Website visitors love About Us pages, which offer great opportunities to arouse the interest of prospective customers and make authentic connections. Ironically, though, the About page is one of the hardest to create.
The natural inclination is to build your case about why your organization is so wonderful, detailing all of your team credentials and accomplishments. Another inclination is to want to include a complete history of your organization. The next thing you know, you’re looking at blocks of text that others likely find excruciating to read.
Excruciating, in part, because it’s all about you. People don’t care about your history and awards; they care about how you can make their lives better. They want to know: What can you do for me?
Yes, website users like to see your qualifications, experience and expertise. But burdening them with long histories or bios does little to reassure them about how you can solve their problem.
Thankfully, fresh trends are emerging that break away from the tedious method of telling your organization’s about story.
Here are four tips to get you started:
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Start with your why
As Simon Sinek, author of the recently released “Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team,” reminds us, people don’t care about what you do. They care about why you do it. When your why and their why align, you have a client or supporter who wants to be part of your story.
As you describe your why, be straightforward. Explain how you make your clients’ lives better. Avoid bragging and using superlatives. Instead, link the facts and credentials to how you help your clients succeed.
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Show what success looks like
Give the visitors’ confidence that your organization offers what they need. Show what success looks like for the clients, not for the organization — because they don’t really care about how much money you make or what degrees you earned. Instead, include scrolling testimonials and short case studies to show how you help others achieve success.
Your why comes alive as you share anecdotes of real people, even adding humor if appropriate. A good story gives meaning to your product or service and sticks in the reader’s mind.
If you can, use video. Or, at the very least, display good photos of success in action.
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Reveal your organization’s personality
Bernadette Jiwa, author of several branding books, including “Make Your Idea Matter: Stand Out with a Better Story,” notes that you don’t want people to buy your stuff; you want to matter to them.
You want them to care about your brand. To believe in what you do. To ‘buy in.’ Part of your mission is to get those people, not everyone, but the ones you care about, to care,” she explains in her book.
People care when you show them who you are and what matters to you. Some organizations include their values in their about pages. No need to go into great detail; just a few words can suffice to show what’s behind the logo or the leadership team.
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Include quick facts and credibility points
Yes, people do click on your About page to find out key facts, such as information about your organization’s size, years in business, location, public or private ownership, and leadership team. So be creative. Use bullets and keep it short. Website visitors are skimming, not reading every word.
Final thoughts
Above all, use your About Us page to show your humanity. People connect with your candor, sincerity and desire to be helpful. An About Us page written in a genuinely personable way has the power to motivate the visitor to continue to the next page — and take action!
If your current About Us page doesn’t communicate what makes you unique, Hook PR & Marketing’s website storytelling services are for you. Contact us for details.