I don’t need to tell you that in a world that’s overrun with blogs and online shops, standing out from the crowd is vital. I’ve found that the best way to do this is by creating a real connection with my customers and when it comes to your website, the best place to do that is on your about page. That’s why in this blog post I’m going to show you exactly how to write a great about page that connects with your readers and converts them into customers or subscribers.
- Do Make Your Readers Feel Heard
- Do Make It Relatable
- Do Give Evidence of Your Expertise
- Do Include Calls to Action
- Don’t Make It All About You
- Don’t Use Too Much Text
- Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different
The “Dos” of Writing Your About Page
Do Make Your Readers Feel Heard
On the outside, your about page might appear to be about you, but it’s really a chance to show your customers how you can solve their problems. Before you write your about page, I suggest you define:
- Your ideal subscriber or customer
- Their greatest pain points
- What you do can solve their problems
Once you’ve created this list, be sure to inject it into your about page right at the beginning so that you can immediately establish that connection.
Do Make It Relatable
Part of creating that connection is showing your readers how you can relate to them. Perhaps this means sharing small details of your life that will resonate with your audience. For example, if your target audience is primarily moms, you could mention your own family.
Another way to do this is to explain how you once experienced the same problems your readers do now. If you can establish this type of connection while also showing how you successfully moved through these problems, they’ll likely stick around.
Online marketing expert Amy Porterfield does a great job at relating to her ideal client in her bio, where she describes how she was a corporate “yes” girl before her success as an entrepreneur.
Do Give Evidence of Your Expertise
Don’t be shy! Your audience wants to know you’re someone they can trust and who they know delivers quality products or content. You can assure them of this by mentioning:
- Relevant work experience
- Relevant awards or nominations
- Relevant education
- Relevant life experience
- Relevant achievements
The keyword here is RELEVANT. So while your mom might love telling people how you were voted “Most likely to win The Voice” in high school, if you design logos for a living it’s best to leave this one out!
Do Include Calls to Action
The hard part is over! You’ve written an awesome about page and you’ve got them hooked. This is your chance to lead them somewhere, but what is the action you want them to take?
- Read your blog?
- Book a call?
- Shop?
- Download your freebie?
Effie Handmade provides a double dose of calls to action in her about page by giving her readers the chance to not only sign up to her mailing list but also to shop her handmade products.
What to Avoid When Writing Your About Page
Don’t Make It All About You
Don’t you hate it when you’re in a conversation with someone who only talks about themselves? Whenever I find myself in those situations I’m sure to make a quick exit and it’s the same with an about page. While conveying relevant information about yourself and your journey is a great way to establish a connection, what your reader really wants to know is how you can help them.
Don’t Use Too Much Text
You’re awesome and there are tons of reasons why your readers should stick around, but paragraphs and paragraphs of text aren’t going to convince them of that! Break it up with photos of yourself, fun fact boxes or quotes. Make your about page visually appealing and readers will be less likely to click away.
For example, I like to create a little illustration for each blog post so I included a self-portrait in my about page.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different
Don’t be afraid to use humor, create a video or do something other than simply write out your story. Tap into that creativity to make your about page stand out.
I love Jenna Kutcher’s Cosmo-style quiz results which are both relatable to her audience and creative.
Leave Them Wanting More
Writing your about page can seem overwhelming at first, but follow these dos and don’ts and you’ll be sure to write an about page that will keep your readers wanting more.
Speaking of which, if you want more content after reading this blog post, be sure to sign up to my mailing list and be the first to receive my weekly posts.
