Studio Lago Design desktop studio view

5 tips for a great website about page

Dec 9, 2022

If you run your own small business and have a website already, chances are you’ve spent time (too much of it) trying to work out what on earth to add to your about page or you’ve seriously struggled writing anything to go on this trickiest of website pages to create. You’ve spent house typing out a load of things about yourself that you hope your website visitors will connect with you on some level about. You might even have gone as far as to list out some fun stuff about yourself because you feel like what you’ve come up with so far is so boring or you think, well what do I even have to offer? What’s so special about me? Well, it’s time for a rethink.

There is another way you could and should be creating your website’s about page. There are a number of things not to do so that you don’t put your website reader to sleep or sound like you’re listing off your skills and experience in a job interview. The key to remember actually, is that most of your website visitors won’t read the majority of the text on your about page. Instead they will skim read it picking out individual sections and sentences, so the first thing to remember is not to launch into an essay style life story account of yourself.

Any text you do add to your website should also be nicely broken up into manageable chunks, paragraphs, given headwers and separated out with images to make it more manageable too. If you want to know more about how users read on the websites there is a whole guide about that here.

Most people hate even talking about themselves, let alone writing about themselves. It can feel as uncomfortable as that job interview question where you’re asked to list off your strengths and weaknesses. So, with your about page, let’s not go there.

Let’s start by giving you the biggest bit of revelatory advice about creating a great website about page. It’s not actually about you at all. It’s about how you can help them.

That’s right. Actually your about page should serve as another ‘sales’ page on your website that helps your website visitors see how you can take their pain points and turn them around into a way of solving their problem.

1. Talk about your values and beliefs

Your about page should be more than just listing out your achievements CV style. That’s pretty boring to read, right?! You’ll need to try and connect with your website visitors on a much deeper level than that. Instead, your about page should describe who you are in terms of your values and principles. Explain to them why the product or service you offer is important to you. Try and be transparent, open and vulnerable which are qualities that will help people really connect to you. 

To help you get to grips with this, it’s important to go back to the reason why you are running your business and why you started it in the first place. Ok, maybe you’re thinking that you started it to make money, of course! But, again you need to dig much deeper than that. Think about how you want to serve and help people with offering them a solution to their problem. This is a great way to connect to your website visitors and help them see why you could be the one to help them over the next supplier.

2. Be human

There’s nothing like some super formal, robotic and awkward website copy to make your website visitors fall asleep. Your website copy should be written to reflect who you are as an individual or team and as a business. This is where you get to inject your personality into the game. Actually an about page is a rare opportunity where you really get to open up and connect to your people on a much deeper level than just telling them how great you are, because that will just feel awkward and a bit cringey. Before you get to work on writing your about page copy make sure you’ve worked out your messaging. Think about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Instead of thinking about how you should write, also think about how your ideal clients will want to read and take in the information about you and what you have to offer. Make sure it always comes back to them. Every time.

3. How can you solve their problem?

This is where you bring in your benefit proposition. In other words, how can you help them solve their problem. You can list out all the pain points your potential clients have and then tell them exactly how you can solve their problem. Your business might have come about or your big reason why you’re running your business might even be that you ended up creating your business to help someone solve their problem. Tell that story! Rather than listing off your products and services, tell your website visitors about the story and the experience behind your business and brand and again, engage on a personal level.

4. Stop hiding from the world!

People want human connection whether we admit we do or not. In an age of increasing human disconnection, because of our very natures, there is still nothing more powerful than being the person people choose to buy from. We might not realise it but we need human connection to make us feel confident and comfortable and this comes in with buying and selling too. There might be very well established brands who don’t have bosses that show their faces every day and can hide behind their brand visuals. But actually you are what makes your business totally unique and stand out against the others in your industry. Make sure you have images of yourself on your about page. If you have a team, get them on there too. And I don’t just mean rubbishy images taken on your phone on a night out. A personal branding shoot is so valuable and can give you content to put out there for months and even years to come and is a great connector to your audience in  a human way. With showing your face, make sure to open up and tell the story of how you got to where you are today.

The photos you feature about you on your website don’t just have to be photos of yourself. Introduce your website visitors to the experience of working with you. Peel back the curtain by taking them through the process of how you work and introduce them to your work space and a bit of behind the scenes. Not only are people lazy so they’ll love this, but it will give them more of an understanding of how you work and a peek in to the experience of working with you, meaning a better and more human connection with you.

5. Why should it be you?

Ok we have talked about how you can solve their problem but why should it be you to do that? In this step, remember to bring it all back to them instead of being a CV writer which it can be tempting to do. For example, instead of listing out the years of experience you have in your field, tell them the transformation stories and case studies you have that helped your clients through the years. You might have been in the business 10 years but what do you have to show for that? How can your ideal clients know you’re the one for them on experience alone? Make sure your about page features reviews, case studies and customer stories for your website visitors to relate to and tell the story of how you have helped people just like them.

 

So when you’re creating your about page make sure to remember that it’s not really about you at all. Keep bringing it back to your ideal clients and how you can help them solve their problem and why you are the one to do that. Don’t be that person who simply lists off your achievements CV style and make that human connection by being yourself and by being approachable and relatable too.

And if you need some help, guidance and accountability on how you can do this in the best possible way for your business and your goals, get in touch to find out how I can help you improve your about page with one of my website review sessions. You’ll get my eyes on your website and a whole bunch of tips  you can use to improve your website’s performance, content and copy to get more conversions and take your business towards your goals. I’ll also keep you accountable so that you can finally get ‘update website’ firmly ticked off that to do list. Find out more about the website review sessions.

 

About the designer...

Hi! I’m Katie. Helping busy business owners create bold online brands and stand-out, non-boring websites is my jam. I’m passionate about giving once-upon-a-time-website DIYers, ambitious entrepreneurs and founders back the time to focus on doing the things they love the most in their businesses, giving them clarity in their online presence and the confidence to grow big!

Through this blog and on social media I share my advice and best practices with  business owners on how to build strong brands that will start attracting their dream customers and website that work by focusing on strategy and business goals.

When I’m not working with inspiring business owners or designing wedding cakes, you’ll probably find me dreaming of what my next meal will be, the best fruit garnishes for a gin and tonic or where we’ll travel to on our next adventure.

The latest on the blog

How to craft your brand message

Crafting a brand message is essential to connecting with your target audience and establishing a strong brand identity. Your brand message should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. So, what is your brand message and why is it important? Your branding goes way beyond just the visuals and having a brand message that’s consistent across platforms and everywhere you show up is key. You can...
Designing at desktop computer aerial view- Studio Lago Design

The Road to Branding Success: Avoiding These 5 Common Pitfalls

As a small business owner, establishing a strong brand is essential to success. There are several common branding pitfalls that small business owners often fall into that I have seen all too often in action. These can have a negative impact on your brand image and business. Avoid these 5 common branding pitfalls as a small business owner: Inconsistent Branding Inconsistency in branding is one of...
Studio Lago Design- Abstract Events Desktop website view

How to keep visitors on your website for longer

As a website designer, one of the most important goals I need to consider when designing, is how to keep visitors engaged and interested in the content on your site. A website that is able to do this will not only increase the time visitors spend on the site, but it will also lead to higher conversion rates and a better overall user experience. Here are some effective strategies that I consider...
Studio Lago Design Home

What is brand messaging and why is it so important?

As a branding and website designer, I see first hand the importance of brand messaging for small businesses. Brand messaging is the process of crafting a clear and consistent message that communicates what a business stands for and what it offers to its target audience. A strong brand message can help small businesses stand out in a crowded market, build trust and credibility with consumers, and...

How many pages should your website have?

If you're at the stage where you need a website for a new business or perhaps updating to a new and improved one, one of the questions you may be asking yourself is how many pages should it have? This can be a difficult question to answer as there isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are a few factors to consider that can help you make an informed decision. What’s the...

Why you should have a clickable email signature

You probably use email as an essential communication tool in your business, to exchange information, make appointments, and to establish and maintain relationships with customers, colleagues, and partners. With all of the email messages that we send and receive, it's important to make sure that we're taking full advantage of the opportunities that email presents. One way to do this is by making...
Studio Lago Design digital business card

Why you should hire a professional branding designer

Branding can be the key to success for any business, big or small. It’s the way your customers perceive you and your business and the experience you offer your clients when they work with you. A strong brand identity can differentiate your business from your competitors, create trust and loyalty with your customers and can make your business instantly recognisable. That’s why it is essential to...
Designing at desktop computer aerial view- Studio Lago Design

Humanising your brand

As a branding and website designer, I see how important it is to help my clients create a brand that connects with their audience in an authentic way. In such a fast-paced digital world, consumers crave authenticity, connection, and relatability. A humanized brand is one that creates an emotional connection with its customers, and this connection can drive long-term loyalty and repeat business. ...
Katie Lake Volcof of Studio Lago Design

The importance of brand tone of voice

As a branding and website designer, I get the importance of creating a strong brand that speaks to your audience. But beyond the visual aspects of branding, such as colors and logos, lies a crucial component that often gets overlooked: tone of voice. Your brand’s tone of voice is how your brand communicates with your audience, and it can greatly impact how your brand is perceived. Let’s look at...
Studio Lago Design- Claire Owen Cakes Desktop website view

Why a website is just the beginning

You’ve got a business so you need a website, of course. And a website is an essential part of establishing an online presence for any business or individual. However, it's just the beginning of a much larger process. Once your website is launched, that’s the start of something much, much bigger. Just because a website is live, it doesn’t mean anyone is going to know it’s there or just stumble...