Every small business needs a website and that website needs to have an About page. The best About pages let visitors know about what makes your business tick. They tell potential customers WHO you are, WHAT you’re about and WHY you do what you do.
The Best About Pages Sell Your Uniqueness
Sure, you can have social media accounts for your small business but they don’t tell first time visitors much about your history, your mission, or your values. They can guess, sure. If you have a good brand, social media will reflect that, of course. But if they want to know more and dig a little deeper they’re going to look for a link to a website to find your About page.
The best About pages tell a story. They let visitors know if you are a business they want to give their money to. In today’s marketplace, your values are what set you apart from the competition. Because it’s not just about what you’re selling, it’s about how you got there and how you continue to operate. Customers want to feel a connection to, and identify with, the companies they buy from these days. They want more than a product or a service. They want your values to align with theirs. Thus, an About page is where they navigate to. Plus, About pages signal transparency. And transparency is absolutely essential in a world where people don’t automatically trust what you say you’re selling.
The “About Us” page is one of the most widely visited pages on most websites (often second to the homepage). It’s especially frequented by people who haven’t interacted much with that company before. (Read: people who haven’t purchased yet.) That means the copywriting on the About page can mean the difference between customers trusting the company and making purchases versus, well, not.
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The Best About Pages Reflect Your Core Values
Having the best About pages requires that you don’t just talk up your product or service. Prospective customers want to make sense of what you do. Sure, you want to make money and be successful, but customers don’t really care about that. There are other good products and other successful companies out there. A lot of them. What makes you different?
Your Mission
Your mission is about the WHY behind doing what you do. It is driven by your passion and your purpose. Why did you start your company? Why do you use the methods you use? Are your products created a certain way for a reason? What inspires you? These are all part of having a mission.
Your History
Within that mission there is a history. This history creates a proven track record. Your history is what inspired your mission. Your history also shows how you’ve grown and the work you’ve put in. Don’t be afraid to tell your story.
About Pages Should Also Show Proof of Those Values
Let your About page visitors know how you practice your core values with examples. How do your core values and mission come into play in how you do business? How are these values reflected in your products and practices?
In other words, practice what you preach. And prove it!
Getting Personal is Part of Creating the Best About Pages
Along with your history and mission, you can get more personal. It depends on your company and its structure, but if you have a staff and a company culture you can share this too. This doesn’t have to mean that you need to focus on buzz words like Team or Family. If it doesn’t feel authentic, don’t use this tactic. But if you really are a team, a family, or have a strong culture as a whole, let it be known!
Your Staff
About pages that include information on a company’s staff are well suited for creative and service based organizations. In these cases, the staff IS the company essentially. For example, if each member of the staff has special skills or a niche, then potential customers will want to know that. If you have this type of structure or organization, letting visitors get to know your staff is a great feature to include for the best About pages.
Who You Are
If you have a small company or are an entrepreneur or solopreneur, your best About page will include some personal information about you. Yes, you! You can talk up your accomplishments, speak on your goals and let visitors know all about what you love to do, including hobbies outside of your work. This usually comes in the form of a bio. But that bio can be on your About page.
All of these things are a recipe for creating the best About pages possible. You don’t have to use all of these elements but you need to have something that lets potential customers know who you are and what you are all about. Because, as mentioned, to separate yourself from the competition you need to be unique. Consumers want transparency and ethical practices from those they give their money to. So, let them know why they should give their money to you.