Good morning, and welcome to a new little series I’m putting together, all about putting together your business website!
I’ll be talking about key elements every small business website should have, why you need them, and how to add these elements in correctly.
Up first… the About page!
“But but!,” I can already hear you saying, “I already have a bio on my website! I practically wrote out my life story there… what else do I need?”
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BIO AND AN ABOUT PAGE
Did you notice that I didn’t call it a bio page?
That’s because, in this context, a Bio and an About page are two very different things.
Your bio tells the story of you: where you started, how your professional life developed, what made you end up where you are today.
But… isn’t that the same as an About page?
Nope.
Your About page should include some of those things, of course; anyone visiting your site wants to know about your experience and your background. But the goal of an About page isn’t to be about you.
Your About page should be about your business and, most importantly, about what your business can do for your customers.
THE TRICKY BALANCE OF AN ABOUT PAGE
This isn’t easy to do, of course. It requires a certain balance. No one wants to go to the About page on a website and read something as obvious as, “I am a professional wedding photographer. I take the best wedding portraits ever you will love them and treasure them forever.”
No, the trick with an About page is that it should seem like it’s about you when it’s really about your clients.
How does your previous work inform your work now? What is your philosophy and how will that help your clients? How will they benefit from your experience?
Always keep in mind that anyone reading your site wants to know two things:
- What you can do for them
- Why they should pick you instead of someone else
Everything you write on your About page should help answer those two questions.
INCLUDING PERSONAL INFORMATION
Does that mean you shouldn’t include any personal information?
Of course not!
There should be enough personal information to make you memorable and easy to relate to.
Part of what makes you and your work stand out, part of why they should pick you instead of someone else, is your personal journey. Don’t be afraid to include a few tidbits about how you got where you are today, especially if you have unique story. Did you start your business out of your basement with your spouse? Do you focus on sustainable and organic products? Do you make your products by hand with your mother? People want to know those things!
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Just don’t go overboard. Include a few sentences about the journey that brought you to where you are… and then tie that back in to why customers should work with your instead of someone else.
Use the personal information you share to help customers understand what makes your business unique.
