Yes. Most business owners make their About page lengthy and boring.

According to an online study, your About page is the second most visited page on your website (after the homepage).

But most websites get it wrong. They start this crucial page with a long and boring corporate story, their history, how they started, how long they have been in business.

Yes we know, you as a business owner care about your company’s history, but why would your prospects care?

I know it sounds harsh, but the truth is people don’t want to read about all this stuff.

So in this article, we’ll look into what makes a great about page that does not lose the attention of your reader.

But before that, let’s talk about what you should not do on your About page.

What NOT to do on your About page

Don’t make it all about you.

We often read most about pages starting with this:

“Hi, my name is John and I dropped out from university in 1996 and started my construction company with my brother.”

Dang!! The reader is gone.

Now you’ll say why shouldn’t I talk about me – after all, it’s About us.

We understand it’s quite obvious you want to talk about yourself, your experience, and what you do. But your life story may not engage your reader.

What’s The Purpose of Your About Page

Your About page should not be about you, but “about how you can them”.

So when you’re writing the copy for the page, think about what you want your visitor to know. Write this page from your audience’s perspective.

And it’s not just about “what” but also should be “why”.

Why should they hire you? What are the benefits of doing business with you? What problem do you solve and how can they benefit from that?

What To Include on About Page

Now let’s talk about what are the sections that you can include on your About page and why each of them matters:

1) Make The Prospects Feel At Home

When you write the first few lines at the beginning of your About page, tell them they are at the right place and engage them to read further.

The best way to do this is to start with a question and reaffirm to your reader that they belong to this place.

You can use a question like this:

“Are you looking for X? Then you’re in the right place.”

Or

“If you need to solve X without Y? Then we might help you”

The purpose of the first few lines is to empathize with your audience and their problems.

Make them feel secure straight away so they continue reading further, rather than boring them with some corporate story of how you started and your journey.

2) List Out The Problems You Solve

People who come to your About page usually have a specific problem that they need to solve with your help.

Your About page has to promise the solution to that problem. You must show them what the benefits they will get when they hire you.

That must be a part of all the content on the page, from the headline to the call-to-action.

3) Talk About Yourself and What Makes You Unique

Talk about what makes you unique. Your About page is a great place to tell this.

You should focus on what differentiates you or your business from competitors in a way that is tangible and memorable to readers.

Your readers want to know about who they are dealing with, so give a little bit of information about yourself. Don’t put too much information there. Remember just make it more about them and their benefits.

Place Photos of You and Your Team:

This is a great way to show your readers who you and your team are. You can have pictures of the whole team or close-up shots of individuals with their names next to them, along with their designation and bio.

How To Build Trust On About Page

So you have read a lot about how to connect and engage your reader. The next step is to build trust with them. Well, how do you do that?

Portfolio

You can add links to a few of your projects. Do not place everything here, you just need to put something to help them get to your projects page.

Case Studies / Testimonials

Add some social proof in the form of case studies and testimonials of your previous clients and show the kind of outcomes they achieved after working with you. It builds up immense trust and credibility with your prospects.

Awards and Certifications

You’ve won awards for your awesome work. Then why not show them?

Your About page is a good opportunity to show them off. Do the same if you’re a certified member of a well-known community or association. Put their logos to let your prospects know that you’re qualified to help them.

Would you like some help?

We hope this article has been helpful for you to understand what to do and not to do on your about page and how you can engage readers and build trust with them.

If you have any questions or need our help to write and craft your About page or any other part of your website, feel free to book a 15-minute call with me.

I’d love to help you out.