How to write the best about page ever?

I have already dealt with the about page, when I proposed three creative exercises + 1 for writing it , today I return to talk about it, because I think that the about page is the most complex page to write on a site : it is content that requires great awareness of oneself and one's work, ability to look at oneself from the outside, knowledge of the public in front of one.

Imagine standing in front of a mirror and trying to make a portrait of yourself: ok, beyond artistic skills…it's difficult, isn't it? This is because each of us finds it difficult to see ourselves with a clinical eye: we tend to minimize defects (seeing them larger than they are) and to highlight what we like most (very large eyes, strong-willed jaw, doll-like lips, French nose ).

For the about page, the pitfalls are the same but, if you manage to overcome them, it's done: in a few lines you will be able to convey trust, create empathy with the reader, entice them to take a specific action (remember the calls to action?).

Alas, I still come across very boring about pages made up of sentences like:
«Founded in 2004 and located in the heart of the city of Naples…» (in your opinion, the reader is interested in knowing the year of foundation as the first detail?)
or
«Young and dynamic company, offers its customers tailor-made services…» (young and dynamic, all-round services, and that's it!)
or again
«The company has the ability to satisfy any type of request. Everything based on the customer's needs…» (can you also build me the Interprise to go to Vulcano with James Kirk?).

In one of the next articles, we will talk again about the about page, to highlight the mistakes to avoid if you don't want to do everything to NOT be chosen.

But today, instead, let's see together what information must be present to create an about page that stands out.

Company = people

Do you remember what an about page is? It is the about us page of a site : inside there is information about the brand and the type of activity it carries out.

If you have a business, avoid presenting it as a separate entity , as if it were an outsider with whom you have little or no dealings.

Remember that there are people behind a company . People who had the ambitious idea of creating it, people who keep it going and who share its values, ideals and skills.

Leave the cold and detached tones of the third person singular and embrace the "we" to connect with the reader.

If you are a freelancer, of course, talk about yourself in the first person.

Also remember to add a photo of yourself (or the work group). This because:

• the reader will get an idea of what kind of person you are;
• Connecting a face to a picture helps people recognize you when they see you live.

You don't need to have a fashion catalog photo: ok to present yourself in a neat way but without exaggerating. Show yourself for who you are spontaneously, otherwise you risk creating false expectations for those on the other side of the screen.

Don't be afraid to explain

For you, who know your sector well because you are in it anema and core , many things are taken for granted.
For your customers, however, this is not the case. Especially if your job is often filled with unfamiliar English.

Even more if you decide to give yourself a creative job title to distinguish yourself (see, for example, Gioia Gottini, cultivator of successes , who however explains very well what she does).

What to do? Clarity. Clarity. Clarity again. Describe as much as possible, use simple words without being afraid of falling into the banal.

Let yourself be inspired by what Einstein said:

You don't really understand something until you can explain it to your grandmother

A good start? Start with who you are, what you do and who you do it for.

«I'm Umberto Mazza, creative director of the Insight Agency. With creativity I help professionals and companies to effectively communicate their business and their products».
or
«We are the Insight Agency, we are Italian and since 2006 we have been dealing with communicating what you do. We do it with simplicity and immediacy, with clarity and creativity, but always starting from what makes you truly unique, yourself, your ideas, your values».

The customer is the heart of your about page

Think about it: why do you have to work hard just to write well or improve your about page?
Because it is on this page that you gamble most of your chances of being chosen by a potential client . Typically, people come to your site's about page because:

• have read your blog post and want to know who wrote it;
• are interested in purchasing one of your services;
• someone has spoken highly of you and they want to learn more about who you are.

It is precisely here that you have to convince the reader that you are the right professional, not so much because you are good (also, of course), not because you have experience to sell (also), but above all because you know your customers' needs well and know how to solve them .

This is the knot to untie: many think that the about page should be a self-referential content, where we talk about ourselves. Wrong. The about page is the place where you talk about your audience , where you talk about problems, solutions, what people get if they decide to work with you.

Go past

Have you ever read well-written, interesting about pages, but the ending left you dry-mouthed?

It happens on those pages that do not contain so-called calls to action .

Try to play the role of the recipient who arrives on your about page: inside they will find lots of interesting information about who you are, what you do, how you do it. He deepens and realizes that from what you write you are the person he has been looking for for some time. It also appears, by the tone of voice you use and how you communicate, that you are on the same wavelength.

Very good. Then? Then the about page ends inconclusively (forgive the pun).
There is no path, no link, no incentive to do anything else. What a pity!

Closing an about page is not that difficult, for example in ours we wrote:
"And now? There are many ways to work together: you can contact us to ask for a quote or you can book a call to meet Umberto Mazza, our creative director. If, on the other hand, you prefer to find out how to improve your communication, you can do so by reading our blog» .
Clear, simple, very effective.

Create empathy

When you meet someone new and shake their hand, you immediately realize if you like that person or if, on the other hand, it's better to stay away from them because you have the feeling that you won't get along.
It may seem strange to you, but it's the same online too. With the same offer, two professionals who do the same job are chosen or not chosen based on how close people feel to them.
How does this closeness feel? From small things that are by no means negligible such as:

• the tone of voice;
• the traits you have in common, i.e. the information you give about yourself, related to your job, which helps to make you known as a person as well as a professional ( sailing enthusiast or I love traveling doesn't make much sense, but that every Monday before start work do a yoga session it starts to be more interesting).

When you write your about page, enter some information that helps to define you as a person as well as a professional, always linked, however, to your business.

To explain what I mean, here is a passage from Valentina Masullo's about page:
« I studied computer science and then I ran away from a life as a civil servant so as not to miss the opportunity to continue to grow as a person and as a professional ».

  You see? Valentina does not talk about passions or hobbies, she puts some personal elements related to her freelance activity that tell a lot about her character between the lines: she gave up her job, this makes you think of her as a decisive, determined person, ready to take risks for something he believes in.

How to write the about page, let's recap

What a struggle, huh, writing the about page?
True, very true, but let's try to draw the strings:

• if you have a company, remember to describe it as a person, use us without problems;
• choose a photo that represents you, if you are a team think of a nice group shot;
• explains everything, even what is trivial to you;
• introduce yourself, tell what you do and for whom;
• put the customer at the center: talk about his problems and how good you are at solving them;
• do not abandon the reader at the most beautiful moment, encourage him to continue browsing your site by discovering products and services;
• show who you are: communicate through a tone of voice that represents you and insert something about yourself that is a stimulus to create relationships.

Well, now get to work: re-read your about page and improve it by following these instructions.
As always, if you need help, here we are .