Writing a great About page for your website: A guide for local businesses
When it comes to setting up a website for your local business, one of the most crucial but often overlooked elements is an About page.
An About page not only gives visitors a glimpse into who you are and what you do, but also helps build trust and credibility with potential customers.
However, many business owners struggle with creating effective About pages that go beyond mere self-promotion.
Your About page can also help with local SEO, as it provides great keyword-rich content that directs visitors to the most relevant parts of your site.
In this post, we'll share a series of questions to guide you in crafting an About page for your local business that truly resonates with your audience.
Here are 13 questions to ask yourself when writing your About page…
Who are your customers and how do you help them?
What is the story of your company so far?
Who’s at the helm? Who are you and what drives you?
What was your AHA moment? What inspired you to start your business?
Who else is in the business?
What You Do and Offer in More Detail? What's your process?
What are your core values and beliefs? What drives your business?
How do you give back?
What’s your business' mission?
What's next for your business? What are your business goals?
Why should customers buy from you?
What do your customers have to say?
What do you want potential customers to do next?
You can answer these questions, and indeed write them up for your About page, in any order. The most important thing is that it provides a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
Let’s explore each in a little more detail…
Who are your customers and how do you help them?
Understanding your target audience is essential for any business. Who are you selling to? Businesses or consumers, which sectors or demographics, where are they based, what size/type? Who are your customers and what problems do they have? Ultimately, your business exists to serve a need in the market. Identifying who your ideal customers are, the challenges they face and how you solve their problems up front will ensure your reader knows you can help them. Demonstrate your value by expressing your understanding of their pain points and how you've helped others overcome them.
2. What is the story of your company so far?
Your Company History / milestones. What are your accomplishments? Customers want to know that they’re working with a successful and reputable business. Highlight any significant accomplishments, awards, or recognition your business has received. This will help build trust with potential customers. Also share how big your company is - big or small, a public company, franchise, private or family-owned? How long have you been in business? Where are you located?
3. Who’s at the helm? Who are you and what drives you?
Your About page should have a personal touch – tell your visitors who you are and what you're passionate about. Share your story and what led you to start your business. What drives you to do what you do? By sharing your heart and soul, you establish a deeper connection with customers who share your values. Before writing about your business, it is important to introduce yourself. Share a bit of your personal background and how it led you to create your business. You can include details such as your education or prior work experience, but also share what motivated you to start your business and the values that drive your work.
4. What was your AHA moment? What inspired you to start your business?
People love a good origin story. Share a bit about what inspired you to start your business in the first place. Was there a problem you wanted to solve, or a need you saw that wasn’t being met? By sharing your passion and motivation for starting your business, you’ll help create a personal connection with your customers.
5. Who else is in the business?
People do business with people they like and trust. That’s why it’s important to introduce yourself and your team on your About page. Sharing a bit about your background and experience can help establish credibility with potential customers.
6. What You Do and Offer in More Detail? What's your process?
Give visitors a glimpse into how you work, and what they can expect when they choose to work with you. Share details about your process, from the initial consultation to the end result. By being transparent and outlining expectations, you build trust and credibility with potential customers.
7. What are your core values and beliefs? What drives your business?
Your values are what make your business unique and set the tone for your company culture. Do you prioritise customer service, sustainability, community, innovation? Make sure to let your audience know what’s important to you and your team.
Your business's core values are an essential part of your brand identity. They are the guiding principles that drive your business decisions and the way you interact with customers.
By sharing your core values on your About page, potential customers can get a better understanding of what you stand for and what they can expect from your business.
8. How do you give back?
Customers appreciate and support businesses that give back to their communities. Are there any charities or causes that your business supports? How do you make a positive impact on the world around you? Share any philanthropic efforts or volunteer work your business participates in.
9. What’s your business' mission?
What do you hope to achieve in the long term? Communicating your mission is an important part of building trust with your customers. They want to know that you stand for something beyond just making a profit.
10. What's next for your business? What are your business goals?
Share your short and long-term goals for your business. This can include plans to expand your services or product line, open additional locations, or start initiatives to give back to the community. This will help show potential customers that your business has a vision and plan for the future.
11. Why should customers buy from you?
There's likely a lot of competition out there, so what sets you apart? Consider what makes your business unique, whether it's your expertise, your approach to customer service, or your experience. Don't be afraid to get specific and share anecdotes or case studies that illustrate your strengths.
12. What do your customers have to say?
Don’t be afraid to share some testimonials from satisfied customers on your About page. This can help validate the quality of your service or product for potential customers who are on the fence.
13. What do you want potential customers to do next?
Finish your About page with a clear call-to-action. Whether it's a prompt to contact you for more information, schedule a consultation, or make a purchase, make it clear what the next step is. Leave visitors with a clear sense of what they can expect and how your business can help them.
This could be an invitation to contact you for more information, sign up for your newsletter, or visit your storefront location. Make sure the call to action is clear and integrative with your overall website design.
Over to you!
Crafting an About page that truly resonates with your audience takes time and effort, but it's worth it. By sharing your story, your unique value proposition, and your understanding of your customers, you establish a deeper connection and build trust.
Remember to keep it focused on your visitors, speak directly to your target audience, and keep it authentic and personable rather than simply bragging about how great your business is. By making it clear what value you can add to their lives or businesses, you're more likely to convert visitors into loyal customers.
And if you’re looking for an example of a great About page for your website, find out more about our London local SEO agency.
Who are we, and what is this?
We’re LocalMark, a London UK-based local SEO service that helps connect UK trade, service & retail businesses with nearby customers. This post is one of many that’s been lovingly researched and written by our local marketing experts to help support the UK’s thousands of owners, managers and franchisees with growing their local businesses. If you found this helpful and could benefit from more of the same, be sure to share, follow us on social and sign up for our local business growth newsletter.