You’re missing the ‘About’ page trick

It’s often the most looked at page on a website, after your home page. People are nosey. Or, if I’m being polite, people want to know who you are, what you stand for, what you look like…

Think about it. A website can be very faceless. But people buy from people. So you need to convey who you are and what you’re like. Here are 6 things you should have on your website About page:
1. A heading that reads something other than ‘About Us’. Yes, I’ve done this loads of times… but not particularly inspirational is it?! And given that this page is going to be looked at more than many others on your website, trying crafting something a little more persuasive. ‘Who I am & why I can help you succeed online’ for example.

2. What you do for people. Keep this brief, but give people a quick, benefits-driven overview of why you’re here – the problem you solve.

3. Testimonials. People are like sheep – they follow each other. So if you have good, genuine testimonials, share them. Not loads – just one or two of the best (if you must, you can link through to more on a separate page). If they’re from well-respected, well-known individuals, even better!

4. A picture. Unless you think this is really going to put people off (& if you do, promise me you’ll get a second opinion before chucking this idea out), have a picture of yourself/your team on your about page. Think carefully about the style of picture –it should be consistent with the image you want to convey of your business. Holiday snap with kids running riot in the background? Probably not appropriate. But likewise, a stuffy portrait shot might not be right either.

5. Your personal story. Ok, we don’t want volumes here, but give me enough to get a feel for whether I could work with you. If you’ve got experience, credentials, awards… tell me about them!

6. A request. By this stage, people should have connected. You’ve told them what you do, who you are, why other people love what you do… your visitor is starting to build a good picture in their head of what you’re really ‘about’. So make the jump and ask them to do something. Don’t be afraid to do this!! Ask people to join your newsletter list, ask them to get in touch, ask them to share something on Twitter… whatever it is, just don’t forget to ask!
Now go do… (me included!)