What is your About Page even For?

Mar 8

The About page is a huge missed opportunity on most websites. It seems so straightforward. This is the part where I get to talk about me right?

Well, no. This might sound weird, but…

Your About page is Not About You

Nope. Not really.

The hero of your about page, like your whole website, is your Ideal Client Avatar. This is the person you are thinking about when you write. Ideally, they’re a real person; the better to speak to you with my dear. Check out this blog post if you need to know more about creating your Ideal Client Avatar.

And you are a character in their story. Ideally, you are the mentor. Like Gandalf, you show up at just the right time and solve a problem so that Frodo can continue on his journey. The about page is really there so that your hero can find out more about this side character, namely you.

You want them to feel like they know you, like you, and trust you.
Then, they are more likely to choose you to fix their problem.

Every element of your About page should be geared towards producing this result.

Start by empathizing

What is the problem that they are having? How bad does it suck? What was it like when you yourself were suffering from this problem?

Then talk about the solution; what life will be like when they don’t have the problem anymore and how they can get from A to B.

Your About page is not your Homepage

Your About page is different from your Home page because your audience has changed a little bit. The people reading your about page have almost definitely clicked on at least one button to get there. They are somewhat more invested than the crowd of randos gawking at your homepage. That means you have a little bit more space here to be yourself. Not just talk about yourself, be yourself.

Talk about yourself… a bit.

And, yes, you can talk about yourself a little bit. Specifically, tell your audience things that will help them know you better, trust you more, and like you so that they will choose to work with you.

Tell them why you are the right person for the job. If that involves trotting out some of your credentials, so be it, but be careful with this. You can end up bombarding people with your accolades. This often doesn’t scan as well as you might think and it can actually alienate some people. Plus, it’s super boring to read.

Help them get to know you by sharing some fun facts. There are many creative ways to do this. But above all, avoid being braggy about it. This is a good time to get a little vulnerable. If your site visitor has followed you this far down the rabbit hole, they probably deserve a little trust too. And that will help them trust you.

It’s about relationship

Your About page is there to help you deepen your relationship with members of your audience. Help them to know you better, trust you more and like you deeply. You do this by introducing yourself as a character in their hero story. Be yourself, get a little bit creative, get a little bit vulnerable.

And there’s an About page.