One of aspect of website design that is often neglected, or even completely overlooked is the “About Us” page.
It’s often left until last, and even then some generic text is usually quickly thrown together and put up with little attention to detail.
If you’re guilty of doing this, you’re probably costing yourself money. That’s because this page can be used to really boost your company’s image and give people confidence in it.
And once people have confidence and trust in your company and your website, they’re much more likely to purchase from you.
So, what sort of things do you need to think about when designing your “About Us” page? Here’s a few tips:
Tips for your “About Us” page
Treat it as a sales page
Your “About Us” page is an opportunity to convince potential customers of the value of your company and your trustworthiness.
It’s common for people to read your page before they commit to buying from you, so you need to make a good impression.
The best way to do this is to avoid jargon and ‘techy’ speak. Just make your company seem relatable as you detail how you and your product can help the customer.
Basically, you should treat your “About Us” page as a sales page, but selling your company rather than a product.
Be a story teller
Closely related to the above, you should make sure your page tells the story of your company. Don’t just regurgitate your company mission statement, staff hierarchy or sales pitch.
Instead, describe your company and staff in terms people can relate to.
What’s the history of your company and what makes it different? How do you aim to grow it and look after your staff? How does your company intend to make a difference to people’s lives?
When doing this, use real people (with their permission, of course), and examples of what they and your company actually do day-to-day.
Testimonials build trust
If you want to build the trust and confidence that the potential customer has in your company, real-life testimonials are a great way of doing so.
Many companies have them on their own dedicated page, or just on the home page. You can put them on your “About Us” page though so that anyone reading it can see past customers saying what a great service your company provides.
As people tend to read your “About Us” page when making a buying decision, this is a great place to show them other people who’ve bought from you and have been pleased with the service they’ve received.
Add visual impact
Take a look at some “About Us” pages and you’ll see that many of them are very visually bland and boring. Lots of them are just a few paragraphs of text, with little or no graphical elements.
Don’t fall into this trap. Make your page as visually appealing as any other page on your website.
You can use attractive, well-designed images for this, even infographics that show what services your company offers and solutions to problems it provides.
A graphical timeline of the history of your company is another option.
You could even consider adding a video. If you do this though, make sure it’s relevant and is well produced and appears professional.
Let the creative juices flow
If you’re following the earlier advice, you’ll be treating your page as another sales page. So let the creative juices flow and come up with something really different and compelling.
If your company doesn’t have the capability to do this in-house, hire a professional.
Don’t forget social media
Your company will probably already have a social media marketing strategy, the aim of which will be to promote your company and make it appear in the best possible light.
Take advantage of this material that you’ve already produced by showing your latest (or most well-received) social media content on your “About Us” page.
If you don’t want to show it on your page, at least put links out to your social media accounts so that your website visitors can follow you.
Summary
While the boom in e-commerce and online shopping shows no sign of abating, the marketplace is becoming increasingly crowded. This means it’s important to stand out and be different.
One easy way of doing this is to give your “About Us” page a makeover and give your site an additional competitive edge.