Today we have a guest post from Vicki O’Dell, who blogs over at The Creative Goddess! She’ll be giving us her best tips for writing a stand-out About page. Be sure to check out her blog for more great posts and craft tutorials!
You’ve all come across them I’m sure – the about page that is written in the third person and is about as dry as a day in the dessert.
She went to this school … She won that award … She started a business.
Did you spend time reading it? Probably not.
How do you write an about page that will be read? And why would you want anyone to read it in the first place?
Your About page is usually one of the most visited pages on your website, and for good reason.
If a visitor to your site is intrigued by your content it is likely they will want to know more about the person behind the website. This is your chance to keep them interested in what you have to say so that you can convince them to stick around and read more, to buy from you, or to engage you for whatever services you are in the business of providing.
This is the time to create a two-way relationship and not crank out a one-sided dissertation. Sure, your degree from the fashion institute adds to your credibility but there are a fair number of makers and creators in the world who haven’t stepped foot inside a college.
In your mind, try to understand who this reader is and how you can help them.
They are likely thinking things like:
Who is the person?
Can she/he help me?
Is this the place/company for me?
If you sell hand knit sweaters for plus-size women you might want to start with something like –
It’s tough finding handmade clothes in sizes larger than something a toddler would wear that don’t feel like a Brillo pad on your skin, isn’t it? But a sweater that is soft, luxurious and that fits just right? You might think you’d have better luck finding a unicorn but you’ve come to the right shop.
This tells the reader that you understand why she came to your shop – to find a good quality plus size sweater – and that you understand what her problem is.
Yeah, my example is a bit silly, but you get the point. Don’t be afraid to show your sense of humor, if you have one, but you might not want to go quite as far as the example above.
The next thing you might do is provide a testimonial or two. You might have a photo of a happy customer in her sweater along with why she loves it so much.
And now is the time to add a little bit of a biography.
- Write about why you are passionate about what you do and add your mission statement.
- Tell a couple of short and interesting stories about your background. Something that the reader will remember.
- Don’t forget to include a couple of photos – your readers, customers, clients like to see the face behind the business.
In the end, your about page will show your reader that you can provide whatever it is they came looking for. Expert advice, a solution to a problem, or a service.
And NOW you can ask them to sign up for your email newsletter or to follow you on social media. Because now they feel like they know you a little better, they trust you AND they want to hear more from you.
Do you have any tips for writing an about page?
- When is it OK for creatives to quit? - June 20, 2016
- How Can Taking Some Time Off Be Good for Business? - May 20, 2016
- Write an About Page That Gets Read - April 5, 2016
