Determining what pages, content and how much of each to add to your site tends to be an overwhelming process for most. One page that that often gets overlooked is the “About Us”. Most have the impression that it’s not necessary or provide the bare minimum just to have something up. Quite the opposite, your “About” page can help you humanize your online brand. It can help convey the exact message and branding you wish to portray for your business.
” Google and Facebook accounted for 20 percent of the world’s advertising budget in 2016.” Online marketing via Social Media has grown leaps and bounds in the last 5 years which has done wonders from a marketing perspective. While it’s still a positive marketing venture, in some aspects, it has caused us to share minimal information with our audience while trying to achieve maximum results. Something that can quickly get taken out in the midst of our faster, quicker, shorter marketing efforts are the personal touches. The information that humanizes our businesses. The content that allows our audience to form a connection with the personality and values our businesses are built off of. Although we are limited to the content we can put out in the social realm, we can make up for it through out website. We can’t forget about these pieces of valuable information that provides insight of our mission to our customers. That being said, you should carefully plan out what content elements to include on your website with a strong focus on the “About Us” page. What message to you want to create? Do you want to showcase your talented team? Does you business have a strong history that’s important for people to know? Create a “must have” list.
An article by Young Entrepreneur Council stated it well “invest in alternative content that will keep the user on the page longer and spend more time understanding your brand. For us, it makes sense that a simple element like a video on our “About Us” page led to more purchases. When you think about the experience of buying something online versus buying something in the real world, the most obvious difference is the lack of human interaction with e-commerce, but that doesn’t change the fact that you need to trust who you’re buying from.”
Let’s break down some of the key elements that would allow you to optimize the “About Us” section on your site.
Company Overview – What was your company built from? What’s the history? Why was it started? Provide a general overview of how your company came about and how it got to where it is today.
Mission – What is the goal of your business? What is the promise you are making to your customers about your brand?
Core Values – What are the beliefs of your company? What are the core values your team follows every day to encompass your businesses reputation?
Your Team – Humanize it by showcasing who makes up your company. Who are the faces behind the scenes? Who are the people that work hard to represent your business day to day? Tell your audience about them and who they are both with the company and in their personal life. Allow your audience to find a similar connection with your team by reading their bios or viewing their pictures.
Create Call to Action areas – Allow them to link to other pertinent information via the About Us page. Create a user flow that is easy and convenient. Once they’ve satisfied their curiosity about your company ensure that page continues to be of significance as it provides Linking call to action areas of use. Link to your contact page so they can contact you with any assistance they may need. If there are individual ways to contact your team then provide that information, don’t make them search for it. If in the mix of your content you discuss any of your products or services, link to those pages so they can quickly reference what they are looking for.