Investors, consumers, and competitors alike are all asking the same questions: what makes your company better than the others? Why should customers buy from you and not them? What’s your mission? More simply, who are you? These questions may appear minor, but they actually hold a great influence over all those who interact with your website. These questions should all be answered within your “About Us” or “Our Company” page. With such an importance, writing an “About Us” page can be stressful. So, here are seven tips on creating the best one possible.
#1: Mission statement
In just a few seconds, answer the question “what is your company’s mission?”. Introduce your product and your brand to us. Perhaps throw out a detail that makes you better than your competitors. This detail can be that you use a unique creation process, such as by hand or 3D printing. Another option is to tell us where you make your product, especially if you keep it local.
Example: “Here at [company], we saw a problem that no one else could solve, the issue of [problem]. So, we created [product], made right here in the United States, to ease the lives of our customers by [explain how product solves problem].”
#2: Customer testimonials
Consumers are always going to be drawn to businesses they trust, it’s human nature. That’s why reviews and critic blogs are so popular. People want to know what other people think. They want an opinion from someone that they can relate to and that’s not a business person, it’s your customers. Tell your audience what your customers think and make your credentials known. Instead of saying things like “a customer”, use their names to make them more reliable, such as “Zach from Austin, TX”. Customers are much more prone to connect to names than an unknown source.
Example: “Now that I have [product] in my life, I don’t have to worry about [problem] anymore. It’s been a real life-saver!” -Bailey from Tallahassee, FL
#3: Know your audience
Each business targets a specific group of people, so who are you talking to? Your target audience determines the best approach to convincing them to love you, your product, and your company. The audience you’re selling to is what controls everything, from the words you use to the graphics you display. Consider if your audience needs to see the human side of you or if they need to know that you are genuine in your efforts to help them. Some audiences may need you to set the jokes aside so that they can see the facts behind your business, whereas others may need some humor to help them enjoy your company.
Example: A business that depends on people taking them seriously wouldn’t have cute or cool graphics, bright colors, or pictures of people laughing. Instead, neutral colors, conservative graphics, and serious pictures would be displayed to convince their audience that they aren’t goofing around with something that may be very important to their consumers. Meanwhile, an outdoor apparel company would focus on their customers’ love for adventure and the outdoors. They would decorate their page with photographs of people using their gear, such as hiking pictures, nature-themed graphics, and colors found in nature.
#4: Use ethos, pathos, and logos
Even the ancient Greeks understood that there is a system to appealing to your audience. By using ethos (the appeal to ethics), pathos (the appeal to emotion), and/or logos (the appeal to logic), your consumers will feel a direct connection to you. Using all three will prove to be the most efficient method in most cases, but as we said before, you have to know your audience.
Example: A website selling children’s playground sets would write something like: “We started [company] because we saw a major lack of safety in children’s playhouses all around us. These playground sets aged horribly and were falling apart, harming the children in them. We saw several parents stressed and upset because they couldn’t trust these companies to provide safe equipment for their babies. (Pathos) So, we began making materials that were sure to last longer and withstand more damage. In a 2017 study conducted by [research center], our playhouses survived 120% more damage than that of our leading competitor. (Logos) We’ve dedicated, and continue to dedicate, virtually every waking second to ensure that your child stays safe, because that’s what is most important to us. (Ethos)”
#5: Use graphics
Graphics can include things such as pictures, clip art, graphs, and videos. Show your customers the attitude of your business and prove to them that your products are worth their money. Businesses targeting children would display graphics to be interpreted as joyful and fun. The more serious website would focus on a more conservative graphic theme.
Example: Staff pictures are often a huge hit. It doesn’t have to be every employee but at least show off your founders and possibly a few high-ranking employees. You could also display pictures of your headquarters or some of your offices. People often enjoy the connection to who and where they are buying from.
#6: Tell a story
This is where you can tell us why you started your business in the first place. Businesses can entertain their readers by telling their audience of how they came up with the idea for their product. Were you mopping your floors at home when you realized there had to be a better way to clean them? What motivated you to create the product that you’re pushing for them to buy?
Example: “Everyday my son would go outside for a few minutes, only to return with complaints that it was boring and there was nothing to do. Eventually, I realized no one was going to create the product to keep him entertained and active, so I stepped up to the plate. That’s when the idea for [product] began to form.”
#7: Keep it simple
Short, sweet, and simple. This is exactly how your “About Us” page should be described. Give your audience the information they want and not too much else. Most importantly, under no circumstances, do you allow your page to resemble an essay. If so, most of your customers will click on the link to your “About Us” page, see all the words they don’t really want to read, and either quickly scan the work or simply leave the page altogether. If you have a lot to say, break your paragraphs apart. You can separate these paragraphs by either categorizing them or inserting graphics to ease the mind for a moment before diving back in. Otherwise, readers will become bored and may not give their full attention.
By keeping these seven tips in mind when you’re writing or revising your “About Us” page, your audiences will be engaged, entertained, and motivated to invest in you and your product!