Just about every website has an About page. For businesses it’s usually somewhere in the top nav, and for everyone else there’s probably a link in the footer menu to the About page. Rarely does a website have nothing for an About page. When you think about it, the lack of one is a bit unsettling. Not knowing who’s behind a website at all . . .
Which brings us to the real point. About pages are a staple of websites, yet so many organizations and businesses don’t make the most of them. You see it all the time. It’s a big missed opportunity.
You’re probably wondering what’s so wrong with your About page. It could be fine, but if any of the points below ring true your About page may need a refresh.
But First – A Few Stats That Support About Page Importance
Not convinced the About page is that important? So many people pay the lion’s share of their attention to the home page, product/service pages and landing pages, which are all important, but according to research over half of users say they want to see About page information on the home page of a vendor website. Right from the get-go, what is on the About page needs to be reflected.
A lot of people click through to the About page to see what you’re all about. And you want them to do so. Research from KoMarketing has shown that the people who spend time on your About page go on to spend 22.5% more on products and services.
Still think the About page is just there as a technicality? Let’s take a look at how to make the most of your About page.
About Page Problem: It’s Really Generic
This is probably the most common issue we come across with About pages. Many small businesses in particular don’t make use of their About page like they could. The information is super generic and could basically be on any website if you just switched out the business name.
There’s no personality, no backstory, no indication of what you’re all about.
The Fix: Tell Your Story
The About page is your opportunity to stand out from competitors, because no matter what, no one else has your backstory. You’ll immediately have an edge over competitors that went the generic route and haven’t provided any notable information.
Think about why you started your company or organization. What did you do to make it happen? What challenges did you overcome? What makes you especially qualified?
Then give an overview of where the business or organization is today. Wrap it up with a little information on your plans for the near future and where things are headed.
If you want to see an About page with personality, take a gander at why Bruce & Eddy is really different.
About Page Problem: It Contains Next to No Information
One of the best benefits of an About page is it can help you build trust with users. The more they know about the business or organization, the more comfortable they are with sharing their information, contacting you or making a purchase.
That’s why About pages with a small paragraph of content can be more off putting than reassuring. It leaves users thinking, that’s it?
The Fix: Add Essential Information
Add three sections of information: business/organization history, leadership, location. This is a good start for making sure essential information is covered. These are the details that users want to know at a minimum.
If you have media mentions, awards, special certifications, patents, etc. that’s good to include on the About page as well.
About Page Problem: It Isn’t Optimized
It’s easy to overlook optimizing the About page. Many organizations mistakenly think they can easily rank for their own business name. In some situations that’s true, but in others it isn’t. When the latter is the case, it’s a problem.
Some organizations simply don’t see the need for optimizing their About page. They focus optimization on the home, product/service and lead generation pages.
The Fix: Optimize for Your Business, Brand or Industry
Optimization should be more subtle on an About page, but it should still exist. If nothing else, optimize it for your business/organization’s name, location or industry. The keywords would be naturally incorporated on the About page so it won’t be forced.
About Page Problem: Not Highlighting the Location
As digital as the world is, physical location still matters a lot these days – even online. If you serve or are located in a certain location yet that information isn’t on your About page it’s another big missed opportunity, especially if you’re a service provider working only in your immediate area. If that’s the case you want to send all the signals you can for where you can be found.
The Fix: Talk About Where You Operate
If you work in a certain area, are headquartered in a specific city, have industrial facilities near ports – that’s all the type of location information that should be on your About page. Add a section that’s all about your location. If you aren’t comfortable providing the exact physical address just include the city name and zip code.
You can also talk about why you choose the area and what makes you well-suited to serve the area. A lot of people prefer to work with a local company, regardless of the industry.
Another thing to absolutely mention is if you are active in your community volunteering or doing philanthropic work. That’s a definite positive that users will notice.
You can handle all these changes on your own, in-house or have a web company help you out. For anyone who’s leaning toward the last option, Bruce & Eddy is here for you. We can not only get your About page looking great we can make sure the technical SEO and local SEO is good to go.
Get in touch to talk about your About page!
