How to Write a Business Description (with Examples & Templates!)

There are so many places that you need to describe your business, whether it’s your website, an online directory, or even an “about the company” section for an event. Your mission statement is a good start, and your brand story is good background. But what you really need is a compelling business description that provides any reader with a quick overview of what your business does and what sets it apart from your competitors.

This is the tricky part. How can you accurately convey what makes your business special in a few hundred characters? What should you include in your business description? Where should you add your business description? How do you write a business description for social media? These are all valid questions that we’re answering right here! We’re sharing:

  • 5 simple steps for how to write a business description (with examples)
  • Bonus step 6: How to write a business description for your social media and review sites
  • More business description examples (and templates!) for different industries
  • Compelling words to include in your business description

Whew! That’s a lot. But we didn’t call this your ultimate guide for no reason! Plus, we’ll make it easy peasy for you. Let’s jump in!

how to write a business description - localiq feature

Grab your notepad and your pen–or just open up Word–and let’s start writing!

 

How to write a business description: 5 simple steps (with examples)

What is a business description? It’s an overview of your company and how it’s different from your competitors. And your business description needs to be an engaging introduction to your brand.

Here’s how to write one that works for your business.

1. Start with your basics

The goal of a business description is to introduce any reader to your company—-and to do that quickly. So when you’re getting started writing this description, it’s a good idea to list out the basic information that you’ll need to include.

Here’s what needs to go in your business description:

  • What your company name is
  • What your business does
  • What value your business offers
  • Where your business is located

This is essential information that anyone needs to know in order to understand your business, and hopefully consider how you can help them.

Take a look at this example of a business description from Parley’s PPM Plumbing:

Parley’s PPM Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning opened its doors to Draper, UT and the rest of Utah County nearly 40 years ago, beginning a tradition of unparalleled customer service and quality HVAC repairs and installation. We’re dedicated to your happiness. That means we arrive on time and investigate your system before diving blindly into the situation. We get it right the first time. Regardless of the size of the job or its complexity, your satisfaction is most important to us. And as a thoroughly family-owned company, you can trust us to give your family the same attention we give to ours. If your air conditioner, heater, water heater, or water softener isn’t working correctly, give us a call immediately. We’ll schedule an appointment.

parleys ppm about us page example

Here, Parley’s PPM Plumbing includes its name and location, states its services, and shares that it works to deliver results right the first time. They also talk about what they value and that they are a family-owned business.

2. Check out other business descriptions for your industry

Your business description needs to let readers know what your business does. It also needs to let your readers know how your business is unique.

Let’s say you’re working on a business description for a local garden center. You’ve got your basics and you’ve narrowed down keywords (including “garden center”), so it’s time to take a look at what other businesses are including in their descriptions.

Here’s an example of a business description on Instagram from Russell’s Garden Center, a small business outside of Boston:

The oldest garden center in America, continuing its passed down pursuit to get more people outside and growing.

russell garden center business description

Now here’s another business description example for a local chain, Mahoney’s Garden:

Full service and family-run home and garden center with 7 retail locations in MA since 1959.

mahoneys garden business description

There are some clear similarities between these business descriptions—and these aren’t the only garden centers hitting similar points. Both of these descriptions emphasize legacy and community, whether that’s by stressing “family” or “people.” This suggests that you want to tap into that here. Does your business run classes or events? Do you run the shop with your partner or your mom? Include those in the business description to attract your audience and set your business apart from your competitors.

When you’re writing your business description, be sure to check websites as well as social media profiles, as the descriptions will differ across platforms. We’ll talk more about that soon.

3. Choose your keywords

You’ll use your business description on your website, on your social media profiles, on review and listings sites—in other words, you’ll use this description across the internet. Because the primary locations for this description will be online, you need to make sure it’s optimized. That means you need to include keywords.

Here’s an example from Trophy Fitness Uptown on Yelp:

At Trophy Fitness Uptown, our mission is to provide our members at all fitness levels with an enjoyable workout experience in a positive, uplifting space. Our team is dedicated to delivering first-class customer service, and we understand the importance of a fitness club that promotes a healthy lifestyle, which is why we’re proud to specialize in personal training. All of our experienced personal trainers hold nationally recognized certifications and are here to help you achieve your fitness goals. Whether you’re a pro athlete or just setting out on your fitness journey, you have a place here at Trophy Fitness Uptown.

yelp business description with keywords

Yelp business description example with keywords highlighted.

From the keywords in this business description, it’s clear that Trophy Fitness Uptown is a fitness club that also provides personal trainers.

If you’re using a keyword tool, you can look at keyword volume for Google, Bing, and other search platforms, which can help you optimize your business descriptions on those sites.

But focusing on Google’s keyword volume is always a good place to start for overall SEO, anyway. If your social media profiles and listings come up on the search results page as well as your website, that’s just more space for your business.

4. Stick to active voice

This might seem like a nit-picky tip but stick with me. Your business description should show your readers what your business does and how it does it well. Why wouldn’t you take every opportunity to make your business active when you only have a few sentences anyway?

That’s why it’s imperative to avoid passive voice and stick to active voice instead.

Passive voice is when your sentence is structured so that the subject is receiving the action. Take this simple example: The laundry was folded and placed in the drawers.

So who did that laundry? It’s unclear.

Active voice is when the subject of the sentence completes the action. Let’s rewrite that example in the active voice: Greg folded the laundry and placed it in the drawers. Who did the laundry? Greg. It’s nice and clear.

You want it to be nice and clear what your business is doing—and what it can do for your customers.

Read this business description from pet care provider DogSpot:

We treat your dog as we would our own children, which is why we are committed to providing the highest quality pet care services available. Our knowledgeable training and daycare staff have over 30 years of combined experience in professional dog training, behavioral and basic dog medical care. Owner and operator Carlene King is a certified doggies behavior and training specialist, graduating from one of the most elite dog training schools in the states- Triple Crown Dog Academy.

business description example with active voice - dogspot

By using active voice and strong verbs, DogSpot has written an energetic business description that’s engaging and informative.

Stick to active voice so you can do the same, just make sure your verbs fit with your brand voice, which leads us to the next step.

5. Make sure your description is on-brand

Your business description is an opportunity to introduce your company. That should include introducing your brand identity, too. You should write your description in your brand voice. For instance, if your brand voice is casual and jokey, use some light-hearted humor in your description. If your brand is more serious and formal, then make sure your business description is crisp and authoritative.

El Arroyo, for example, is a Mexican restaurant in Austin, TX, best known for its sign with cheeky or fun messages. Here’s how they describe their business on their website:

Since 1975, El Arroyo has been serving up Tex-Mex with a side of laughs on our famous marquee sign that stands on the corner of West 5th and Campbell in Austin, Texas.

The Last Queso Stop Before a Bunch of Yoga Studios – over the years we’ve covered every food pun imaginable while never forgetting witty commentary on current events. We’re always happy to take sign submissions from customers and the internet!

We’ve been serving great Tex-Mex food in Austin for more than 25 years and we’ve loved every second of it.

Thanks, Austin, and here’s to 25 more!

el arroyo business description example

Their About Us page even includes a picture of their famous sign.

Keeping your description on-brand like this will let anyone reading know what they can expect from your content or communications. Plus, brand consistency across channels will help make your brand more easily recognizable. And a recognizable brand is good for your business.

importance of brand consistency in business description

 

How to write your business description on social media and review sites

Let’s call this bonus step six because when you’re done with your business description, you’re still not exactly done. The best business description is one that you can adapt slightly for any place you need to quickly introduce your company.

Ideally, your main business description will be longer, and you can use this on your website, and for listings, LinkedIn, and review websites. Then, you’ll be able to pull out sections or create shorter versions for other social profiles with lower character limits, like Twitter or Instagram.

Here are some guidelines to write your business description for each social media platform.

Facebook business description

Your Facebook business description shows in the About section of your Facebook business profile and gives visitors a quick overview of your business. Your Facebook description can be no longer than 255 characters. But you can also add additional information that will show up under your About section to communicate more about your business.

Here’s how El Arroyo amended their business description for Facebook:

About

Since 1975, El Arroyo has been serving up Tex-Mex with a side of daily laughs on our famous marquee sign that stands on a corner in downtown Austin, Texas.

Additional information

We love throwing parties; talk to us about throwing your next event here. We also offer catering for all occasions. Whether on-site or off, we deliver the best of Tex-Mex in Austin.

Like Pat Green says, get yourself down to El Arroyo and let yourself go. Cheers to 40 more years of queso, tacos, beers, and ‘ritas!

facebook business description - el arroyo example

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Related: Get more Facebook bio examples to help you wow customers on this social site.

Instagram description

Your Instagram description shows at the top of your profile and can be no longer than 150 characters. Try to include the most important information about your business and what makes you unique. It’s also a best practice to include your location information here so people viewing your Instagram account know where you’re located.

Here’s how DogSpot amended their business description for Instagram:

Doggy Daycare and Cage Free Boarding Facility Serving North Counties of San Diego CA

instagram business description - dogspot example

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Twitter description

Your Twitter business description shows at the top of your profile under your handle and can be no longer than 160 characters. Similar to Instagram, make sure to include the most important information about your business (and a hashtag or two doesn’t hurt if it’s relevant!).

Here’s how Mahoney’s Garden wrote their Twitter description:

Full service and family-run home and #garden center with 7 retail locations in #MA since 1959 #gardening

twitter business description example - mahoneys garden

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LinkedIn description

Your LinkedIn description is a little different than your other descriptions on social media and review sites because your primary audience is typically employees and prospective employees rather than customers. So it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re writing your LinkedIn description. LinkedIn gives you a lot of room to describe your business—up to 2,000 characters–but it’s a best practice to keep it fairly short to grab attention quickly.

Here’s an example from Trophy Fitness Uptown:

Since 2003, Trophy Fitness has been moving fitness forward. From operating our own three successful gyms locations in Dallas, to consulting, managing, and designing countless gyms across the country, Trophy is a trusted expert for all fitness needs. We believe each person should be treated like an individual, not a number and relationships are better than memberships. Our purpose is to combine our love of fitness with a desire to serve to deliver an unmatched experience in an effort to move our Team, our Clients and our Community FORWARD.

linkedin business description example - trophy fitness uptown

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You can see that rather than promoting their personal training and workout services, they highlight their expertise and purpose.

Yelp description

Your Yelp business description shows a little further down your page than some of the other social media and review descriptions but still displays above reviews—it’s marked as Specialties on your page, and you can also include History and Meet the Owner/Manager. You have 1,500 characters under Specialties; 1,000 under History; and 1,000 under Meet the Owner/Manager, so you can include quite a bit of information about your business.

Here’s a small excerpt from Parley’s PPM on Yelp—they also include their History and Meet the Owner:

PPM Plumbing is one of the major cooling, heating and plumbing businesses in Utah County. PPM Plumbing provides service, repair and installation for all of your HVAC needs. We offer HVAC services for: Plumbing, Bathroom Remodeling, Copper Repiping, Garbage Disposals, Water and Sewer Mains, Drain Cleaning, Leak Detection, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Furnaces, Boilers, Heat Pumps, Central Air, Water Softeners As part of our standard service, we can have our professional plumbers and technicians come to your aid immediately.

yelp business description example - parleys ppm

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YouTube channel business description

Your YouTube channel business description gives viewers a deeper glimpse into what they can expect from your channel, including who you are, what type of content you share, and when they can expect to see that content.

Using the right keywords in your YouTube channel business description can also increase your chances of getting found in YouTube search results (and because YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, this is very valuable!). While YouTube gives you a lot of space to tell your story (5,000 characters, to be exact), you want to try to capture users’ attention in the first 125 characters or so.

Here’s an example from Debt Free Millennials:

youtube channel description examples - debt free millennial about page screenshot

As you can see, this YouTube channel description example speaks directly to its target audience, provides some credibility as to why you should watch their channel, and does it in a very concise way.

Google Business Profile description

Last, but certainly not least, is your Google Business Profile description. This is an extremely important one if you want to entice searchers to contact or visit you directly from Google Search or Maps. Your Google Business Profile description shows up on your listing in the 3-pack, Google Maps, or when someone clicks your listing in Google Search. You should include clear details about your products or services, who and what area you serve, and a few keywords to increase your chances of showing up for relevant searches. You have 750 characters to describe your business on your Google Business Profile.

Here’s an example from Conover Law Firm:

The Conover Law Firm is a personal injury and workers’ compensation firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. We confidently represent victims of truck accidents, car accidents, slip & falls, workplace injuries, and more. Attorney Craig Conover and his legal team make each case a priority and strive to help clients earn the fair compensation they deserve. With the tagline “Don’t get run over, call Conover,” Conover Law Firm takes a client-focused approach and ensures each client fully understands the legal process.

google business profile description example - conover law firm

 

More business description examples (with templates!)

Here are some basic business description examples and templates you can copy and paste across your website and social sites (think of it as MadLibs for your business!) for different industries.

Business description example for retail

Template:

[Business name] is a [type of business, category] in [city and neighborhood]. You can find [product, search term] for [audience or occasion]. [Value statement.]

Example:

Brianna’s Boutique is a high-end women’s vintage clothing store in Los Angeles, CA. You can find the best vintage designer labels for any and all occasions. Visit us if you’re looking for one-of-a-kind vintage luxury. Celeb sitings are not uncommon.

Shortened description:

High-end women’s vintage clothing boutique for all occasions.

business description example - retail - instagram

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Business description example for service businesses

Template:

[Business name] provides [service, search term]. We have been serving the [city, state] for more than [time in business]. [Value statement.]

Example:

Gilmore’s provides expert glass repair, plumbing, and electrical services. We are a family business and have been serving the Austin, TX area for more than 20 years. We are the one stop shop for all your home repair and service needs.

Shortened description:

Family-run one-stop shop for glass repair, plumbing, and electrical services.

home services business description example - instagram

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Business description example for restaurants

Template:

[Business name] is [type of restaurant] in [city, state, neighborhood]. For [years in business], we have been a local favorite for the best [keywords] in town. [Value statement]!

Example:

Dina’s Diner is an American restaurant and diner in Jacksonville, FL. We have been a local favorite for the best all-American food in town for over 25 years. With nothing but full smiles and fast service, you’ll be leaving satisfied. Come on in for some authentic American comfort food.

Shortened description:

Authentic all-American food served up fast and friendly.

restaurant business description example - instagram - mi cocina

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Business description example for health and beauty

Template:

[Business name] is a [type of business] in [city, state, neighborhood]. We specialize in [service, search term]. Our experienced staff is eclectic and fun, and we keep up with the latest trends, so you don’t have to. [Value statement].

Example:

Lucy’s is a full-service salon for the entire family in the central area of Boulder, CO. We specialize in trendy cuts, color fashions, highlights, and blowouts. Our experienced staff is eclectic and fun, and we keep up with the latest trends, so you don’t have to. We love matching your cut and color to your personality.

Shortened description:

Full-service salon for the whole family, from traditional to trendy.

health and beauty business description example - instagram

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Words to include in your business description

Looking for even more inspiration to convey who your business is and what you’re about? Bring your business description to life with some descriptors. Here is a list to pick from:

  • expert, experienced, seasoned
  • recognized, award-winning, renowned
  • flavorful, tasty
  • leading, top-notch, only, first
  • casual, comfortable, relaxed
  • organic, fresh, home-grown (dishes, ingredients)
  • friendly, kid-friendly, family-friendly, pet-friendly (staff, atmosphere)
  • fun, upbeat
  • high-end, affordable
  • dependable, trusty, reliable
  • practical
  • unique, one-of-a-kind, authentic
  • locally made, locally sourced, farm-to-table
  • local favorite, go-to, top pick
  • one-stop-shop, all-inclusive, variety, full range
  • customized
  • spacious, cozy

 

Write a business description that works across platforms

There you have it—-how to write a compelling business description and great examples to inspire you while you’re getting started. Remember to spend time writing a longer, more in-depth description that you can adjust to fit your about us page on your website as well as the different character requirements for any platform. It’ll be worth it.

Here were those steps for how to write a compelling business description:

  1. Start with your basics
  2. Check out other business descriptions
  3. Choose your keywords
  4. Stick to active voice
  5. Make sure your description is on-brand
  6. Customize for each major platform