“Who are you?” This is actually one of the most frequently asked questions a customer may ask before committing to purchasing a service or product, or they’re looking for a solution or answer from Google. This is an especially important question to answer if your business is small compared to the larger businesses. It’s important to let people know who you are if you want to stand out in your own community.
However, there are ways this can be done wrong, or instances where a lousy about page can harm your website and business’s overall online reputation. One example? The lack of an about page altogether. That’s not the only issue that can arise either. Let’s go over together why no one likes your website’s about page and what to do about it.
1: It Doesn’t Exist
This one’s pretty self-explanatory unless you really need help. See the bottom of our post on how to get this fixed!
2: It’s Boring
One of the most common issues with an about page is its content and tone of voice. If you’re not sure, put someone else in context and re-read your bio. If it reads like anyone could be inserted, then it’s in dire need of a rewrite.
It would also be beneficial to write your bio as if you’re a human being. By this we mean ditching the jargon you’re used to in the field and writing the bio in a more human manner. Using jargon will only make you come across as robotic. Your about page should reflect you at your best, not your worst.
If in actuality you’re a bit of a dork or you are funny, it wouldn’t hurt to write your about page in this way either. Remember though that humour is subjective, so always make sure to get someone else to read the page to be on the safe side.
Another common issue with about pages’ content worth mentioning is their length. Storytelling is great and works in some ways for business owners, but an about page isn’t really one of them. If the page is already looking long and you’re already bored reading it, it’s very likely your readers will feel the same way. Your readers themselves and the things that will benefit them would be good places to work on to make the page more interesting.
3: We Can’t See You
By this we mean your profile photo, or any visual aid to accompany that giant block of text you call your about page’s bio, doesn’t exist. Maybe you’re camera shy in general, or you don’t think you’re photogenic. The reality is people are more inclined to trust a service or product when there is a face behind the scenes.
Another interesting way to spice up your about page is to use a different format: a video. If you’re better represented in motion rather than still life, by all means try it out. Video is growing in popularity on social media (more on that later) so it makes sense to apply that type of content to your website—especially if video isa major part of your business! However, if you do decide on a video, make sure it’s short and sweet—not a long-winded lecture.
4: Who are You Again?
Nothing drives a visitor away from a website than the realization that despite saying a lot, it’s not really saying anything at all. Your about page is actually not all about you and you alone. It’s about who you are as a person, a company, and a brand all rolled into one. What do you value at your business? Who are you most likely to help? What services don’t you offer? If you’re a local business, how do you contribute to your community? What are you interested in? How can you help the people who are reading your about page right now? These are all things people genuinely want to find out when they’re searching for something online.
If your about page—and honestly, this applies to the rest of your website as well—can’t answer even one of those questions, your visitors will decide to look elsewhere. Nothing feels more frustrating than reading a lot of content only to discover it didn’t say anything about what how you can help others.
5: I Can’t Reach You
Most business owners now have multiple means of getting in touch with their customers or clients. The old days of the phone being the only means of contact is gone; shouldn’t your about page reflect that too? Most about pages on websites these days include social media accounts and mention of how to get in touch with you. If you’ve only provided a phone number or empty social media accounts with no activity, visitors may think—and rightly so—that you actually don’t care about what they want or need, and thus traffic will slow to a crawl before stopping entirely.
How to Improve Your About Page
The good stuff! Here’s what you need to do:
- Don’t copy and paste another business owner’s profile word for word. That path will only lead to your demise.
- Don’t be afraid to be yourself. If you have a good sense of humour, that may help you stand out more.
- Don’t be camera shy. Let your picture be taken, preferably by a professional. Use that to break up the text.
- Try using a video bio of yourself if the image and text format doesn’t gel with your business, or if you have the equipment, or you want to stand out. Again, keep the video short.
- Try and approach the page as if you were talking to another person in real life. Maybe that will help you break out of the content block.
- Give people a way to get in touch with you. Not everyone may think to go directly to your contact page; you need to give them a reason. One way to do that is to explain on your about page. If you’re more active on social media, it couldn’t hurt to say so.
- Have a website in the first place! Seriously, if you don’t and are reading this, who are you? Are you an anonymous metric? Stop reading this and get going on that website!
So, ready to introduce yourself to the rest of the world online? If so, but this requires a website in the first place, give us a call at V3 Media. If you’re looking more for an up-to-date about page but want a second pair of eyes, feel free to consult with us one on one.