The About page is often the most difficult page to write. It’s easy to talk about our products all day long; after all, they’re amazing! And writing about our passions is also pretty easy – because we’re so passionate about it.
But writing about ourselves? That gets tricky.
In fact, many experts that I’ve talked to recently have said that they DON’T encourage their clients to write an about page simply because it’s not a conversion-oriented page on the website.
HOLY TOLEDO is that wrong?! Your about page is PRIME real estate for conversion… if you do it right.
But first, a hard truth…
Your About page isn’t actually about you.
That one sentence is probably confusing and relieving at the same time, right?
It’s true! Every page on your website should be about your customer, not about you. Even the one page that’s dedicated to you is really just another space to woo your customer. Unlike the other pages, though, you have to be a little more careful on this page. This is where you have to be a little more subtle with what you say.
So what IS it all about?
Your about page is about your customer’s experience with you. You can use the entire page to detail how you’ll uplift your customer’s personal and business life, how much more successful, happy, and peaceful they’ll feel when they work with you, and how you are uniquely experienced to be the one to change their lives.
To start…
Your about page starts with talking about your customer. Plain and simple. Use this space to identify with them, make them feel like you understand them, and SHOW them that you connect with the situation they’re currently facing.
Then, move in to how you can relate to that. How can you help? How do you solve their problem for them?
This is not the place to talk about your product in-depth (let’s leave that for your sales pages!) but to talk about YOU as a solution to their wants and needs.
You’re the expert here. You’re the secret sauce. And you do have the solution to what ails them… but you can only talk about that once you’ve talked about THEM.
Here’s why:
Have you ever heard the phrase “interested is interesting”? If you’ve ever watched that super cheesy Blast From The Past movie with Alicia Silverstone and Brendan Fraser, it sounds familiar.
But it’s also TRUE. When you ask people about themselves… when you show that you’re interested in their lives, their journeys, their feelings, THEM… they’re a bit more interested in you.
Think about when you’re at a networking event. Someone comes up to you and says “Hey there! It’s great to meet you! Tell me a bit about yourself!” and then continues to ask questions and engage with you. You leave feeling like you’ve made a great connection, had a great conversation, and you have an affinity for that person.
Now, that same person walks up to you and says “Hey there! I’m Mr. Fullamyselfpants. I have the best business you could ever want to solve any of your problems and blah blah blah blah blah.” It’s all of a sudden a Charlie Brown cartoon where the teacher’s talking but nobody really listens or hears what she has to say. You can’t WAIT to get out of that conversation and you’re certainly not going to call him.
The same holds true for your about page! It’s a place for you to begin a conversation – to open up a bit and share more about you (we’re all human, after all) and develop a connection with your reader.
It’s NOT a place for a glorified about-me bio that nobody’s going to read.
That doesn’t mean YOU can’t be on there.
I’m not saying that your about page should be devoid of any information about you. What I am saying is that if you want your about page to really shine… start with talking about THEM. And then any tidbits you drop about yourself… connect the dots for them so you’re always bringing the benefit to your reader into it.
YES, I want you to bring your personality into your about page. I want you to show off your family and your pets. I want you to differentiate yourself from the thousands of others out there that are vying for your customer’s attention.
But do it in a way that makes THEM feel special… not sold.
Some Advice:
- When you’re writing your “about me” page, use a personal tone that mimics the way you speak. Let your personality show through.
- Post a picture – or two – of your smiling face so your customers can see exactly who they’re going to work with. What works: a professional headshot, shoulders up, with a smile. What doesn’t work: grainy images, pictures far zoomed out so your face isn’t clear, or a headshot of you with a scowl
- Tell your readers exactly who you’re targeting on this page. Describe their industries, their personal lives, and any detail that is relevant to working with you. Don’t be afraid to be specific, detailing exactly who you want to work with.
- Use this space to reinforce your authority in this field by using testimonials, case studies, and shout-outs from other well-known industry experts.
- Don’t forget a call to action! Every page on your website should have one, and the about page is no different. Make your contact information readily available, and tell your client to use it!