If you want to improve your online presence, one of the easiest things you can look at is your content. Is it interesting? Does it appeal to your target? Would you spend time on it if you were a visitor of your website?
In this series of three articles, you will find my best tips on how to improve your content for a better online presence.
I don’t’ know about you, but the first thing I do when visiting a new website is checking the About Us page. It has all the information on the brand and it is the first impression visitors get about a company. This is why the first post of the series is on how to write an about us page.
Starting from it will make you rethink at the message you want your brand to vehicle. It will also help you reconsidering the way you communicate to your audience. Once you’re done with that, you can go to the rest of your website.
Remember that the about us page doesn’t need to be very long nor too detailed. The following are just a few tips for inspiration, you don’t need to use all of them!
Think at what makes you special
Sometimes when running a small business or a startup we forget our purpose. Our to do list is so long and we focus on the day to day activities, neglecting the basics.
If you have to write or rewrite your about us page, start with thinking at what makes your business unique and why should customers buy your product and not your competition’s. What is the problem you are solving? What is your vision?
Spend some time on it and when you figured it out write it down.
An absolute no go when it comes to expressing your ideas is a boring list. Who wants to read that? You have to be creative to engage your customers. A good way to do this is by telling a story:
Tell a story
If possible, tell a story. Narratives are very effective when it comes to marketing because our brains remember them much better. We relate much more to stories than some abstract ideas. This is why even our ancestors would tell stories to keep record of important historical facts before they could write and read.
Keep the focus on your customers making the content relevant to them and the problem you are solving. Be entertaining and maybe a little unusual with a different angle. However, you should always be authentic. Don’t make up something crazy to seem more interesting. It will come back to you and you will lose credibility as well as people’s trust.
Always include visuals
What do you think at when you see a full text website without visuals? It’s so 90’s, right? You don’t want to be like that!
So, add visuals to make your design more appealing. Ideally you should have your own pictures, and videos. If you don’t have the material nor the budget for professional services, there are some great tools that will help you. Don’t use a random image that you find on Google, as it might be subject to copyright and affect your SEO score.
You can buy images or icons from various online stocks for very reasonable prices. I like canva for images: you can choose from over 1,000,000 and create your own designs. They are also valuable for social media posts. Some pictures are free and for others you need to pay 1$.
iconsolid is great for icons: they have over 1,075 vector icons in several file formats and sizes. You have to buy your licence, starting from 39$ to have access to their entire stock.
I think it is a good compromise when you are on a tight budget. You will use professional services when the time will be right.
Add a timeline
Facebook made a timeline a very popular tool for people to present themselves. So, why not taking that idea from them and using it in the About Us page?
Visitors will see your company’s history, from where you started to your greatest achievements and future goals. If you have been in business for a couple of years, include some relevant milestones. If, on the other hand, you just started, you can put your next steps. This is especially useful if you run a startup, as you will need this timeline in your pitch desk.
Again, don’t write just a list, try to be engaging and creative with visuals. A timeline is actually a great tool to show facts and detail in various formats, not just in text. Your customers will appreciate the simplicity of the information you display. Maybe you can add some fun images of your company history to make it even more compelling.
If you are not sure about how to create a timeline infographic, follow these steps.
Don’t forget your team
Adding your team will make your business more accessible and human. Your clients will be able to give a face to a name!
So, add each team member with their pictures and a brief biography, but highlight the real person outside the office. We all like to think behind the products and services we consume there are human beings, like us. Tell what are their values, what they like and what makes them special.
It doesn’t need to be formal, actually it’s better if you use a simple and relaxed language. People need to be able to relate to it. If applicable, add their contacts. We want to get to the right person when we need them.
Once you’re happy with your about us page, you can move to the rest of the website to match your new communication style.
Still not sure on how to write an about us page? Check the Best About Us Pages for some inspiration or contact me.