Are you stumped on what to write on your About page? Here are some handy tips and tricks

Did you know that About pages are one of the most visited on a website? You probably hoped it would be your sales page but nope, humans are curious by nature. 

Don’t read any further.

See what I mean? Curious 😉 

This tidbit means your About page is prime real estate on your website. And you need to polish it like a broker on Selling Sunset prepping a Hollywood home for a viewing. It should not be an afterthought.

Want to know how to write an About page for a website that sells without selling? Read on…

What’s an About Page?

This is the hoodwinking part. Just like French Fries are not from France and your funny bone isn’t very amusing (or a bone for that matter), an About page isn’t really about you. 

However, most people go wrong by thinking that it is. And the result is a very awkward description of how they love cats but hate cutting their toenails. Oh, dear. Let’s not force our website visitors to swallow their own sickness. 

If you can avoid succumbing to About page word vomit then here’s how your visitors should feel after reading your About page…

• That they understand and like you more
• That they can relate to your story
• That they can trust you
• That you’re a head above the other guys
• That they want to work with you 

As always, it comes back to the Know, Like, Trust factor. You want to build this through everything you do – your About page is no different.

Your About page should focus on your customers and what they want. This is not a place for hard-selling. Everything on this page should help your customer connect to you more. It should make them feel the feels.

And, hey presto! That’s the je ne sais quoi that actually sells sweetly.

How to write an About page for a website – some tips…

Cover the basics

If you’re not sure what to include on your About page then get started by using these prompts. It’ll help you put all your ideas down on paper. 

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• How do you do it?
• Why do you do it?
• Who do you help?
• How can you help?
• How did you get to where you are?
• What challenges did you overcome?
• Why are you different?

In that list, one of the most important things is ‘how can you help?’. Your website visitor has landed on your page because they need something. Show them how you are the person who can solve their issue. 

Now that you have your rough content, it’s time to whittle it down into something that engages your reader. One of the best things you can do is to…

Tell a story

People have clicked on your page because they want to know what makes you tick. 

Use your personal story to create a connection with the reader. They will then become more emotionally invested and that’s what converts into enquiries and sales: emotions. And I don’t mean this in a cold-hearted “reel them in” way. Be honest and be yourself. If you tell your story well then people will feel emotionally connected without you having to sleaze on them.

Human beans particularly like to know a good backstory. What is your ‘why’ for setting up your business? What obstacles did you overcome to get there? What important milestones have you reached on your journey? These are all good things to include.

So, if you’re a single mum who’s fought tooth and nail to start her own photography business then talk about it. Especially if your target audience is new mothers. There could be someone in a similar situation and they will relate to you. It could be the difference between them coming to your small business for their newborn baby photos over a larger photography studio.

Include photos and video

People are nosy. Yup, I’m saying it again because it’s true. Humans love getting a peek into other people’s lives. It’s why reality TV and social media are an intrinsic part of our world now.

And, again, emotional connection is so important when choosing who to buy from. That’s why people don’t always go for the cheapest price. If they instinctively warm to someone and like their vibes then money isn’t the deciding factor. 

By including photos and videos of yourself you make people feel like they know you a bit better. They can put a face to the business. You let them into your world. 

When taking photos, you don’t need to stand against a white background with your arms folded like you’re on the cover of Forbes. Take pictures that show your personality. Go outside if it feels more natural. Or get some in-action shots of you working so you don’t feel like you’re posing. Candid pictures always feel more authentic.

It’s also a good idea to include some images of your workspace and products. And if you have a team then definitely include them, too.

Watch your tone

Reflect your personality. If you’re a spiritual life coach who likes walking barefoot in the sand and joining Kambo ceremonies then do you really want to say, “I will elevate you to your best potential and utilise my skills to help you think outside of the box.”? 

Or do you want to say something like, “Using my spiritual know-how we’ll lift your vibration and open your mind to endless possibilities.”

The sentences mean roughly the same but the first is formal and business-like. The second is warmer and more friendly.

Unless you’re a corporate business such as a law firm or insurance broker then write your About page as if you are having a conversation with a friend. Make it welcoming and interesting.

Remember to update it

People change. Don’t write your About page and then leave it for five years. You should go back and revisit it at least once a year (more if possible). We’re always learning and growing. Add in any new nuggets of gold such as qualifications.

Fly your glitter flag

Show them why you’re unique. In a business world that’s getting increasingly competitive, your About page could quite literally be the difference between your client choosing you over your competitors. 

Do you wear unicorn slippers while making your funky products? Show it in your photos. 

Are you a coach who works with cosmic energy? Weave it into your copy by saying things like “I’ll help you shine brighter than the star Sirius.”

Are you a beauty salon that loves making women feel good? List the 5 things you’ve overcome in your own journey to end up loving who you are. 

Are you a bold artist or designer? Use colours and graphics that really reflect your style.

A small word of caution though…It’s important to consider whether these facts will turn your audience on or off. There is a fine line between sharing quirks and sharing too much. Make sure your content is relatable to your target audience.

Call it what it is

Google needs to know what the page is to help with your search engine optimisation. So don’t be tempted to call your About page ‘A Peek Inside’ or ‘Peeling Back the Onion Layers’.

Calling it a slight variation such as ‘About’, ‘About Us’, ‘About Me’ or something similar is perfectly fine though. As are obvious titles such as ‘Our story’. 

Remember, KISS is always best in terms of online copy (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Other key things to include in an About page

• Put the most important information above the fold (that’s the area that visitors see before they have to scroll)
• Don’t leave them hanging – include a method of contact. Direct them to an enquiry form, product page, newsletter signup etc. People like to be guided otherwise they drop off.
• Your location. So many people miss this off their websites. If you sell to local businesses then this is especially important. It helps with your SEO, too.
• Your values. And I don’t just mean the run-of-the-mill “integrity, honesty and transparency” that everyone lists (these are important but I like to think they’re a given). Are you an eco-friendly, carbon-neutral company that uses recycled packaging? Are you passionate about diversity and inclusion? Then explain why with concrete examples. 
• Timelines and numbers. If you have any evidence to support what you’re saying then include it. These work well in graphic form too. 
• Any press mentions, award wins or customer testimonials. Proven facts and evidence give you credibility.

What to avoid in an About page

My main words of caution are to avoid jargon and hard-selling. Especially if you consider yourself a heart-led business. Keep things simple, friendly and warm.

A roundup of how to write an about page for a website…

In a nutshell, if you want to write an About page that sells then you need to go easy on the selling. 

Instead…

Focus on telling your story. 

Make it relatable to your target audience. 

Show them how you can solve their problems. 

Bring your personality to the About page party.  

Don’t talk about your toenails unless you’re a beautician. Simples 🙂 

If you want some inspiration then design gurus Canva have listed 50 great examples of about pages here.

If you still feel a bit lost then, don’t worry, this is my jam. Take advantage of my power hour and I’ll talk you through how to write an about page for a website. Book here.

What’s the difference between an okay website and an AMAZING website? 

There are two mindset shifts you can make around your website that will help you take your site to the next level, and I bet they’re not what you think they are.

No, I’m not talking about layouts, fonts, SEO or landing pages. We’re talking bigger here.

So what are these two shifts you need to make?

Always thinking about your dream clients first

Both of these shifts you can make around your website come with putting your dream clients at the center of everything you do. Everything you do in your business should really be about them, and not about yourself. This bring us to the first mindset shift you can make that will help uplevel your website.

1. Speak more to your dream clients emotions and transformation than about yourself

It can be really easy to get caught up in your own head when you’re working on your website and feel like you’re only talking about yourself, or talking about yourself too much. But although you want to share enough of yourself to help your dream clients connect with you, ultimately you need to get out of your head and stop talking only about yourself.

Spoiler: no one cares about you as much as you think they do.

Everyone is too busy thinking of themselves and their own problems!

Which is why they’re here, on your site. They have a problem that they need your help with. 

So start to shift from thinking your website is all about you, and make sure you realise it is all about them, your dream clients. Start asking yourself questions like this:

1. How does my dream client feel before they work with me?
2. What can they expect during our time working together? How will it feel? How does the process work? What should they know about how we work together before they decide to work with me?
3. How will they feel after we finish working together?
4. What’s the transformation that they can expect to have in their business and life after we’ve worked together?

When we move away from thinking we’re only talking about ourselves, and come from a place of service and love of what we can do for our dream clients, it all of a sudden feels much easier.

I don’t know about you, but I could talk about the process and transformation I can give my clients all day! Facts about me that they might find relevant or interesting…not so much.

Make this subtle shift on your website and in your marketing and feel how much more liberating and exciting it is to show up for your clients.

2. Get a fresh perspective

You know your business like the back of your hand. And better than anyone else on this planet! Amazing. However, this can often mean that you struggle to explain what you do in a way that makes sense to others.

Working with a web designer is invaluable because they will help bring the outside perspective you might really need with your website build. You can also totally get this from many other places though; how about a fellow freelancer, a coach, a peer in a group coaching program, an ideal client, or just a friend? 

Ask someone to give you feedback on some of your copy, or even just the pages you want to have on your website. Ask them how the website makes them feel, if there is anything that didn’t make very much sense, or that they had to wonder about before clicking on. Our brains like what they know, and they also don’t like to spend any time on decisions.

For example, if you have one page on your website titled ‘What I Do’ and another titled ‘Work With Me’, is it really clear to your audience which one they should click on first? How to get the information they need? If they need to think about it for even 30 seconds, it’s too long. We consume so much content these days and have short attention spans; you need to make things as easy as possible for your audience. Getting a fresh perspective from someone outside your business can be so helpful to point out issues like this!

It’s not all about you

When we move away from worrying about what we’re doing all the time and how others perceive us and our business, we come from a place of service. This helps us build a much more magnetic brand, and makes it even easier for our dream clients to feel that big, huge yes when they land on our website.