How to Create An Impactful About Page For Your Website

Put yourself in the mindset of a website visitor who is reading your About page. But when it comes to an About page, you want to thoroughly know your customer. What makes a great headline? The website visitor has already clicked on the About section of your homepage, so you don’t need to use that as a headline as well. In other words, tell them your brand’s story. Stories keep people interested, ensuring they will read through the page. Other business owners in your industry may know what you’re talking about, but they aren’t your customers. If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, you know I use pictures to aid my writing. An About page isn’t just about your brand. The key elements of your story should include: A killer headline A brief back story Your values Answers to visitors’ three big questions It’s also important to customize your About page in a way that’s interesting and that represents your brand.

Your about us page matters more than you think

You need to put lots of thought and effort into every page of your website.

But your About page is arguably one of the most important pages by far.

Is it really that big of a deal? How many visitors will actually take the time to check out your About page?

Well, here’s an interesting statistic.

According to a study from KoMarketing, “52% of your visitors want to see an About page.”

Without one, you’re instantly creating some distance between your company and over half of your visitors.

That’s why an About page is more important than you may think.

And here’s something else I’ve noticed.

A lot of brands (even some of the bigger ones) lack in the About page department.

Some fail to include an About page altogether, and others halfheartedly slap one together without putting any real thought into it.

Such About pages often miss the mark, which throws a wrench in the overall sales funnel.

I want to be fair and say that not everyone needs an About page. But most companies, individuals, and websites do. It’s a standard thing to do.

And it can be really valuable. As long as you do it right!

Put yourself in the mindset of a website visitor who is reading your About page.

They’ve already stumbled upon your website, so they have a general idea of who you are and what you do. However, they may not be ready to become a customer yet.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to convince them. I see many About pages on a daily basis that are boring and don’t provide any value to a website.

It’s as though some companies write their About pages as fast as possible because they think it’s just a requirement to be fulfilled.

You put much effort into scaling lead generation through blogging, which you have to update on a regular basis. But your About page will be much easier since you don’t have to update it as frequently.

If you do it right the first time, your About page will help you get more conversions and sales.

In this post I will explain everything you need to know about how to create an About page that is well crafted and that will resonate with your visitors.

Redefining an About page

First of all, let’s start with a formal definition of an About page.

According to Your Dictionary, it’s

a type of web page commonly seen on websites, containing general information about the person or organization that is responsible for the website in question, usually a description of the site’s history and mission or purpose.

Most people probably would say this definition is spot on.

But in my opinion, it has one fatal flaw.

It talks about only the person/organization and doesn’t address the needs or concerns of visitors.

Of course, you’ll want to talk about your company, its history, philosophy, values, achievements, etc.

But there’s more.

A great About page will answer some major questions for your visitors.

What types of questions should I answer?

Copyblogger nails it in this article.

Here’s their take on things.

Some of your visitors’ unanswered questions are:

What’s in this for me?

Am I in the right place?

Can this person help me with my problem?

Don’t send your readers screaming for the exit by talking only about yourself. Instead, make them want to pull up a chair, chat with you a while, and keep in touch long after the party.

How many times have you clicked on an About page only to hear a company ramble on about how awesome they are without ever answering any of the pressing questions of their visitors?

I see it happen all the time.

What you should aim for

The point I’m trying to make here is that the term About page can be a little misleading.

It shouldn’t be just about you. It should be about your audience as well.

And now, here’s my formula for telling a gripping story.

Know thy customer

I’m sure you’ve heard the Ancient Greek aphorism “know thyself.”

It speaks to the importance of an examined life.

But when it comes to an About page, you want to thoroughly know your customer.

And I’m not talking just about gender, income level, education, etc.

You need to know where your average person is at in the sales funnel.

And if they’re looking at your About page, it’s safe to say they’re in the earlier stages of the sales funnel.

The large majority will be prospects with some level of interest and minimal awareness of your brand.

Most are looking to become more familiar with you.

Not only do they want to know more about your product/service, many want to know if you share their values and beliefs.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of an average prospect and figure out what specific information they’re seeking.

This will guide your efforts.

Start with a strong headline

Your headline is everything.

If it pops, visitors will want to read on.

If it sucks, many will leave never to return.

What makes a great headline?

You should make your headline simple, clear, and benefit-driven.

Don’t waste space and be repetitive. The website visitor has already clicked on the About section of your homepage, so you don’t need to use that as a headline as well.

Instead, use a headline that enhances your perceived value.

Check out this About Us page from SAXX:

I love this headline because it speaks to the potential customer. SAXX is a men’s underwear brand. So the headline of their About page reflects consumers’ wishes.

Active style. Extraordinary comfort.

This headline is intriguing to say the least. It’s also enticing enough to make the reader continue on the page. If you have a boring headline, people may not even read your content.

The same idea is behind writing a blog introduction that makes the rest of your post irresistible.

I also share this example because SAXX uses multiple headlines on the page. As you read on, you see the second title, “How our story began.”

This makes it clear to the reader what this section is going to discuss: the founding of the company.

You will learn about it through a story rather than cold facts which is always more appealing to a reader.

Here’s another good example from Yellow Leaf Hammocks. You can instantly get a sense of what’s being offered and the benefits. In this case, high-quality, comfy hammocks.