Almost every website in the world has one, and almost every website in the world neglects it. I’m talking about the ubiquitous ‘About’ page, that mystical would-be marketing tool.
We’re all guilty of treating our ‘About Us’ page as an afterthought; it’s usually the last page of copy to be written for a new website, and one of the hardest. It requires a balance to be struck between promoting yourself as an organization and enticing people to buy what you’re selling. More often than not it’s rushed through right at the end in a bid to get the website live before your boss comes storming down the corridor.
Not paying enough attention to your ‘About’ page is a huge missed opportunity.
Especially considering the ‘About’ page is one of the top 3 visited pages on any website. For that reason alone, we should be paying it more respect. It’s also an optimal opportunity to engage with a potential customer and, in fact, convert them from browser to buyer.
There are a number of reasons people visit your ‘About’ page: they want to be clued up about what it is your company does, see what you’re all about; or check if your values are aligned with theirs, put a face to the name. It all boils down to human connection – your business is not run by robots, so people want to know exactly who it is they’d be getting into bed with if they partnered with you or made use of your services or products.
Here are three things we believe your ‘About’ page should reflect:
Your Story (The ‘How’)
Every company has a story, and if you’re not sure how to tell yours, simply state the facts and talk about human challenges and milestones. Your story doesn’t need to be a historical timeline; it could simply be a statement of why your venture was started and what it means to you and the people who work there.
Be humble, but don’t be afraid to brag a little: part of your journey might have been landing a few big name clients – mention them. Talk about any awards you’ve won. After all, you’re still running a race in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Ultimately your story should tie in with why people may have come to your website in the first place and should demonstrate how your product or service offering meets their needs.
Your Passion (‘The Why’)
If you’re passionate about your brand and what it is you do as a company, you should not feel embarrassed to reflect this on your ‘About’ page.
Simon Sinek presented a TED Talk titled “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” in 2009 which has had over 25 million views. He spoke about his concept of the golden circle, and more specifically about how people don’t by what you do, they buy why you do it. Effectively what he meant is that if you show off your passion for what you do and share the reasons you’re doing it in the first place, people will respond positively by buying into your idea.
Your People (‘The Who’)
People are the backbone of any organization and are as important as the products and services you offer. Tell their story and tie this in with how they are best suited to provide the services you’re offering. Display your teams in creative and innovative ways that they themselves would be proud to share online.
On the subject of sharing, bear this in mind when creating your ‘About’ page. The use of videos and infographics increases the share-ability of your page tenfold so give people the tools to be able to do that with ease. Include share buttons and social media links throughout.
In summary, don’t miss a golden opportunity to use your company’s ‘About’ page to express who you are as an organization and seek to attract the sort of clientele that is good for your brand. Avoid dull trade lingo, keep your paragraphs short and really try and connect with your audience.
Your ‘About’ page shouldn’t just reflect you who are as a company, it should reflect your organization’s culture and its personality.
This article first appeared on Ignite Media.