Is your About Us page a missed opportunity?
Look around the internet and you’ll quickly find many dull About Us pages. Third person timelines of the company growth. Detailed explanations of the organisational structure. If this is you, you’re missing a trick and I’ll explain why.
How much traffic does your About Us page get?
Have a quick delve into your Google Analytics. In most cases, your About Us page will get more traffic than you’ve realised. For some businesses, it can be the second most visited page.
Why do we pay it such little interest then? It stands to reason that if they click on your About Us page, they’re interested. They want to learn more. What an opportunity!
And yet, so many are greeted by a long-winded timeline of the company history… *yawn*
The real purpose of the About Us page
Your About Us page is your receptionist. Your “meet and greet” man on the door. And on your website, it can be even more than that.
The page should get the reader excited about the idea of doing business with you. It should explain how you can add value. And it should tell them where to go next.
How to make it perform better
Whilst there are many ways to construct an About Us page, certain elements will help you get it right:
* Remember: it’s not about you, it’s about them
* Understand your value proposition
* Tell them how you’ll make their life different
* Add a little bit about you – and get personal!
* Highlight your main offerings
* End with a single call to action
It’s not about you, it’s about them
Do you really want to click onto an About Us page that explains in detail, how the company has unrivalled expertise in making widgets? That the experienced team reaches all corners of the globe and excels at its project management? I doubt it.
You want to know if the company can help you, with your specific problems and needs.
So, tell them.
Not sure how? Then maybe you don’t know your customers yet.
Understand your value proposition
It’s a fancy phrase, but one to take notice of. A value proposition boils down to you being clear on what is unique and desirable about your business – from the perspective of your core target audience.
Do you know what their pain points are? Do you know how you can make their situation better? It’s not simply what you can sell them, it’s how that product or service is going to add value to their life.
Take my example. I don’t just offer freelance marketing and copywriting, I help your business to communicate better. That’s what you want isn’t it? To get your own message across clearly to the right audience. To progress your business. And I know that you might be too time-strapped or resource-limited to achieve this without some support.
I also know that my unique value comes from being a copywriter and a marketer. That’s a strong combination. It means I understand how you think and the commercial implications of developing clear marketing communication.
So, what’s your value proposition? If you’re still lost, call me! I can help.
Tell them how you’ll make their life different
With a good understanding of your target audience, you’ll be able to do more than simply sell them a product. For example, you’ll be able to increase their efficiency, give them more confidence, enable them to deliver a better job – whatever the value is that you can provide. It’s not just about products and services.
Think about what “perfect” might look like for them. And explain how you can get them much closer to their “perfect”.
Add a little bit about you – and get personal!
After a more targeted start, they should be clearer on how you can help them. They should be enthused and keen to learn more.
So, tell them a little about yourself. If you must include a company timeline, think about adding it as a downloadable pdf or a link to another page.
What you tell them should generally be written in the first person (as most About Us pages should be). That’s “I” or “We” in layman’s terms. It should also be written with individuality, enthusiasm and integrity.
* Why did you set up the business?
* What is the business passionate about?
* How will the business change the industry?
* What is your vision to add value for the future?
If you can, tell it from the heart. Or at least with some personality. A bit of depth can make all the difference.
Highlight your main offerings
Are there three key services that you want to showcase? Three flagship products? Make them clear at this point, so that they understand what you’re about. Link to them if you like. But only three. This is not the opportunity for another site map.
End with a single call to action
What’s the one (yes one) thing that you want them to do after reading your About Us page? Call you? Buy a product? Read something else?
Then tell them. They’re not mind-readers.
If they get to this call to action, they’re interested. They’re your captive audience. Don’t miss the opportunity.
You might even get them to sign up to your email list. If they like what they’ve read, they’ll probably be happy to.
Are you yawning over your About Us page copy? Did you raise your eyebrows when you saw what traffic was coming to it? Perhaps we need to talk.
So, here’s my call to action.
I can help you refresh your About Us page and I can help your business communicate better. And that delivers results for you.