It can be awkward writing about yourself if you’re a business owner. Do you tell your story in first person or third person? Is it too narcissistic to put yourself in the spotlight? How do you pick a good headshot to share? Writing your story can often feel like a daunting challenge of balancing how much you should share and what’s TMI. Well, get over it because we need to talk about the major importance of an About Page for your website.
How important is an About Page?
Yes, being a marketer, it sounds really cliché to constantly tell clients to “center yourself as the founder”, but here are the numbers:
- Today, 80% of the Fortune 100 tout their values publicly.
- Nearly 75% of global consumers list brand origin as a key purchase driver.
- And companies with a high sense of purpose outperform others by 400%.
Increasingly, as SEO is evolving, Google is particularly rewarding sites with great “EAT factors”: Expertise, Authority and Trust. SEO expert Marie Haynes has found that Google’s QRG states: “it should be obvious who is responsible for the information on a site” and has concluded that a lack of an about page can potentially drop your rankings drastically.
Who is reading your About Page?
The About Page is often the most visited page on any company’s website. When users are deciding whether they are going to do business with you they want to know, who it is they’re doing that business with.
44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there’s no contact information or phone number. (Source)
- Clients and Customers – wondering who they are about to buy from or hire. If your site requires them to sign up, hand over credit card information or even come into a physical space, the user likely needs to feel some level of trust.
- Employees – Depending on the size of your company, even internal employees may wonder what your company wants to tell the world. It helps them to be aligned with the mission and vision and gives them a story they can retell when asked about their workplace.
- Investors and VCs – Are you seeking funding for your accelerated startup? Here’s where you can house your pitch and attract the right investors.
- Media and Press – If you’re doing something newsworthy, you’re bound to get requests for interviews and features.
- Job Applicants – Applicants will have researched everything there is to know before coming in for an interview. Getting a feel for the company culture and potential future coworkers can be a huge reason for applying.
So the answer to that question? Everybody. Everybody is reading your about page. Especially those who are on track to becoming your customer or client.
What should I write on my About Page?
An About Page should give an overview on who you are, what you do, and why. It’s a great place to highlight your team, your achievements and your raison d’etre. Here are some ideas on what you can include:
- Founder story – It’s ideal to have a founder-centered brand and having a solid story helps immensely. (Think Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank stories). What made you the ideal person to solve this problem? What was the moment that made you decide to create a business around it? Will this be relatable to your target audience? Be honest and be vulnerable when showing the real you.
- Introduce your Team – Share photos or bios of those behind the scenes. If you have a service-based business, it helps potential clients feel more comfortable with you. Your team will shape the culture of your company too, so it’s what job applicants will be looking at as well?
- Describe your ideal customer – Maybe it feels strange to describe your customer to themselves, but you need to show that you understand who they are. The more accurately you can describe the ideal customer, the more they’ll feel understood and gravitate to you.
- Your Core Values – What you stand for
- Your Offering – What do you actually sell? Products? Services? Seems obvious, but explain yourself here. Describing why you sell what you sell helps as well. Does your product have a unique story?
- Your Achievements – Time for some social proof! List your press features, recognitions, awards, testimonials and anything else worth bragging a bit about.
- Photos – A headshot is a great start, but consider some behind-the-scenes look at your office or store. Show your company culture and share some images of your work too.
Now you’re all set to update that outdated About Page! Remember that using this page to establish your Expertise, Authority and Trust will not only attract your clients, investors, employees and media, but will also benefit your site rankings in search. So tell the world who you are!
