When you're shopping for products and services, you probably want to know at least a little about the provider of those products and services, right? Even if whatever you need is a basic commodity that you can get anywhere, you'd rather obtain it from a reputable enterprise, one that hopefully offers better support and higher customer satisfaction than the competition. In a world where we can buy anything from anybody at the click of a link or button, it's often the unique virtues of the seller that sway our final choice.
Well, the same holds true for anyone looking to buy services or products that you happen to sell. When these folks visit your website, you'd better have an "About Us" page that makes a strong positive impression and addresses any potential concerns about your priorities, skills, or experience in the field. So let's look at some key steps in creating that "About Us" page content.
Give Your Company Its Own Bio
"About Us" doesn't just refer to you and other leaders at your company; it also refers to the company itself. I've mentioned previously that a brand can be considered a business's persona, the public face it shows to the world. It stands to reason, then, that your company deserves its own bio blurb. Consider introducing your "About Us" page with an introductory paragraph or two that lays out your organization's status and reputation in the industry, what it sells or does, and why site visitors should care.
State Your Mission, Vision, and Values
This section of the "About Us" page can have its own separate section, or you can simply append it to the company bio section. Either way, it will make a major impact on many prospective buyers who care about the motivations behind the businesses they patronize. The mission statement simply clarifies why your company exists and explains why you do what you do. The vision statement expresses your dreams, hopes, and plans for your organization's future. The values statement lets the world know what you stand for, the rules you play by, the ethical standards you uphold, and your attitude toward your customers.
Spotlight the Team
Now it's time to throw the spotlight onto your key players, ideally starting with the founder or owner. If this individual's educational, work history, special skills, and industry experience have the potential to dazzle your visitors -- then dazzle away! You can repeat this process with a few of your C-level leaders, but you probably don't need to compose elaborate biographies for everyone. Other team members may not need more than a satisfying paragraph that shows them to best advantage. (Keeping these supporting bios short as a general rule will also help hide discrepancies in skills and experiences from one team member to the next.)
Don't Change the Subject
I've seen "About Us" pages that threatened to become "About Everything" pages. It's all too easy to veer off into descriptions of your products and services, sales pitches, and other stuff that more properly belongs elsewhere on the site. Try to keep on message throughout the "About Us" page -- and by the same token, try not to let bits and pieces of your "About Us" page content drift onto other pages.
Writing the ultimate "About Us" page becomes a lot easier once you know what points to make, how and where to make them, and how to maintain the content's focus. Want to know another helpful tip for writing this page? Here you go: Don't write it yourself at all. Instead, hire a professional copywriter to do it for you!
