When creating or revising a company’s website, many things are often taken seriously such as the sites logic, the design, the content, the homepage and product pages. On the other hand, the “About Us” page is usually left out. Yet, it can contribute decisively to the success of a website.
The “About Us” page is one of the most visited pages on corporate websites. We will explain why it is so important and give you tips for writing your own. So, even without being a marketer, you can easily sell your image and allow your visitors to remember your company positively.
Why is an “About Us” page important?
An “About Us” page has one main purpose: to build trust. You can do this by adding a human element to the hard facts of your offer.
Arouse emotions, arouse sympathy
In an “About” text, you should authentically tell your company’s story, your values and vision for the company and introduce your team. In this way, you offer website visitors the opportunity to create an emotional connection with your business.
Maybe you think emotions don’t count when buying hand soap or steel beams? However, it is a psychological fact that emotions are involved in every purchase decision. People are more inclined to buy from companies they consider not only competent but also friendly.
A function of the “About us” page that is becoming increasingly important: the presentation of the company’s philosophy. Customers are increasingly paying attention to sustainable product manufacturing and corporate social responsibility. Use the “About Us” page to provide identification opportunities.
Expanding skills
“Soft” factors make your business unique. However, sympathy and commonalities are not enough to entice website visitors to buy. They also need to be sure that your company has the best deal for their needs.
Therefore, use the “About Us” texts to showcase your company’s skills and experience in a condensed way and with facts, figures and data. How many client projects have you completed? Do you have any rewards to show for that? What certifications have your products received? Make it easy for website visitors to find rational reasons why they are in good hands with you.
How to craft an about us page: model and ideas
The examples of “About Us” pages show us one thing: there is no one-size-fits-all model. After all, your business is unique and this individuality should be reflected in your “About Us” texts.
Nevertheless, there are certain topics you’ll need to address. Instead of spending hours fine-tuning a project, use the following key questions as a template to create your “About Us” page. In your “About Us” text, answer the different questions in order or choose an order that suits you.
Key question 1: What is our company’s mission?
Visitors to your “About Us” page want to know who is behind the products: what motivates the company? What values does it embody? What goals do you pursue with your company?
These so-called corporate mission and corporate vision statements are part of your company’s mission statement: summarize for the website visitor, in one or two concise sentences, who you are, what you do and what your business vision is. This way, you offer readers a quick overview allowing them to decide if they are at the right address with their concerns.
Key question 2: what is our offer and how does our business model work?
What you have already addressed in your mission statement deserves some more explanation: what products do you offer? Who is your target group?
For many companies, it’s a good idea to use the “About Us” page to briefly explain to new customers and potential partners how your business model works. This transparency increases trust in your business and can be a compelling unique selling point that will help you win customers. Describe your business model in as much detail as necessary, but as concise as possible. Link to other subpages of your website to provide more detailed information.
Key question 3: What is the history of our company?
People buy from other people. Therefore, tell them how you, as the founder, came up with the idea for your business. Depending on the industry, use storytelling to create images in readers’ minds and make an emotional connection. A few sentences are enough for this.
Describe other milestones in the company’s development. In doing so, connect factual events to your company’s values. For example: why did you move your production to Africa? What problems did you want to solve with your new product?
Your “About Us” page is not a company chronicle. For each sentence about your company’s history, check if you’re conveying something relevant to the site visitor. Is what you write profitable in terms of skill, sympathy factor, or reliability?
Key question 4: Who works in our company and how do they work?
Introduce the people in your company on your “About Us” page: your team or, depending on the size of the company, the most important positions on the team. Information about previous positions demonstrates the competence of your employees.
If you want to use “About Us” for your employer branding, describe your company culture and way of working and link it to your job postings. Choose a tone that gives candidates insight into your mood and mentality.
Key question 5: Why can customers trust us?
Your company’s history is an important factor that can inspire confidence in new customers. But if you talk about your successes yourself, it is only credible to a certain extent. Let others praise your products:
- Include videos with customer testimonials.
- Include testimonials.
- List press reviews.
- Link to media reports about your business.
- Enter the distinctions and certifications.
Other tips for creating “About Us” pages
The content of your “About Us” page should stand out and bring you an increasing number of requests from suitable clients and candidates. The following structural and design tips will help:
- Link your “About Us” page in the main navigation of your site. Don’t hide it at the bottom of the page. Mandatory information such as privacy policy, data protection information or contact information are included. The “About Us” page deserves a more prominent place.
- Make your “About Us” page clear. Use lots of paragraphs so that your page is also easy to read on mobile devices. Provide in-depth information about the subpages you link to.
- Use different content formats: Offer a mix of text, images, and videos. This makes the design more flexible and takes into account the different preferences of users.
Conclusion: Effective “About Us” pages put the customer at the center
Today, a website can quickly be created for any business. With WordPress, it’s easy to get a site online in no time.
It is therefore increasingly rare for the success of a website to fail because of technical obstacles. But other typical mistakes when creating websites persist. An example: the “About Us” page is created without care and the potential is wasted. A successful “About Us” page effectively helps companies achieve their goals of attracting new customers and candidates.
If you’re having trouble getting started, use our key questions for your “About Us” page as a template. This will help you include all the important aspects in your text:
- The company’s mission and our vision
- Our product range and business model
- Our company history
- The people who work in our company and their work
- Why trust us
You decide for yourself in which order you want to answer these questions. You tell your personal story in such a way that customers are convinced and want to trust you.
- Present yourself in a way that suits your business!
- Write in a style that gives your company a competent and friendly image.
- Don’t look for a perfect template for your “About Us” text! Your business is unique and so should your “About Us” page.
Don’t worry: if the results don’t live up to your expectations, you always have the option to optimize your “About Us” texts.