Why your About page shouldn’t be all about you
Your About page should be converting like crazy. But is it?
There’s no question. Your About page is one of the most important places to dedicate time and attention to, yet so many of us struggle to pull it together. Why? It’s freaking hard to write about ourselves. And harder, still, to parlay your story into something that asks for business. Hard, but not impossible. I’m here to help!
Here’s what you need to understand about your About page: it’s not about you.
That sounds very counterintuitive, I know. Let me break it down. It’s a little bit about you, but mostly about the reader, and making the reader feel like they can connect with you. In addition to sharing your own story, you should invite your potential customers to nod along with your narrative to the point they’re saying, “Omigod, me too…” by the end of the page.
Here’s my recipe for a successful About page:
- A Brief Intro for Ideal Customers
- A Speakers Bio/Business Bio
- A Heartfelt Creation Story
- Explain Why You’re Here Now
- Ask About Them
- Ask to Stay in Touch
A Brief Intro for Ideal Customers — Welcome them to the page and let them know they’re in the right place. Ex: If you’re ready to stop procrastinating and write your book, our team of writing coaches is here for you.
A Speakers’ Bio/Business Bio — If you’re selling yourself, this is your cookie-cutter bio written in third-person (I call it a speakers’ bio because this is what you’d send to an event organizer if they wanted to announce your involvement). If you’re talking about a bigger business or enterprise, use this section to talk about what your business does. Be brief and concise. Ex: Mindy is a Dallas-based fitness coach who’s helped more than a hundred women…blah blah blah). Two reasons this boring section is important: A) Some people just want to skim B) These keywords and phrases will help with SEO.
Heartfelt Creation Story — This is where you apply that uber-relatable story of triumph over tragedy, success out of bravery, or another crucible moment. The devil is in the details here and I typically recommend that you write this in first-person, much like a blog entry. You want readers to hear your voice on the page jumping out at them.
Explain Why You’re Here Now — This is a pivot point and you should make it bold, if not HUGE on the page. Ex: I realized my life’s work was in ensuring all mothers had prenatal care, so I started XYZ.
Ask About Them — An opportunity for another pivot point. Invite readers to answer “yes” to a key question or series of questions about themselves to further confirm that you are the person who can offer exactly what they need. Use the specific language your ideal customer would use. Ex: Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by doing taxes you wanted to cry or light them on fire?
Ask to Stay in Touch — This is the call to action. Give them an easy way to call, book, opt-in, etc. Don’t expect that anyone will click to your “Contact” or “Sales” page just because you had a killer About page. Make it foolproof and put the button right there for them.
You don’t have to have everything listed in this exact order. You can include other things — nice photography and testimonials are a good addition here, too. Ultimately, your own spin on this recipe is what will help you stand-out. Push what you’ve done in the past though and see if it makes a difference.
Have you seen a killer About page recently? Share it in the comments so we can all level-up!
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