There are five basic pages all websites should have: home, about, services, portfolio & contact. The addition of a portfolio depends on your industry; it could also be a process page or ‘how it works’. But one of the most important pages is your ‘About’ page - this is your introduction and your virtual elevator pitch to a potential client or customer. With so much business being conducted over the internet, it is often the only way someone can get to know you, so it’s important to make it count. Here are some things to include:
A Photo or Headshot
This helps to personalize the experience and lets them visualize who they are working with, plus there is an element of trust-building. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo, but try to use a clear image with a friendly smile.
A Story About Your Background
No need to dive deep here, but talk about how you started doing what you do and if necessary, include your education and professional affiliations. Keep it short, concise and to the point - we all have terribly short attention spans these days!
Links To Social Media
In the name of transparency, include links to your social media channels as another way for a potential customer or client to connect with you. And on that note, keep your social media clean and professional. Social media channels have become the new reference checkpoint, so don’t post anything that might be construed as racy or inappropriate.
Call to Action
Otherwise known as a CTA, this could be a request that they contact you for more information, a direction to your services page (where you should have another CTA for them to contact you!) and possibly an invitation that they join your newsletter list.
Be Yourself!
This is perhaps the most important piece. Use your voice and let your personality shine through! You can have a little fun with it with some quick tidbits as I do at the bottom of my about page, or talk about your hobbies and what you do when you aren’t working.
It might take a little time and tweaking to get it just the way you want it, but it will be worth it, and when it’s done, it’s one page that probably won’t need updating as time goes by unless you change direction or rebrand. So if you’re in the beginning stages of writing content for your website, use these points to help you outline your page. If you need a refresh, it’s a helpful starting point too. Let me know if there’s anything else you think should be included in an About page in the comments!
