Most websites have an ‘about me’ page. Why? Because we’re nosy.
Business is all about trust, and an about me page is your chance to showcase what makes you unique and build a connection with your ideal customers.
You may have a badge proudly displayed on your homepage that says you’ve been awarded gold for health and safety, and last year you raised ten thousand pounds for the blind, three-legged dogs trust. That’s great, but I want to get to know you.
Why should you spend time on your about me page?
If somebody has visited your website, chances are they have a problem that needs solving. Here’s an example:
I need a florist for my wedding. If you type ‘wedding flowers Northumberland’ into Google, there are hundreds of results. I pick five based on the design of their website, the portfolio page, and my budget.
What’s next? I head to their about me (or us) pages.
One business says that it’s the recommended florist for my chosen wedding venue – perfect, they’ll know exactly what I need.
They trained and lived in London before moving to the North East. Me too!
Their favourite thing to work with is foliage. Thank f**k for that. If I see another florist talking about peonies as their favourite flower, my eyes might bleed.
They have a side business making floral collars for dogs that are modelled by their adorable labradoodle called Patch.
Right, I don’t just want you to be my florist, I want to come and work for you!
That’s why you need an about us page. It presents an opportunity to build a connection with a potential customer.
Spoiler alert: it’s not actually about you
Sorry to break it to you, but customers are not really visiting your about me page because they want to read about you.
But wait, what? Let me explain…
You aren’t that interesting (well, your mum probably thinks you are). All your potential customers want to know is that you’re the person who can solve their problem.
By intertwining what services or products you provide with funny or personal snippets of information, you appear more likeable, relatable, and present an opportunity for people to connect with you.
My five top tips
When creating an about me page, people often make one of two mistakes. They either:
Have a very brief, professional bio.
Or, they have written about life, the universe, and everything in-between.
It’s important to find a balance between the two, but how?
1. Tell them what you stand for
What makes you get out of bed every morning to work on your business? Tell them why you do what you do.
You might be selling the same product as your competitors, but if you explain what your motivations are and how you think, a potential customer will be more likely to trust you.
2. Create a story
It can be tempting to follow a traditional story structure with a beginning, middle, and an end, but this is usually far too long for website copy.
Instead of a page-long description of your life story, try using bullet points. For example:
“After years of working in soulless corporate jobs, I:
…Took the leap and quit my job.
…Decided to spend more time investing in myself and developing my skills.
…Switched to a career that I was incredibly passionate about.
…Realised I could help others by empowering them to do the same.”
This way, you can effectively communicate everything across to the reader while allowing them to stay focused. If you feel it’s necessary to expand on a certain point, why not write about it on your blog and link to that instead?
Not sure whether to include something in your story? Simply ask yourself: “What’s the benefit?”.
Does it inspire the reader?
Does it educate them?
If the answer is no, then don’t include it.
3. Know your customer and their pain points
This is why having a niche is important. You need to know exactly who your customer is to be able to talk to them and explain what your solution is.
Does the story back-up a claim you’re making?
As soon as they reach your site, you want them to recognise that it was created for them.
For example, if you run a coaching business for start-up female entrepreneurs, you might write something like:
“Running your own business is exciting, but also kind of scary, right? Instead of concentrating on the fun stuff, you know, like being the boss, nobody told you that you would also become the all-in-one marketing expert, finance chief and customer services manager.
Don’t panic. I’ve been exactly in the same position as you, and I know that it’s hard. I’m here to tell you that with my tried and tested business plan and a positive mindset, you can take the leap from five-figure entrepreneur to six.”
The beginning of this example gets straight to the point by presenting a negative situation that the reader is probably dealing with right now, while the second addresses how you can help them with that. Being this obvious allows the reader to instantly connect with what you’re saying, and understand that you’re what they need to fix their problems.
4. Include a photo
Don’t be scared to share a photo of yourself.
I come across so many about me pages that don’t include photos, but people are unlikely to build a connection with you if they don’t know what you look like.
If you’re worried you don’t have a picture that looks professional enough, see if you can find a local photographer and ask about headshot packages. If you can, it looks even better if you can get some professional pictures of yourself in appropriate locations that you can then use across your website.
5. Don’t forget your call to action
Once you’ve nailed your storytelling, it’s important to include a call to action (CTA).
This could be asking them to say “Hey” on your Instagram, or it could be inviting them to subscribe to your newsletter.
What you don’t want them to do is spend the time reading your fantastic about me page and then forget all about your website after they leave. By including a CTA, you’re ensuring that you still maintain contact with them.
(Don’t forget to sprinkle a CTA in several places on your about me page as people tend to skim read.)
Final thoughts
Be honest, be unique, and keep it simple. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone – it’s better to stay authentic than put on a front that you think your customers want to see.
And, if you’ve read this and still think it sounds like too much work, why don’t you get in touch and see how I can help?
Laura Bracher 