Too often, an About Us page is viewed as just another box to check off the to-do list for a website. But it has the potential to be much more than that. When done well, an About Us page can help site visitors connect to your client’s business on a personal level, build customers’ trust and set your client’s business apart from their competition.
In this article, we’ll look at how to create a great About Us page, including:
The purpose of an About Us page
Why it matters for your client’s business
8 expert tips for creating an About Us page
11 inspiring examples of About Us pages, and what makes them stand out
What's the purpose of an About Us page?
An About Us page is the right place on your client’s website to tell their story and make a strong, positive impression.
What should an About Us page include?
Every About Us page should cover these basics:
The story behind your client’s business and why they started it
The customers or cause their business serves
Their business model or some insight into how their products are made
What sets an outstanding About Us page apart is how it delivers that information while capturing the business’ personality and values. The best ones truly bring a business’ brand story to life with engaging text, media and design.
Why are About Us pages important to your clients?
When it comes to connecting with customers, brick-and-mortar businesses have an advantage over their online counterparts: face-to-face contact. The good news is your clients’ sites can match the personal touch of even the best offline retailers by telling their stories in compelling ways.
Don’t underestimate the power of appealing to emotion. Brain scans show that when consumers evaluate brands, they’re influenced by personal feelings and experiences more than a company’s features and facts. Keep this in mind when considering how to write an About Us page for a client, and when you’re designing it. In the examples at the end of this article, you’ll see how great About Us pages use emotion to persuade.
Additionally, About Us pages often cater to a high-intent audience. When a site visitor navigates to an About Us page, it means they’re actively interested in learning more about a business. Make the most of that intent and get more conversions on your clients’ sites pages by following our guidelines.
8 tips for creating a great About Us page for your client
State what the business does and why it exists
Identify your client’s customers and what they get
Share your client’s brand story, from start to present
Introduce your client’s team
Let your client’s values shine through
Include positive press and other social proof
Use high-quality photos and videos
Include calls to action and contact info
As you’re considering each one of these guidelines, remember that 1 size doesn’t necessarily fit all. Every business is unique, so you don’t have to use every recommendation or give each of them equal weight. The goal of an About Us page is to give an engaging, personal introduction to your client and their business. Work together and apply these tips in a way that works best for them.
1. State what the business does and why it exists
This tip may seem obvious, but many brands fail to include some of the most basic information about their business up front. Or they do it poorly by describing themselves in a way that isn’t clear or is packed with jargon. On an About Us page, visitors shouldn’t have to work to figure out what a business does and its mission. Instead, give site visitors a quick overview of your client’s company and why they do what they do, in a way that matches their overall brand.
2. Identify your client’s customers and what they get
By clearly identifying your target customer up front, you’ll have a better chance of attracting and engaging the right viewers. Be sure to clearly describe the products or services your client is offering them and how customers can benefit. Many companies fall short by explaining their products or services too broadly, leaving out specifics that could convince viewers that your client is right for them.
Case studies and testimonials are also a great way to make your client’s About Us page more effective. When a prospective customer can picture what success with your client’s business looks like, they’re more likely to convert. In fact, 58% say they’re more likely to convert when a site includes customer case studies or testimonials.
3. Share your client’s brand story, from start to present
An About Us page is the perfect place to tell the story behind your client’s company: how it started, how it’s evolved and how it’s gotten where it is today. Include major milestones and what’s driven its success.
To add life to your client’s story and make it as engaging as possible, here are a couple angles to consider:
Your client’s "aha!" moment: Did the idea for your client’s business strike out of the blue? If your client woke up one day and had an epiphany, go ahead and share it. This kind of storytelling adds color to your client’s About Us and will help readers get to know and relate to them in a deeper way.
Your client’s brand evolution: Consider sharing how your client’s strategy, values or product offerings may have changed since the birth of the company. This can help show that their business is agile and able to evolve with the industry.
4. Introduce your client’s team
Including team member profiles can help potential customers put a face to your client’s team and feel a personal connection with them.
Great About Us pages:
Include short bios of key team members, including their roles, areas of expertise and outstanding accomplishments
Make those bios personal by mentioning things they like, hobbies or other interesting insights
Feature original, natural-looking photos that show team members either on or off the job, and don’t look cheesy or corporate
As an added benefit, team intros show site visitors that your client cares about their people, and that will stick in their minds when considering choosing your client’s business.
5. Let your client’s values shine through
Consumers want to know more about a company than just its products and features. They also want to know what kind of people they’re thinking of doing business with. Values help define the essence of a company, and About Us pages are the perfect place to talk about your client’s, or let their values shine through without stating them explicitly.
Recent studies show how important values are to consumers:
53% said they feel connected with a brand when they share common values
64% told the Harvard Business Review that shared values are the main reason they relate to a brand
Common values are a key component of trust between people. And when it comes to connecting with a brand, 66% of consumers say that trust is the most important feeling.
6. Use testimonials to build trust and credibility
Has your client gotten positive press? Great customer reviews? Industry awards? These kinds of testaments to your client’s excellence deserve attention. Consumers often rely on external validation when considering a business or purchasing a product or service, and giving them an easy way to see that can boost your client’s credibility—and their revenue.
7. Use high-quality photos and videos
The best About Us pages feature high-quality photos and videos. By quality, we mean large, crisp, original photos that match the look and feel of your client’s business and give site visitors an authentic picture of who they are. These can be photos of your client’s physical storefront, their team in action, a sampling of their products or services or other images that help site visitors visualize who your client is. Steer clear of stock photos. They’re essentially visual clichés and can detract from a business’ image.
Consider this: When one marketing agency tested a real photo of their client against their top-performing stock photo, visitors who saw an image of the actual client were 35% more likely to convert.
Videos are also a great addition to any About Us page because they’re engaging and memorable. According to some estimates, the average user spends 88% more time on a website with video and viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.
If your client has a video that would help prospective customers get a better understanding of who they are, their business’ backstory or their products, include it. Videos can help your target audience know, like and trust your client.
8. Include calls to action and contact info
Every About Us page should have at least one call to action (CTA). Encourage visitors to do something that supports your client’s goals, like sign up for a mailing list, start a free trial, share about their business on social media or contact sales. Brainstorm with your client to see what makes sense for their user experience and strategize the CTAs accordingly.
If a visitor isn’t quite ready to convert, ideally your client’s About Us page is compelling enough to make them want to reach out. Leverage that micro-moment and make it easy for them to do so by having your client’s contact information easily accessible. Include their email address, phone number, social channels and physical address, if they have one.
Contact info is something visitors look for but it’s often overlooked by web designers. KoMarketing found that 51% of people think it’s the most important element missing from many company websites. It should be easy to find on your client’s About Us page.
11 inspiring examples of great About Us pages
These About Us pages come f