Your website needs an “About Us” page.

It is a must-have page for all business websites. No question, no discussion.

After the homepage, the “About Us” page is usually the most viewed web page. It is where people look to see if you’re real, they can trust you and whether to take you seriously. Get it wrong and you could be turning people away before they even see how your products or services are right for them.

It is one of the most popular pages, yet ironically, it is often the most neglected by many businesses. We’ve been in the web development business for a long time, and we’ve had clients from a wide range of industries. Believe us when we say “About Us” pages get very high click rates.

If you’re not sure how to write an About Us page that is effective, then read on. We’ve put together a content guide with nine pointers to help you organise and consolidate your thoughts and avoid some very common pitfalls. Got questions? Email us about writing web copy that works.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so here’s how to write an About Us page that’s effective. 

1. The “About Us” page isn’t about the company; it’s about the reader. Often “About Us” pages are a boring, self-serving mix of “me me me” and “us us us”. Don’t do it! What readers really care about is themselves. They want to see what you can do for them. How wonderful your products and services are and how nice everything looks is of little importance. Rather than writing about what you do, tell customers what solutions and benefits you can offer, prove to them that you have what they need. Don’t say “we, or us” say “you”.

2. Avoid being too formal. Writing in a conversational voice is far more appealing than the stilted, formal style many writes use to try and build credibility and trust. Not only can formal writing be tricky to follow, it can easily backfire, making your business look aloof at best and dodgy at worst.

3. Be very wary of the best, most perfect, outstanding superlatives and it’s as-good-as-it-gets, cliche-filled hyperbole. A salesy and overly self-congratulatory page won’t establish the rapport you need. Put the reader first, use plain language, and communicate what customers really want to know: how you can help them. Using short, punchy sentences.

4. Think industry jargon makes you sound clever clogs? Think again. People want no-nonsense explanations about what your business does. If they can’t work out what it is you do, how will they know they need your product or service? It’s crucial your “About Us” page says what goods or services your business provides. This might seem like a no-brainer, but the many web pages I read are so full of marketese and blah-blah, they often leave me with no idea what the business actually does. Think I stick around to read more and find out what they really do? No. You need to say what you do, and you need to say it in a way that’s easy to understand. This page is all about what makes your business special. Avoid business babble and try to get rid of jargon.

5. Don’t just copy-and-paste your company mission statement onto your page. That might look great to the execs, but it doesn’t mean anything to anyone else. Explain your core business using plain English in an engaging way. Be you. Be warm and be approachable. The more your “About Us” sounds friendly and real, the more effective it will be in connecting with visitors.

6. Every business has a story to tell. Stories can establish a sense of connection, humanise your brand and, most importantly, provide context and meaning for your product. Tell the story of how your business came into being. Cover who the key players are, the beliefs and principles that shaped the business, and details about your team.

7. Users want to know that you’re a real, viable business: one they can trust. You want your business to come across as human. Including images on your “About Us” page isn’t just about making it look pretty – although that helps, of course – it’s about building trust. Readers will be evaluating your site and putting a face to the name gives it a credibility-boost.

8. This page shouldn’t be a biography, resume, or company background page. Yes, of course you can include biographical and background information, but your story needs to be presented in the context of how you can serve the customer. Show readers you have the products or services they need, and an effective team available to provide them.

9. The onus is on you. Readers are on a fact-finding mission. Most people coming your website know nothing about your business; they are there so you can tell them what they need to know to make a decision. If they don’t get all that information, the fault is not theirs.

If you are just slapping up a picture of your team and rewriting your company’s mission statement, you are underutilising an important page on your website, and that is a brilliant way to make sure your company stays invisible.

The “About Us” pages see lots of action. Do not underestimate its importance. Invest the time and energy to craft it well, and you’ll be rewarded with improved sales. We’re here to help with how to write an About Us page, so if you would like the Geek Free team to either write or load web content for you, email us about our web copy packages.