Running a small business is a challenge, but a rewarding one. As a small business owner, you know how important it is to market your company and reach new audiences. At the same time, you also need to make sure that the customer is the focus of your messaging. Too much talk about yourself can turn off potential leads, who want to be the center of your story.
However, there is one area on your website where you want to share your story and boast about how incredibly talented your team is. That area is the About Us page. The About Us page gives space to explain what makes your business unique and how you operate. It also allows you to target important location-based keywords and showcase reviews from happy customers.
But what makes a great About Us page, and how can you make sure you optimize it for search engine optimization and for your audience? In this article, we’ll help you perfect your small business website with about us page best practices.
What Makes a Good About Page?
The majority of your website should focus on explaining how your products or services can help improve the lives of your customers. The customer is the hero of the story, and the copy on your website should focus on them and their journey.
The About Us page is the exception to the rule. On the About Us page, you get to share the details about your brand, tell your own story, and give people an idea of what the internal team is like. You can explain why you started the company, what makes you unique from competitors, and even ask people to join your team if you are hiring.
No matter what you include on your About Us page, it should be representative of your brand and reflect your values.
What to Include in Your About Us Page
While every About Us page will be different based on your industry and your values, there are a few key elements that should remain the same in every About Us page layout.
- Your Company’s Story: Start by telling your customers the story of your company. Talk about when you got started, what problem you wanted to solve, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) is to help you stand apart from competitors.
- Your Team: Showcase your team and introduce them to your audience. Including a photo, job title, short description, and links to relevant social media profiles helps bring your team into the story of your company.
- Where You Operate: Adding your location information is key for SEO and Google searches. It also helps you educate customers about your areas of operation, other locations, and different branches if you have them.
- What Services You Provide: Including information about the specific services you provide helps people learn more about your mission and areas of expertise. It also helps you add more relevant keywords to boost your SEO and search efforts.
- Latest Reviews: When customers want to know about your company, they also want to know what other people have to say about you. Including recent reviews helps you give new visitors that important word-of-mouth marketing collateral that can help drive decision-making.
You may also want to include sections for awards or media appearances, news and updates, or links to more details about your services. The About Us page can be customized in any number of ways, but it’s crucial to make sure that the most important information is included higher up on the page.
How To Write a Winning About Us Page
Creating your About Us page isn’t too complicated. By following these steps and keeping your focus on the essential elements of your business, you can easily craft an About Us page that accurately reflects your goals and communicates your small business strengths.
Lay Out Your Mission Statement
Describe what your business is about and why you are in operation. Make it clear that you have a clear vision that you are working towards and want to help support your customers in their journey, whether that’s providing them with products or offering services that they need.
Go Through Your Evolution
Have a section on your About Us page that talks about the origins of your small business and how you have changed over the years. Mention the year you were founded, what your initial goals were, how you’ve adapted to the location or market you work in, and go over what the plans for the future look like.
Bring in Your Audience
While the About Us page allows you to discuss what makes your own business unique, you should still tie it to the customer. Mention why you like working with your community, why their pain points matter to you, and discuss how your business can help improve their lives.
Back Up Your Claims
An About Us page is a place to brag about what you can do and expand upon your capabilities and services. But it’s helpful to back those claims up with proof. Make sure to include any certifications, awards, or nominations your business has received. You should also include customer reviews or testimonials that speak highly of your small business, along with any other accolades worth mentioning.
Design Tips for a Beautiful but Functional About Us Page
Now that you know what kind of content you should include on your About Us page, let’s talk about some About Us page best practices for design and functionality. These tips will help you organize your page, make it attractive to potential customers, and create a visual impact that ties into your overall branding.
Use the Right Colors
Your color palette should fit in with your other branded colors, but it also needs to communicate trust and reliability. Don’t go overboard with a lot of flashing colors and bright hues, but pick a palette that scans easily and doesn’t distract readers from the valuable information on the page. Think about interesting ways to incorporate color, like in logos, page modules, or CTA buttons.
Add Real Photos and Images
Another design tip is to humanize your About Us page with real photos. Rather than stock images of office buildings and smiling teams, use real photography from your business to give a real glimpse of life in your company. Use photos for your team profiles, include a full-team image from a recent event, or utilize fun photos of life around the office or at home to add more humanity to the page.
Pick Fonts that are Easy to Read
Colors aren’t the only things that can be distracting on the page. The fonts you use for your page copy also need to be easy to read, accessible for all visitors, and enhance the About Us page experience. It helps to use two different but relatable fonts for headings and text paragraphs. This adds visual interest without distracting readers with fonts that don’t match the tone or personality of your small business.
Keep Things Short and Sweet
If you can say something in a few words, it’s much easier to comprehend. The longer the paragraphs on your About Us page are, the more likely readers are to tune out to the message. Keeping your sentences and paragraphs short with plenty of white space between sections helps focus readers. You can always divide your paragraphs into more sections, but editing your text for clarity can also help.
Optimize Your Page for Mobile Devices
Many people will read your page on a mobile device or a tablet. That means you need to ensure that your page is optimized for small screens. Many websites have responsive templates that will adapt for a mobile experience, but be sure to verify that as you build the page. The more responsive your page is, the easier it will be for readers to scroll through and find the information they are looking for.
Speed Up Loading Times
One of the biggest irritants for website visitors is slow loading times. The longer it takes a page to load, the more likely it is that someone will leave your site altogether. If you have big image files, cumbersome code, or poor server performance, it can drastically slow the speed of your site. Addressing these issues helps you speed up page load times and make the visiting experience better for your audience.
Get Support Perfecting Your About Us Page
If you are running a small business and want to improve your About Us page or build one for the first time, it can be overwhelming. That’s why Surefire Local is able to help you manage or build your website, including your About Us page. We’re experts in local marketing, and can help you create the best About Us page for your business interests.
To learn more, attend a Surefire Local demo and discover how our all-in-one marketing platform can help your small business grow today.