you.

If you have an existing About page, take an objective look at it. If you were a first-time visitor, what would you learn from it?

Does the page clearly explain what types of problems you solve? Does it specify who you solve them for?

Yes, you can talk about your achievements and brand vision and mission. However, frame it from a potential client’s perspective.

How are those things relevant to them?

To see an example of an About page that considers potential clients first, visit Marie Forleo’s About page.

She has an entire section dedicated to potential clients. The section specifies who Marie Forleo aims to work with and how her process works.

Tell your story.

In his popular TED talk, Simon Sinek states that you should start with your why. He said, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”

Most businesses tell you what they do and how they do it.

They do not tell you why they started doing it in the first place. This “why” could resonate with potential clients, making them realise your story is similar to theirs. Once you have made that connection, turning them into actual clients will be easier.

To see an example of an About page that “starts with why,” visit Shopify’s About page.

As soon as you land on the page, they tell you that the first Shopify store they ever built was their own.

The e-commerce platform’s founders started selling snowboards online over ten years ago. The existing e-commerce platforms at the time left them unsatisfied. So, they decided to build their own.

This story tells you that Shopify knows what it is like to own an e-commerce store. They understand the effort that goes into creating an aesthetically pleasing online store, connecting with customers and managing an online business.

A decade ago, they were just like you–starting an e-commerce platform and struggling to build an online business. This must mean they understand your struggles and modified their platform to make things easier for you.

Wouldn’t you want to do business with them?

Showcase your brand identity.

Your brand is completely different from your competitors. At least, it should be.

Your brand identity is not limited to your logo. It should affect your website’s aesthetics, tone, images and vocabulary.

Make sure it comes across on your About page.

What is your brand personality like? If it is friendly and funky, you can write with a casual tone and bright images in your About page. If it is more serious, use a more formal tone and images of professional-looking people.

To see an example of an About page that showcases brand identity, visit Marie Forleo’s website.

She aims to work with young women who are aiming to start or grow a business. Her brand identity reflects this and is showcased throughout her entire website.

If you visit her About page, you will see that the copy is written in an approachable but still professional manner. She uses terms like “creative and entrepreneurial approach,” “goofy antics,” and “passion for what’s possible.”

These terms alone give you an impression of Marie Forleo’s brand identity, but she doesn’t stop there. Her About page is filled with bright and aesthetically pleasing images that cater to her target audience.

Attempt to create something similar with your About page. Define your brand identity, and showcase it in your About.

Include social proof.

Social proof is the phenomenon where people’s actions are influenced by the actions of those around them. For example, people clapped in theatres when someone also started clapping at specific times.

It is an effective tool to use when marketing your business online.

Social proof comes in many forms online. These include written testimonials, video testimonials, awards, certifications, large numbers, and recommendations from influencers.

Do not forget to include social proof on your About page.

If someone is thinking twice About doing business with you, social proof could tip the scale in your favour.

Add a call-to-action.

If someone lands on your About page for the first time, what do you want them to do afterwards? Do you want them to learn more about your product or service? Do you want them to contact you?

Add a call to action that helps you accomplish that.

In case you are unaware, a call-to-action is a link or button that convinces users to perform a specific action. Common calls-to-action include signing up to a newsletter, downloading a free ebook or other free materials, and starting a free trial.

Conclusion

An About page lets you put your best foot forward. It explains who you are and what you do in a manner that encourages potential clients to learn more.

After you read this blog post, examine your About page with the points we discussed in mind. What changes can you make that will make it more effective?

Need help creating a website that converts? Get in touch with Cornerstone Digital, a Sydney web development company. Call us on (02) 8211 0668 or email us at info@cornerstone-digital.com.au.

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Darlyn Herradura

A self-professed book and digital marketing nerd, Darlyn Herradura focuses on building trust between customers and businesses with the written word. She understands that creating valuable content is the best way to get found online and happily spends her time doing that.