Many business owners struggle on how to write an about us page. I’ve seen everything from people who mention their dogs, kids, and fishing hobbies to pages that are very “thin” because the writer was uncomfortable talking about himself or herself.
Most people’s About Us pages aren’t very engaging for customers. Some people’s are downright boring from the customer’s perspective.
However, it is possible to learn how to write a fantastic About Us page that really “sells” your business by implementing some of the ideas outlined in this post today.
This Is a Virtual Job Interview
If you were hiring someone for your small business you don’t want to hear about personal pets and hobbies when you say, “Tell me about yourself.” You really want to hear about what makes the other person a good fit for serving your needs.
The About page is exactly the same way. Everything about it needs to be attuned to helping the person reading it understands exactly what makes you or your business so good at what you do.
As Kassia Gardner on the Microbusiness Hub blog put it, your About page still has to focus on “What’s In it For Me.”
I like to do this by using “so” or “which means” statements. For example, if you want to tell your customer that you’ve been a real estate lawyer for 20 years you might write:
John Q. Doe has been in real estate law for over two decades, which means he has the experience to handle the toughest cases.
Or:
I’ve been in real estate law for over 20 years, so few cases can surprise me. I have the experience to navigate your case, too, no matter how tough it seems.
Demonstrate How You’ll Solve Problems
The job interview metaphor should continue as you write your About Us page. Think about some of the common problems that clients have when they seek someone in your industry.
You can do this one of two ways. You can either think about what kinds of problems you solve directly, like landlord-tenant problems, or you can think about what kinds of problems people have with people in your industry.
If you are a plumber, for example, consumers are probably going to be concerned about cost first and foremost. They may have a perception that all plumbers are expensive. Another concern might be your reliability – will you show up in a timely manner and will you be on time?
Knowing this, you might point out that you believe in absolute integrity and transparency so you always make sure your customers understand exactly what you’re going to do and what you’re going to charge. To address the reliability concern, you could highlight the fact that you guarantee on time arrival or they get a discount (if that is in fact your policy). The primary point is you tackle these concerns head on.
Share Your Mission
If you’ve taken the time to craft a strong mission statement or set of core values for your business and those things truly reflect how you do business then the About Page is a great place to share this information.
Simon Sinek did a great TED talk about the importance of a mission statement, and it’s worth about 18 minutes of your time to listen to him if you don’t have a mission statement already.
No other place on your website is as uniquely suited to offering your “why” as your About Us page is, so don’t waste the space.
Be Yourself
There’s no reason to wrap your About page in generic corporate speak. Speak like you talk and be who you are.
You can let your personality shine through even without talking about your latest fishing trip. You do it by virtue of the words that you use and the story that you tell. You do it by staying professional while playing to your strengths.
Remind the Reader to Take Action
It may seem a little bit unnatural, but you should have a strong sales call to action on your About Us page just like you would on any other page of your website. Reading is a passive activity and readers need a little help when it comes to making the connection between reading about why you’re a good choice to actually taking action on that information and hiring you.
Put another way, this is the point in the job interview where you close the deal by actually putting out your hand and asking for the job. In your case, however, you’re going to put out your figurative hand and ask for the phone call or e-mail.
Today’s Action Item:
- Review your About Us page.
- Eliminate all of the references to fishing, your parents, your kids, and your dog.
- Apply the ideas above.
