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DQ News: 5 Must Haves For That About Us Page

Whether you don’t like writing about yourself, you’re not sure what goes there or because the whole thing just makes you feel plain awkward, writing the business About Us page is a task that intimidates many small business owners. You think you know what you want to say, but then you get to that blank WordPress page and you suddenly forget how long you’ve been doing this, why you love it or, sometimes, even the company name. But your About Us page doesn’t have to be something you dread. Instead, craft a page that you’re proud of and that helps communicate exactly who you are and what you represent to your customers. It’s easy!

One lesson we’ve all learned from the social media revolution is that people like doing business with people they know. And that’s the power of crafting a good About Us page. You give your customers a look into who you are, who your company is, and you build the trust they need to move forward with your business.

Below are five best practices to keep in mind when crafting your About Us page.

Tell a story

Take a few moments and think about all the experiences you’ve had running your business. The funny ones, the proud ones, the ones that make you wince looking back at them. Pick a story that you think captures the essence of your business and what it represents and then use your About Us page to tell it to your customers. Maybe it was the day you first opened the business. Maybe it was your third anniversary when you looked around at what you had created. Avoid writing down your whole company history or regurgitating your company mantra. Instead, use your About Us page to tell a story that introduces customers to your business, displays your values and, most importantly, captures their attention and makes them want to learn more.

Share your credentials

Don’t get so caught up in telling a compelling story that you forget to list your credentials. Potential customers want to know why they should trust you with their business. Share how you got started, what your experience is, how long you’ve been doing with this, any awards you’ve won, people you’ve worked with (if possible), associations you’re involved with, industry causes you support, etc. Why should a potential customer trust you with their business?

Introduce yourself with pictures

If someone clicks on the link to your About Us page it’s a pretty clear sign they want to get to know you. Maybe it’s their first time on your site, or they just discovered your blog, or they’re thinking about making a purchase but want to make sure they can trust you first. This is your chance to let them peek behind the curtain and see what your team looks like. Get personal by including pictures of yourself, your real staff (no stock photos), the outside of your establishment, the office dog, etc. These images again build upon that story you’re trying to tell.

Let them know what they can expect from you

No, I don’t mean to list off all the services that you offer or the products that you sell. I mean to convey what kind of a business you are and what they can expect from their experience with you. What are some of your company’s core values? What sets you apart from everyone else? Don’t use this area to sell, but to humanize your company and to put a face on the experience. It may also mean linking to interior content that highlight content or views you think are important.

Tell them how to get to know you better

Provide links to other places you reside on the Web, be it a Twitter account, Facebook account, or a link to another social media forum. By providing these other outposts for people to check out it helps build trust in the company and shows that you’ll be easy to get a hold of if something goes wrong. As consumers, we like checking out how a company responds on Twitter or how they use Facebook to help us make judgments about what type of business they are.

Those are the five things I look for when evaluating a business (or personal) About page. What trust cues do you look for?

From Small Business Trends

5 Must Haves For That About Us Page

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