So What “About Us?” How to Awaken This Top-Converting Sleeper Page

Welcome back!  Question for you:  Did you know that your “About Us” page is a sleeper page waiting to be awakened and optimized for conversions? Or even that it is a heavily-visited page that sparks conversions?  Today Heather addresses how to write a conversions-driving “About Us” page in her ongoing video series on writing a killer website, citing a case study as well as sharing her own expertise.

In her previous “how-to” video posts on writing a profitable website, Heather addressed how to write a killer home page, a sales-driving e-commerce products page, and a conversion-driving services page.  While these pages are obviously directly tied to profitability, there remains the un-sung hero of website conversions:  enter the often-overlooked, usually boring, yet highly-trafficked and (potentially) conversions-generating About Us page!

1.  So What “About Us” – Check Your Analytics

So what about the “About Us” page and why should you care?  Check your analytics:  you may well find that they are pivotal to the conversions process.  In fact, you may find that the “About Us” page is one of your top-trafficked pages.

Why?  Because when people are looking at your company and determining whether or not they want to buy your product or contact you for more information, they want to know:

Does this company really have the expertise that I think they have?  Or the product that I really want?

If you’ve convinced them that indeed you do with a well-written “About Us” page, then via analytics, you clearly will see the prospect “convert” to other pages of your site.  So think of your “About Us” page as a conversions nexus — because it is!

2. Typical “About Us” Pages Are Boring – You Can Fix That

Yes, you want to demonstrate your expertise, but consider breaking away from “corporate-speak” and trying something different.  We’re all guilty of this, just spitting out the usual stuff we’d submit for a bio, and talking up our awards and the recognition we’ve garnered, and that’s okay.

But!  Knowing that your “About Us” page is critical for conversions and traffic, why not consider mixing it up a bit, as evidenced by this…

3. WordStream Blog Case Study – How Changing the “About Us” Page Raised Conversion Rates by 13%

Yes, 13-percent!  How did this happen?

In the WordStream case study, the top part of the “About Us” page was very formal, and representative of what you usually expect to see on a website’s “About Us” page.

However, the bottom half of the “About Us” page was dramatically different, speaking to the reader with powerful and personalized copy such as:  “Perfectionist Workaholics”;  “Passionate Linguistics”; and “Personable Personnel.”  This copy packs a conversions punch – it’s interesting, catchy, and grabs the readers’ attention.

So, the reader thinks, “Wow!”  It’s more than just another corporation honoring itself:  Suddenly, the “About Us” page has personality.

4.  Additional Thoughts & Take-Aways for the About Us Page

  • Your “About Us” page can have a very personable tone and feel, especially if YOU are the BRAND:  no matter your specific niche, if you’re at a place where folks know you, then you can play up your personality.
  • But DO showcase your expertise: The sad thing is that so many folks don’t do this, and stick to the most general and banal “facts” about them. The “About Us” page is a great opportunity for you to shine:  think of all the cool things you’ve done and tie them back directly to your target audience, specifically addressing what your expertise means to them and what is in it for them.
  • Consider A/B testing: If you’re worried about changing up that staid corporate tone and feel for something different and refreshing, consider doing an A/B test to see what happens by directing folks to an alternative “About Us” page with a completely divergent tone and feel.  Then see what happens to your conversion rates.
  • Badges are great: If you’re part of a recognized organization, have won awards, or have been/are a speaker at a conference, definitely include these credibility sources in your “About Us” narrative.
  • Consider adding video: If you are THE Brand and want to really distinguish yourself, consider adding video to your content, but be sure your supporting copy is exceptional!

Glad you joined us for this peek under the hood of conversions-driving web copywriting!  Be sure to check in next time, when Heather will discuss the second un-sung hero of conversions-driving web copy:  FAQ pages.  See you then!

6 replies
  1. Amy C. Teeple says:

    Awesome post/video Heather. I love the fact that you back up your advice with the WordStream case study. Too often, clients balk at breaking away from the “traditional” layout of an About Us page.

    Hopefully, using this case study (and other facts) will help some of them to be willing to take a chance on a more powerful About Us page.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Heather says:

    You’re welcome – glad you enjoyed it. I just wrote a new “about us” page for a client in a very different tone and feel…I’m curious about the conversion rate…

    Reply
  3. Nick Stamoulis says:

    If you think about it, it makes sense that a lot of people visit the “About Us” page, and the people that visit are likely serious about hiring you. Before making any kind of commitment a prospect wants to learn as much as they can. It’s a very important page and you want to make it work for you as much as possible.

    Reply
  4. Heather says:

    You’re exactly right, Nick. It’s a huge conversion page – but many companies overlook it because it’s not “sales copy” (and they mistakenly think that people aren’t reading their “about us” page, anyway.)

    Thanks so much for your thoughts! :)

    Reply
  5. Sharon says:

    This is a great article. I work as a content developer for a web design company and I often find it is like pulling teeth to get businesses interested in creating their About Us page. This article gave me a lot to think about and some new ‘ammunition’ to use when talking to clients.
    Thanks again

    Reply

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