I was recently looking at a customer's new website design. "We've put a lot of effort into the 'About Us' section," they told me, "because, surprisingly, it gets a lot of hits."
That was no surprise to me. I often visit the 'About Us' page on websites and so do many other people. The content often has a direct influence on my purchasing decision.
So here are 6 reasons why your 'About Us' page could be losing you business:
1. Your 'About Us' page is not about you. Visitors click on the 'About Us' link because they want to know whether you're a credible business. It's your opportunity to build trust. Yet too many 'About Us' pages just repeat the sales message. "We sell wonderful widgets - buy now." A page packed with SEO keywords might attract more hits, but it won't necessarily attract more sales.
2. Your 'About Us' page doesn't tell people how big your business is. Most people know that a slick website could be the shop front for a business run by a teenager from their bedroom. The chances are that if your 'About Us' page gives no clue to the size of your business, it's probably very small, and that means it might be here today, gone tomorrow. Which in turn means buying from you could be riskier than buying from someone else.
3. Your 'About Us' page does not explain the history of your business. History tells visitors where you came from and helps them to decide whether you're believable. If your business has a long history and you trade offline as well as online, that's a huge asset and you need to tell your visitors. Take every opportunity to win their trust because it helps to win their business.
4. Your 'About Us' page does not talk about real people. The adage 'people buy from people' still applies to online purchasing, particularly if visitors are not familiar with your brand. In the social media age, relationships are important and visitors want to engage with individuals, not a faceless website. Being open will help potential purchasers relate to you.
5. Your 'About Us' page does not have any pictures. Photos of your premises and your staff reinforce all those great messages that you've articulated in words. They help to demonstrate that you're a credible business, someone they can rely on. The quality of the pictures are important too - the more professional they are, the more they say about how seriously you take your business.
6. Your 'About Us' page is empty. Thankfully, it's rare these days to find a page that claims to be to be 'still under construction.' That's another way of saying, 'We can't be bothered with this page.' But the 'About Us' page often seems to be an afterthought, because it doesn't actually sell anything, and as an afterthought it can be too brief or even left almost empty.
Finally, here are some examples of 'About Us' pages that work well:
Callidus Consulting, automotive recruitment specialists - brief, to the point and with links to mini biographies and photos of all the staff.
Petersfield Photographic, supplier of photographic services - it has pictures, a history and short biographies of key staff. They're real people you'll want to buy from.
Dots and Spots, home-based makers of greetings cards - meet the person behind this business through lots of pictures and snippets of text.
