With all the social media resources out there, especially LinkedIn and Facebook, do you find yourself looking up someone’s profile before connecting with them in “real life”?
People going on a first date do, and the word on the street is that many hiring managers, once they have reviewed a resume, often go straight online to get a feel for who they may be considering for a position with their company. Most often there are tell-tale signs as to whether someone will be a good fit for that company by what is on a person’s profile.
What about before you work with or hire a company? Do you find yourself going to their “About Us” page online and getting to know more about the person, or persons, you may be considering hiring to work for you, or before purchasing from them?
The fact is that most people want to know more about who they are thinking about hiring, working with, or buying from. People want to know who your company is or what your company is all about, not just what services you offer or products you sell.
So, what does a good About Us page include?
People want to know your story. How and when did your business begin, and even why? When people consider buying products or services, they, of course, consider many things such as price and quality, but they also want to build a connection with that business and brand, and they want to build trust, and they do that through the power of your story. The connection comes when the audience feels you and your business are real, and authentic.
Think of your About Us page similarly to telling someone who you have just met about your business and make it just personal enough for those reading, and especially your target audience, to really connect with you and your business.
Design will, of course, be important; you want to draw your audience in, and once you have captivated them you will want to make sure they stay long enough to engage with you and your company.
This does not call for lots of copy.
Keep your reader interested, but not overwhelmed, and keep in mind that a picture can still tell a thousand words. Your story can also be conveyed using images of your work, projects, your products, or pictures that capture who you are as an individual.
If you have been in business for a while, you likely will have received some written words of praise from your customers, and this is a perfect place to show some of those off. This gives social proof of your worth.
Have you or your business been in the news? Local paper? Now is the time to showcase any positive news clips about your business, or interviews.
You may even think of this page as being like a resume. Your resume explains who you are, what skills you have, what your experience is, lists any special skills you have, maybe shares your hobbies, and it provides references.
Have you earned any special certificates or awards? You can showcase those here too.
Once you have covered all those areas, you will still want to ensure this page is set up to perform like the rest of your website. It is a good place to generate leads by having a call to action and having an opt-in available for your audience to receive a newsletter or e-mails about special offers. If your audience has connected with you as a person, or as a business, they will want to know more about you, and your call to action: the opt-in, for example, will be a simple and easy next step for them.
Need some inspiration? Check out some of these “about us” pages.
Are you just starting out, or looking for a fresh new site to showcase you and your business? Let us help! Reach out today.