How to introduce your business with the perfect “About” section

For some businesses, the “About” section on a website and/or social media will be the first impression they make on a prospect. Those are pretty high stakes for a small block of text.  

With so much pressure on your “About” section, it’s important to get it right. In this article, we explore some tips on how to use this medium to make a meaningful introduction.  

Why is the “About” section so important?  

If you don’t have an “About” section, you might be lagging behind an important website staple. It should be a quick, easily identifiable way for new and potential customers what you are and what you do.  

This should be easily accessible to a visitor when they enter your website. It takes 0.05 seconds for a visitor to form an opinion about your website. Likewise, 38% will stop engaging with your website if they feel the content or layout is unattractive. If they can’t quickly locate your “About” section, you are missing a chance to control this first impression.  

Many companies miss this chance.  

When designing your website, there is so much important work to do that it’s easy to overlook the “About” section in favor of other aspects. While it’s important to do a great job everywhere, pay particular attention to the “About” section.  

What details can you include in your “About” section?  

This section gives you the opportunity to briefly display: 

• Your business’ origin story – when and why you started it.  
• Your intended customers or target market – what need of theirs do you fulfill?  
• Your business model. 
• Your values.  
• Pictures of your business and staff, if applicable.  

This is not the place to go into a detailed description of services, rates, or other specifics. In the “About” section, you’re painting a general picture for a prospect to associate with your business and your brand.  

Convey that you are the right choice.  

Prospects should come away from your “About” section with an idea of why you are the right choice for what they’re looking for. You can do this by relating to them on both a personal and professional level. Meaning, rather than going heavy on self-promotion, share the genuine evidence as to why your company is the best at what it does.  

Be conversational, not pretentious.  

There is a fine line between professional and pretentious, and you want to make sure your writing stays on the right side of that line. While remaining professional, and adhering to your company values, your “About” section should sound conversational and appeal to visitors who may not know all the correct industry lingo. At the same time, avoid being too casual or using slang.  

A good tip to keep in mind while writing is, how would you describe your company and what it does in a face-to-face interaction?  

Prioritize information.  

Did you know, 80% of visitors to your website will spend their time on the top half of the page? That means, if you leave critical information towards the bottom, or even just a scroll away, it might be missed entirely.  

Choose the order of the information you give to reflect this. Lead with impact.  

Simplify it.  

This does not need to be an ad reel or an essay. As concisely as possible, cover only the important aspects discussed above. If visitors are looking for more, they will visit your services/products page, or, even better, an FAQ section. 

Add testimonials here.  

Wondering where on your website is the best place for testimonials? It’s here. Pairing your “About” section with evidence of happy customers is a winning combination that can go a long way in convincing visitors of your credibility.  

Likewise, if you’ve received any awards or recognition for community involvement, this page is a good place for that information.  

Include links to social media.  

On your “About” page or section, you’re also going to want to feature links to your company’s social media accounts and invite visitors to follow you or sign up for an email list.  

If you have a prospect who isn’t quite ready to seal the deal, but is interested in learning more, this is a great opportunity to encourage them to continue to engage with you.  

In conclusion… 

First impressions are powerful! With proper web design and a well-crafted “About” section, your business can make an impactful introduction to visitors and optimize the potential of your website.