What to Write on Your Website About Us Page

The most challenging for any company is the About Us page of the website. More often than not it is the most frequently visited page of the website. So lets tame the 800-pound gorilla in the room and answer the biggest question we get asked when we are putting together a website.

What do I write on my About Us Page?

The goal of the About Us Page

Without a goal, we won't have a result or at least one we can measure. The main goal of your About Us page should be to provide your visitor with enough information so they can decide if they want to do business with your company.

You notice we did not say why your company is awesome and has achieved awards, and media mentions right?

Your company history

Whether you have been in business for a short time or have stood the test of time, how you write your company history will put your clients to sleep or will keep them reading. The difference is making it about them and not yourself. Here are some examples.

XYZ Widgets has been in business since 1960. Founded by John Smith his love for widgets

Yawn. that was boring.

How about

Since 1960, XYZ widgets have been providing a quality product and superb customer service to its clients. Our founder, John Smith, wants every customer to love widgets just as much as he did. Now owned by the son, Robert Smith, he has continued the vision of his father.

The difference is we made the history of the customer, giving them a level of expectation from the company but still put the company history in the sentences.

The Team

The people that work for you provide a feel for the company. It is a good idea to provide a picture and bio for each key team member that will be dealing with customers. Providing this information is especially helpful if you are an online business or deal with people over the phone. It always helps to put a face with a name and a voice.

Team Member Pictures

A selfie does not a good headshot make.

It is a good idea to go to the investment of hiring a professional photographer to come in and get headshots of each team member. The backgrounds will be consistent, and the quality will be better. You can even lighten it up a bit and have some fun with it.

Team Member Bios

I can not count how many times I received bios from people where they talked about their family, dog, children, what church they attended. None of this provides the visitor what they need to determine the qualifications of that person and why it should matter to them. Don't get me wrong getting personal is a good idea, just how does that help the goal of the page? It does not.

Here are some examples.

John Smith, the founder of XYZ Widgets, has two children, Robert and William. John and his wife, Sarah, were residents of Anywhere, USA for 50 years and attended First Baptist Church on Main Street. John bringing 15 years previous experience before starting XYZ Widgets. His goal was to pass the company on to his sons.

I am dying over here That was hard to write. Now as you can tell John, the founder, is no longer with us and from the previous example, we know Robert is now running the company. So let's try that again.

Our founder, John Smith, brought 15 years of widget experience when he and his wife, Sarah, started XYZ Widgets. His goal was to pass his experience and knowledge of superb customer service and maintaining a quality product to his sons. He was delighted that his son, Robert, caught the vision and wanted to continue in his footsteps. At XYZ Widgets, we are reminded daily of the promise John made to its customers and strive daily to keep his vision alive.

The second example is more company focused. If team members have a page of their own, it is okay to break it up into sections starting with the company focus bio and a personal section where they can talk about where they go to church, community efforts, etc.

The team's credentials

If your company requires or recommends that employees keep up with certifications or other accreditations, include them in a way that means something for your customers. Simply saying that Jane has achieved certification in something that does not benefit the customer. It could say something like Jane achieved her certification in xxx to further benefit her abilities to serve her customers.

Your Mission

Normally mission statements are geared toward the customer. According to Hubspot, a mission is a mission statement that declares an organization's purpose, or why it exists. That often includes a general description of the organization, its function, and its objectives. A mission statement often informs the vision statement, which describes where the company aspires to be in the future.

The Sweetgreen Mission  To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.
On their mission page, they explain how they do it by working with local farmers to provide fresh food to the community.

Warby Parker  To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially-conscious businesses.

The longer-form version of the mission reads: We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket,

Let your customers say it for you Show testimonials

Show your company's testimonials and reviews. Include first name and last name, a picture of the customer, and anything else that would prove its authenticity. We are all too aware of the companies that make up reviews.

Don't forget that you cannot use Yelp reviews on your website. Here is another post about what testimonials and reviews you can use.

Break up your content by including different types of media

The web has changed how we read. Books are even harder for us since as a society we have learned to skim content and catch the highlights. The same is true of your About Us page. Use text, graphics, pictures, video, or even a timeline to break the page up so it is easier to digest.

Speak how your customers speak Don't use jargon

For me accounting and super technical jargon make my eyes cross. Use language that your customer will understand and connect with. After all, what is the point of including it if your customer won't understand it?

Listen to your customer and use the same language they do when they are referring to your product or services. They will walk away with a better understanding of what you do and what you can offer them.

Company News and Events Use the blog area you have

If you have a blog area, USE IT! The blog area is where you can have a little fun. Celebrate by featuring an employee's birthday for the month, anniversaries, feature an employee with an interview type post, seminars, conferences, ribbon cuttings, a new product, or service offering, the list is endless.

This allows you to show the personality of your business and build loyalty with your customers. The About Us page is where you summarize what you are all about and this blog area is where you prove it day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year.

Don't get stressed out about your About Us page. It is an easy yet important feature of your website that can potentially increase your sales and conversions on your website. Another beautiful thing is that we work in a digital world so test out the content on your About Us page and keep an eye on Analytics to see how your customers perceive it.

As always, if you are hitting a roadblock on your About Us page, let us know. We would be happy to help?

Recently Updated from the original post dated 09-19-2012