The Importance of the About Page – And How to Do It Right

There’s a reason why practically every website template includes an About Us page. Although they don’t necessarily generate leads or sales directly, these often-overlooked pages can have a transformative effect on the way your company is perceived. And you know what that means: in a roundabout way, more leads and more sales.

In this guide, we’re going to cover the reasons why the humble About page is so important and the benefits of getting it right, before offering a bunch of handy tips to help you get started.

Why is the About page on a website so important?

When you visit the website of a company you’ve never heard of, which page do you head to first? We’re willing to bet that much of the time, it’s the About Us page that gets your first click.

According to a study from KoMarketing, 52% of people want to see detailed information about a company when they visit its website for the first time. They’re not fussed about checking out products or getting a quote – they want to know who they’re dealing with first.

Who can blame them? With so many different businesses out there to choose from (some of which are more reputable than others), why would they spend money with a company they don’t trust?

The About page is largely where this trust is built. It’s a place where a business takes on personality – a place where you can meet the team and get a feel for what the company is all about. It’s a doorway into who you are, what you do, what you stand for and what you’ve achieved.

Is an About Us page good for SEO too?

Although About pages are predominantly used to build trust and drive conversions, they can be used to benefit your site’s search performance too.

An About page is the perfect place to link to your services, accreditations, case studies or best-selling products, reinforcing your internal linking structure and giving search engines a clearer picture of your site’s content.

Quality ‘About us’ content also feeds into Google’s all-important E-E-A-T principles. Although they’re not a direct ranking factor, these principles are used to inform Google’s Quality Raters, who will then determine whether or not your website can be trusted. The more trustworthy your site appears, the more likely it is to rank highly.

Does my website need an About Us page?

In a word, yes. It doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in or what you have to offer, if you don’t have an About page you’re missing a trick – and you’re probably missing out on customers too.

It’s all about trust. Why should somebody choose your company over all the others out there? It’s not as if we don’t have options: the internet can put us in contact with hundreds of different businesses in seconds. Your About page is the place to demonstrate how and why you’re different from the competition… which leads us nicely onto content. What should a good About page look like?

How an About Us page should look

The structure of your About page doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s usually better to keep it simple. Start by introducing your company in a sentence or two, summarising how you can help customers. Then, start telling your story: when did your company open its doors and how has it evolved over time? All the while, make sure you’re showcasing your experience and specific industry knowledge.

Once you’ve brought people up to speed on your company, you might want to introduce them to the people behind it. A ‘meet the team’ section, complete with quality headshots and short bios, goes a long way towards building trust and demonstrating real expertise. Instead of just saying ‘we’re experts’, you’re saying ‘we’re experts, and here’s the proof’.

Structure aside, here are a few things you should consider shouting about in your content:

• Your USPs: What makes you different from your competitors, and what can you offer that they don’t
• Your mission: What is your company’s overarching purpose? You don’t have to spell this out with a corporate mission statement – just tell visitors what you’re about.
• Your expertise: How long have you been in business and which well-known names have you worked with?
• Your qualifications: Have you got any accreditations to your name? Don’t forget to boast about them! The same goes for any awards you’ve won.
• Your reviews: This is a big one. Make sure you showcase any standout reviews, testimonials or case studies fairly high up on your About page. If you have a Trustpilot account or similar, include a link to it.

How to get started

As with any new page content, we’d recommend starting with a framework: decide what you want to include on your page and how you’re going to lay it out before you start writing anything. Once you have a clear structure in mind, the rest should begin to fall into place.

That said, writing an About page is often harder than it looks. If you need a helping hand, speak to the friendly faces at Brave Agency. We’re passionate about helping businesses grow, and yours could be next in line. Get in touch today to find out more about how we can help you.