8 Mistakes Business Owners Make Creating Their 'About Us' Page Be ready to tell your story to the people curious to hear it.
By John Rampton Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Despite being probably the most visited page on a business's website, the "About Us" is often overlooked. It's an afterthought following more seemingly important content and product pages.
The fact of the matter is that your "About" page is very important. It introduces your business to website visitors, tells them what exactly it is that you do and builds the rapport and trust that drives conversions. Optimizing your "About" page will boost conversions.
Correct these eight common mistakes too many business owners make when designing their "About Us" page.
Relate: What Your 'About Us' Page Isn't Doing
1. It's all about you, you, you.
Obviously, you need to tell your businesses story. Remember, visitors are curious to learn about you, what you're doing and how you can make their lives better.
Unfortunately, a lot of business owners just go on and on about their accomplishments. They tell their entire life story without really explaining what their business does.
Tell your story. Avoid the generic corporate speak and show off your personality. Have fun while explaining what you do and how your business solves a pain point.
If you're stuck, answer these questions when creating your "About Us" page:
- How did your company get started?
- Who are the founders?
- What gave your the idea to start your business?
- What are your core values?
- What motivates you as a business?
2. No description of your website's purpose.
Your "About Us" page is where you display your products, services and tell what makes you one-in-a-million. Don't be afraid to show off a little bit here.
Accurately describe to your visitors what they can expect on your website. Provide information about your products and services. Let them know they've arrived at the right place. Describe what separates your business from your competitors and why people work with you and buy your products.
Related: 10 Tips to Craft a Sizzling Ecommerce 'About Us' Page
3. There aren't any visible opt-in forms.
Even if your "About Us" page isn't the most popular page on your site, there are still a lot of people landing on it. Without an opt-in form those people will probably never return. That's money going down the proverbial drain because email marketing is gold, Jerry! Gold!
An opt-in form will capture these visitors and convert them into email subscribers for your newsletter. Once you have these readers on your email list, send them relevant content about your business. Engage with them until they become paying customers.
Related: 6 Ways to Build Your Email Subscriber List
4. All plain text without visuals.
The human brain processes visual content 60,000 times faster than text. To make a solid first impression on your visitors eliminate that wall of text on your "About" page. Most people won't have the time or patience to read large text blocks, especially on a mobile device.
Compose shorter paragraphs, use headlines appropriately, organize with bullet points and liven it up with photos and videos of you and your team in action.
5. Not directing to your most popular pages or products.
Pop quiz. How will visitors know to go to your most popular pages and products from your "About" page if you aren't directing them there? Short answer: they won't.
Your "About" page is the perfect place to feature your most popular blog posts, categories of content and top-selling products. Recommend where readers go after learning about you and your business.
Related: How to Turn Prospects into Customers with Your Landing Page
6. Not leveraging social proof.
Social proof is probably the most effective way to build credibility, trust and authority. Proudly display testimonials from previous clients, links or logos to publications where you've been mentioned, even screenshots of social media shout-outs about how incredible you are.
Are you boasting? Maybe just a bit. But you've earned, so don't be shy.
Related: Online Reviews Are the New Social Proof
7. Too much information.
You're not writing "War and Peace" here. Your "About Us" page should be concise, ideally 300-400 words. If you're having trouble winding down your "About" page, use your elevator pitch as a guide.
8. No contact information.
This can be a costly mistake. At the very least, your "About Us" page should include an email address and social media handles. Help your visitors contact you if they have any additional questions or concerns.
This is particularly important for solopreneurs. Plenty of visitors will want to find out more about your services and how much you charge.
