As a small business owner, while your expertise and credentials are important, there’s another huge piece of the puzzle that influences whether or not someone hires or purchases from you:
Ultimately people want to work with other humans that they connect with.
And your website’s About page is the place to lean into your story and foster that sense of connection.
So while your website’s Home page and Services page may hone in on the hard skills that make you qualified for the job (for example, I am a graphic designer with 10 years of experience across various industries), your About page is an opportunity to have fun and connect on a deeper level (for example, I love to travel which has connected me to entrepreneurs building brands across the globe).
Basically, you want to think about the things that make you YOU, and how those things connect to the business you’re building. Here are some examples from some of my recent clients:
- Emily Kriner, a branding & retainer client, is a health coach who is also a professional violinist. On her About page, she talks about how her “journey as a violinist has taught me the power of prioritizing my own well-being, my authenticity, and above all else my connection to myself and my purpose.”
- Liz Green/Accountably, a brand strategy, branding, & website client, is an accountant & fractional CFO. On her About page, she talks about how her background as a ballet dancer and ice skater has helped her build a strong foundation that transfers to all areas of her life, including her business. She says, “That creativity, competition, connection, teamwork, artistry, and discipline is still with me now. Competitive sport and performance art allowed me to test my limits and learn what I was truly capable of.”
- Vanessa + Xander Marin are a design retainer client, and they a husband & wife duo in the sex therapy field. On their About page, they share fun facts for themselves & all of their team members, and I love how this helps to humanize the folks behind a topic that is still considered pretty taboo, while also connecting their fun facts to their business & mission. For example, Vanessa shares that she’s a huge bookworm and recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing her own book (Sex Talks, a New York Times Bestseller). She also shares that she loves traveling with Xander and they’ve been to over 40 countries together, which reinforces the strength & fun of their relationship, such a huge part of their business.
So with all of that said, here are 6 ways you can incorporate more fun & connection to your website’s About page so that you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and grow your small business in a way that feels authentic.
1. A timeline
A timeline through history is a fun way to share how you got to where you are. It’s also an opportunity to share business milestones, which can also help to build credibility with your audience. Some things to include in a timeline:
- Your hobbies growing up that relate to what you do now (i.e., I was always obsessed with arts & crafts growing up, and became known as the girl who carried sparkly gel pens with her everywhere, so it makes sense that I ended up becoming a designer)
- A noteworthy life event that inspired you to go down your career path or start your business (this can be something positive or may be a struggle or obstacle you’ve had to overcome)
- Where your career started and how that got you to where you are today (for example, many of my clients have diverse corporate backgrounds that have taught them SO much about starting businesses of their own)
- When you launched your business (a celebratory moment, and if you’ve been at it for a while, this also build credibility because you’re able to show off how long you’ve been doing it)
2. Fun facts
Who doesn’t love some fun facts? This is a great way to seamlessly bring together things that make you unique, & how your authenticity relates back to your business. If a potential client is deciding between you and another business owner, and then they see that you have similar interests, it could seriously help sway their decision.
3. In-depth testimonials
Testimonials and social proof are important on various pages of your website, but there’s an opportunity to go even deeper on your About page. Here, instead of short quotes from your clients/customers, get more detailed.
I love including a headline with the most important call-out (i.e. “We’ve noticed an increase in sales.”) followed by a paragraph that goes a bit deeper (i.e. “When I came to Carly, I felt like our old logo didn’t grab our customer’s attention and there was no clarity or cohesion around the rest of our branding. Carly took the time to listen to my goals and vision and I love the overall outcome. Not only do I have more confidence running ads on social media, but we’ve noticed an increase in sales thanks to that marketing and our beautiful new branding and website. I absolutely recommended working with Carly—I felt really heard about what I wanted and everything turned out amazing.”)
To accomplish this, I recommend sending your clients/customers a feedback form at the end of your time working together with a variety of questions, such as:
- What were you looking for when you first approached [Crafted by Carly]?
- Did you have any hesitations about working with a [professional designer]?
- What was your favorite part of our time working together?
- What surprised you about the process (in a positive or negative way)?
- What would you tell anyone else looking to hire [Crafted by Carly]?
This gives you lots of juicy information to work with so that you can give your audience a closer inside look at what it’s REALLY like to work with you—and letting those that have worked with or bought from you do the talking gives you so much credibility.
4. Your core values
Your core values give a quick snapshot of the things you really care about—and if you’re audience really cares about those things too, it’s a great way to connect with them in a way that goes beyond just your offers or services. This is an especially great thing to include if you’re a solopreneur or small business owner whose business core values closely align with your personal values.
For example, I’m someone who really values curiosity. In my personal life, I’m always wanting to learn about something new, whether it’s reading someone’s memoir or listening to a podcast on a totally random topic. In business, helping business owners with their brands, websites, marketing allows me to constantly get curious about new industries and business ideas, and that curiosity fuels my creativity.
I recommend choosing 3 core values and expand on them just a little bit. As always, make sure to connect them back to your business and how you can help your target audience!
5. Introduce your team
If you have a team, introducing them on your About page is a way to not only add a personal touch and shows the additional expertise you bring to the table, it also feels transparent (& therefore trustworthy) to show who else is helping you run the business.
I recommend including a headshot, their name, and their role at the very least, but including a short bio with some fun information is a great way to add some fun & additional connection points! For example:
- If you’re someone who loves astrology, include each team member’s sign
- If you’re a huge foodie, include each team member’s favorite food
- If you love to travel, include each team member’s favorite travel destination
6. Brag bar
Finally, it is important to brag and show off your pass accomplishments and/or credentials! I put this one last because while I think it’s a great thing to consider including, I don’t think it necessarily needs to be front & center of your About page. There are a few different types of “brag bars” depending on the type of business:
- A “Featured in” list if you’ve been featured in publications or podcasts
- A “Noteworthy clients” list if you’ve worked with recognizable brands
- An “Awards & Recognition” list if your work has won any awards
- A “Credentials” list if you have any special qualifications related to your business
My recommendation is NOT to include all of these sections – choose a couple that make sense for you and your business and work them into the overall page in a way that flows. And remember: always connect it back to what you do and who you do it for.
Ready to make some strategic & conversion-worthy changes to your About page?
Book a FREE 30 minute website audit & I will:
- Audit your website, keeping in mind your current goals & challenges
- Share 3 easy-to-implement website improvements that are aligned with your goals
- Answer any of your burning website questions on a 30 minute Zoom call
