How to write an About Us page: Top tips for beginners
Learning how to write an About Us page that sticks with your potential customers is one of the most important steps in building an engaging online brand. Today’s customers want to engage in meaningful relationships with the companies they buy from, which means getting to know you and your team.
An About Page isn’t just another item on your checklist when designing your online store. It’s a way to generate affinity with your target audience, and differentiate your business.
However, many companies struggle with getting this page just right. They treat the content as an afterthought, and fail to have an emotional impact on the right prospective customers.
Think of it this way, have you ever walked into a brick-and-mortar store, looked around quickly, and walked out because you didn’t feel welcome? Maybe you could tell with a glance that the business was not one that would meet your expectations.
The same thing can happen to internet users when they check out your About Page.
What is an About Page?
What is the purpose of About Pages?
Before we look at how to write an About Us page with a lasting impact, let’s define what this website component actually is.
An About page is a page on your website where your visitors get to know you and your business. It is a place where you introduce yourself and your brand to the people you want to reach.
The purpose of an About Page is to convey the mission, vision, values, and personality of your brand to your customers in a succinct format.
An About Page introduces your company, what it does, and what it stands for in a brief statement, as well as offering insights into the primary people within your team.
This helps to humanize your brand, while simultaneously explaining what makes it different from the countless other companies on the market.
Why is an About Page so important?
While some companies attempt to “skip” the About Page when designing their website, this is rarely a good idea. After all, it’s the first real introduction your customers have to your brand essence.
While your logo and brand name can offer hints into your brand identity. Your About Page outlines exactly who you are and what you do in a clear and convenient way. It communicates the story of your business, why you started it, and the services you provide.
It tells visitors why they should choose you over countless other online entities.
The About Page is your chance to give your customers an emotional and engaging insight into your business, so you can convince them you’re the right partner for their needs.
What should I say on my About Page?
About Us page examples
Learning how to write an effective About Us page means knowing what kind of content you should include. Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all here.
Some of the best About Us page examples include timelines, highlighting the growth of the company. Others focus on introducing each employee individually. The key to success is introducing what makes your brand special.
Here are some of the points to include on your About page…
1) Clearly outline what your business does
On the About Page of Tailor Brands, just a quick glance lets you know in large print that “We help people turn ideas into businesses.” Immediately, visitors know what to expect from the company, and what their brand mission looks like.
Next, the page clearly informs people of the exact nature of its business:
“We are an all-in-one platform that helps millions of people around the world turn their ideas into businesses. Our mission is to make business creation easy, fun, and accessible to everyone.”
From its About Page, you learn that Tailor Brands empowers “small businesses to successfully launch, and give them the roadmap to grow, grow, grow.”
2) Tell your brand story
Your brand story is essentially the history of your business and where it came from. Where and when did you begin? How long has your business been around?
Home Depot provides an excellent example of this. The page tells us the hardware store first opened in 1978. Today, they have 2,300 stores and Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the world.
This is your opportunity to tell your visitors what makes your brand unique. Photos of founders and team members accompanied by brief bios allow the visitors to make a personal connection.
3) Let your core values shine
Your brand’s core values define the way you do business. A company’s core values have been defined as a clear statement of the organization’s vision, mission, and principles.
Some core principles customers look for when deciding to purchase goods or services from a company include:
- Integrity
- Fairness
- Accountability
- Teamwork
One good example of this is the business Saucony. On its About Page, you learn that Saucony, established in 1898, is now one of the world’s leading companies selling running wear, primarily running shoes and other running apparel.
This page clearly conveys the organization’s core values:
- Good health. They support their customers from “sole to soul.”
- Building good communities. Saucony advocates for “building a greater good in the running community and beyond.”
- Shopping local is encouraged.
- The organization has a charitable foundation.
- The company is committed to sustainability.
4) Explain how your product / service helps
Cut through the noise and explain simply how the product you sell or the service you offer will help your website visitor. The about page at Boom! By Cindy Joseph cuts to the chase and tells you immediately, in large print what the product is and how it helps.
It says:
“BOOM! by Cindy Joseph is the first pro-age cosmetic and skin care line for women of every generation. Made with only quality ingredients, BOOM! is a groundbreaking cosmetic and skin care line that enhances the natural beauty of every woman—in every phase of life.”
The page also explains the product is designed to dispel the myth that we should be anti-aging. Instead, a Pro-age revolution is encouraged and defined as “creating a larger cultural understanding that as we age we become happier, healthier, wiser and more authentically ourselves.”
The page continues by listing the company’s products, describing each product, and explaining how the product helps women of all ages.
How do I write a good About Page?
Learning how to write an effective About Page can take some practice. You need not just a good understanding of your business, but a clear view of your target audience too.
The best “About” pages are meaningful, insightful, and brimming with useful information for your customers.
Here are some quick tips to ensure your About Page hits home:
Plan and prepare
Don’t underestimate the importance of your About Page. Give it a lot of thought. A survey conducted by a company called KoMarketing revealed that more than half of those who responded reported the first page they visit on a company’s website is the About Page.
Give your brand a story
How did the company come to be? Why is it in existence? What are the company values and philosophy? Tell the visitors about yourself and how you decided to go into this type of business. Build rapport.
You could even share your personal struggles and how you got to where you are today. The idea is to make a connection and make the visitors feel that your product or service is the one they want.
Use the right tone of voice
Avoid sounding like a stuffy, unapproachable professional. Be honest. Be straightforward. Use your own voice in your writing. Visitors are looking for someone they can connect with.
Maintain a human voice which matches the personality elements of your brand. Remember to connect with your audience.
Focus on value
Rather than simply talking about how amazing your company is, focus on how it’s actually going to benefit your target audience. Your customers want clear insights into why your business is right for them.
Concentrate on the benefits and outcomes you can deliver. Give your customers a way to resonate with your brand.
Use effective visuals
When creating your About Page template, make sure you leave room for images. Pictures of real people from your team help to humanize your brand and strengthen emotional connections.
Smiling faces are particularly effective at reaching your audience on a deeper level. Try to choose photos which make your brand seem more approachable and friendly.
How long should an About Page be?
The answer to this question is complicated. Most of the pages of your website will be relatively concise. Packing too much information into a single page can easily overwhelm your reader, and make it harder for them to connect with your brand.
It’s worth taking some time to assess the About Us page examples produced by other companies in your industry, to get a sense of how long their copy might be. However, feel free to experiment.
You can always use heat-tracking tools and analytics to see how much of your page your customers actually read.
A good way to reduce some of the content on your About Page, is with design. You can create a grid of pictures with your members of staff, and allow users to click on them when they want to learn more, rather than just listing blocks of content.
Create your About Us page template
Learning how to write an About Us page that hits home can seem complicated at first. However, it’s one of the most important things any company can do to ensure they connect with their target audience. Your About Page is a critical tool for engaging your target audience and building emotional connections.
This page should never be an afterthought. It needs to be carefully planned and implemented, to help you reach your customers on an emotional level.
Before writing your own, review About Us pages that are successful and then get to work creating your own, personalized About Page that will set your business apart, in a good way, from all others.
Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.