How to utilize About pages on your site.

 

Branding is everything these days. Whether it be your personal brand online or your business persona, making sure you send the right message is huge.

When we look into site analytics for really any industry any about us page or staff page is going to be in the top 10, if not top 5 most visited pages on any website. That’s just a fact! So many of my clients often over look this section of their website when really they should be capitalizing on it. They are missing out on an organic way to talk about your business and tell a story.

Generally visitors who are going to your about us page are users who have heard your name through another avenue and need to find out more about what you do. These users could have heard your business name through industry connections or even through some marketing material but either way, they are looking to know more about what you are about as a business. So at this point they are already intrigued by your business, why not try to sell them on your brand by giving them more information?

When worked on this page within your business URL start thinking about what message you are trying to send or how you are trying to make people feel. What sort of connection are you trying to establish? This page should include some of the following topics.

• Who you are
• How your business came about. Tell your story.
• Information about what you do as a business from entry-level language.
• Top-level products
• Business partnerships you may have (affiliations)
• Community involvement – any sort of volunteer work you do as a business or events you regularly attend.
• Why they should work with your business instead of some other business in the same industry. Tell your users something that sets you apart.

When we are talking about the message you are trying to communicate, think about a tagline or slogan. That normally helps establish the tone. Write like you speak. Keep it true to your business’ tone. Opening lines can do a lot to draw a reader into the page and then through the site. Make sure you are showing your personality. Just keep it covered in your flare. Crafting an ideal About page is hard because there’s a fine line between comfortable and selling your brand too much like a sales pitch. By talking to your audience about what you do locally and not just all about what you sell, you will gain more authority and establish a different tone. This is what I would recommend.

Some other helpful tips:

• Write it in first person.
• Keep it relatable
• Keep it conversational
• Keep it concise. No need for a novel.
• Cut out your industry jargon. Your user might not know what you are talking about.
• Talk more about your interests as a company than qualifications.
• Try to include something about the reader. Maybe a call to action or a note about how you are looking forward to working with them.

To really set your About page apart there are a few other things you can do. Use photos. They can help to intrigue your visitor but also break up the space. Another thing would be to add your newsletter or email contact to that page. They are already interested enough in your business/brand so you might as well give them a place to connect with it. The other side of that would be to include your social media links. It’s an easy integration. They can go to your pages and learn even more about you and your business. It’s an easy way to connect your platforms and your interaction with the visitor.

These notes can all be applied to writing a personal bio for your site as well. Be you. Keep it written in your language and your tone because it speaks more about your brand.

Moral of the story = Stop ignoring the facts. Optimize your About section on your business URL and give users the information they need to know all in one place.

Party on. Ambushed.

Resources:

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/crafting-perfect-about-me-page-infographic

https://moz.com/blog/9-simple-tips-for-making-an-about-us-page-that-works-for-your-brand

http://www.writingforseo.org/killer-about-us-page/

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/optimize-important-website-pages