It’s often the lengthiest page on a website, and almost always trails the rest of yourcontent in hits. It’s also the most subjective, and therefore the most difficult to balance between too little or too much information.

So why is the About Us or Biography section so important? How do you know if yous is effective? And, most importantly: If it’s so difficult to write and receives so few hits, why have one at all?

‘About Us’: The Gateway to Brand Advocacy

Before going any further, it’s important to understand the true purpose of the About Us page. It is, after all, only viewed by a handful of visitors on nearly all websites, and even then mostly by returning visitors.

To understand the benefit, you must understand something that most long-time business owners will be able to tell you: In most businesses, a small percentage of your clients provide a large percentage of your income, be it directly (in sales) or indirectly (through referrals). This holds true across most industries, and tends to be a combination of customer satisfaction and brand identity.

Think of your ‘About Us’ page as a gateway leading from occasional buyer to brand advocate. Most who want to learn more about your business are already sold on your product or service; if they’re going to invest the time into reading up on you, it means they want to see how they connect to your brand on a personal level.

How-To: The ‘About Us’ Holy Trinity

To write an effective ‘About Us’ page, you need to know three things:

Know Yourself

This might seem obvious, but you might be surprised how often an individual or company will try to ignore who they are and where they come from, instead treating the About Us page as another sales pitch, hurling around buzzwords and bullshit like it’s going out of style. (Which it is, but that’s a whole other topic in and of itself.) If your About Us or Biography page is not firmly grounded in solid reality, you could very well come across as cold, faceless, or even disingenuous.

Know Your Audience

Every business, old and new, has volumes that can be written about their history, their experience, their staff, their philosophy, and their future. Unfortunately, text is a daunting medium in the digital era, particularly now that mobile devices are coming into favour. Understanding what your audience wants to hear helps keep your copy short and effective.

Know Your Role

Another important aspect to take into consideration is context. What role does your company play in your readers’ lives? How will your About Us page colour that role? How do you fit within your marketplace, alongside your competition? What makes you stand out? All these questions should help you shape and frame your About Us content.

How Well is Your ‘About Us’ Performing?

There is only one surefire way to really tell if your About Us page is effective: Ask.

Present customers who are already ‘high rollers’ within your customer base with either sample copy or multiple versions, and listen to their feedback carefully. After all, they represent the demographic most likely to become loyal brand advocates. Their feedback can help you tweak and shape your copy to best appeal to anyone else who might like your brand.

Conclusion: It’s Worth ‘About Us’-ing. And It’s Worth ‘About Us’-ing Right.

About Us pages will never be viewed by everyone: they exist for your current and future top customers. After all, the time a visitors spends reading through your entire About Us page is an investment in your company. A well-written page that matches your personality, demographic, and position can earn you a life-long advocate.
About pages need to be thoroughly researched and carefully crafted. We recommend you find a professional copywriter to, at the very least, edit your ‘About’ content to make sure that your best clients are getting the best brand experience possible.

Do you have any questions about About content? Do you disagree with any of these points? Leave a comment below. Do you need an About Us page, with or without a website to wrap around it? Contact Us today!