Every business website has one. Sometimes it is terse and purely informative, and at other times, it is a philosophical work proclaiming a company’s vision or mission statement. Whatever style you may find it, the About Us page is a vital component of any business’s site, whether or not it conducts e-commerce.
Almost everyone knows what an About Us page does for the visitor: it answers questions. However, let us turn around the page’s functionality and consider how it benefits you. By going over the advantages, you may learn what you need to include in your About Us page to make it truly work for you.
1. Project Transparency
Of course, the About page does not need to tell the visitor every candid detail (it is not a personal rant blog!) about the company, but one that strikes the reader as lazily put together may not inspire confidence in the business’s services or products. Brevity and conciseness are fine, but one should attempt to answer basic questions such as how long the company has been around, who is behind the site, and what the company accomplishes. Giving at least the illusion of transparency will encourage readers to make an effort to read your content and not give up and hit the back browser button.
2. Deliver Unique Selling Points (USP)
Like within an ad, the About page is an opportunity to give the visitor your business’s unique selling point. Has your company been around for a long time? Have you won awards or other forms of industry recognition? Is the founder or leader of your business notable for some reason? Delivering these facts about your business is a stealthy method to give away USPs.
Additionally, you may list your business’s membership in different trade organizations. If you have access to the organizations’ logos, feel free to post them on your page. Believe it or not, the About page can be used to help you sell!
3. Deter Suspicion and Skepticism
Discouraging hesitation and apprehension among your visitors is important, especially if you work in an industry that has its fair share of dubious businesspeople. You must become aware if your way of doing business may strike someone as “too good to be true” if they do not have the facts. Include those facts so that the visitors understand how you make your money. Sometimes, you may need to create detailed sub-pages if you are dealing with especially sensitive business. For example, ING Direct is an online banking system that requires personal information from web users, and it must explain why they can afford high interest rates for savings accounts. Their About Us sub-pages provide a wealth of information that is intended to relieve the reader of suspicion. They explain how they sustain corporate responsibility, how they protect users’ information, how they contribute positively to the community, and so on.
Also, if you are not a huge corporation, visitors may wonder about the reliability of privacy protection on your site. Credit card fraud is a huge concern nowadays, so you should soothe this fear immediately. There are qualified privacy protectors such as TRUSTe that can help you in this endeavor. And readers love to see privacy and guarantee seals as they tend to impart a feeling of authority.
Lastly, make sure that you have a physical address on your About page, and if applicable, on your Contact Us page. If you are a new business, you do not want to strike people with the impression that you have a fly-by-night operation. Having an office and easy communicative access will encourage your readers to take you seriously.
4. Express Yourself
Many businesses feel that they have something unique to contribute. This is not about selling points, but about mentality. As a business, you have the right and perhaps the desire to simply express your business philosophy and approach. Your About page allows you to give a personal message to anyone who comes across the website to listen to your unique voice. Even your own competitors could benefit from hearing your perspective.
So take another look at your About Us page. It should be more than a place to find your company’s contact info and address. Consider your audience and their desires, and think about what you would like to say as an individual business to potential clients and customers.
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