Have you read your About Page lately?
Does it needs some sprucing up? Some editing? A complete overhaul?
If you, like me, wrote your About Page copy a long while ago, you may not even remember what it says. So, give it a quick read and ask yourself, “Is this page doing a bang-up job of communicating my message, my story, and what my business is all about now? Or is it kind of old and stale and in need of a tune-up?”
Hey… you’re always evolving, changing, becoming more. So it makes sense that your About Page will need to be edited (or even rewritten entirely) every now and then if it’s going to do right by you and your business.
And the cool thing is, there seems to be so many different ways to write, organize and format your About Page these days. I’m fascinated by how many different species of About Pages I see out and about in Internet Land. And over the next few weeks, starting today, I’m going to share 5 of those unique species with you so you can get your own About Page all spiffed up before the New Year.
Now… why would you want to give your About Page a little makeover? Simple.
Your About Page is one of the most important pages on your website. If not THE most important.
Why?
Because people actually read it. More than any other page on your website. In fact, more often than not, your 1st time website visitors will read your About Page before they decide to 1) keep reading, 2) opt-in or 3) even consider doing business with you. So if you’re About Page is dull and dreary, or if it no longer represents all the wonderfulness you offer, it’s in your best interest to rewrite that baby now!
First, get clear about what you want your About Page to communicate. What’s its job? Is it to communicate the who, what, why and how of your business? Or is it to tell your own personal story of how your business came to be? To establish your credibility and authority… or to reveal more about you as a person? Or all of the above?
The answers to these questions will depend on a number of things. Like:
- What’s on the other pages of your website.
- The type of business you have.
- How much you’re willing to reveal about yourself.
- Your personal style or brand
For instance, if your home page is already doing a great of job of communicating whom you serve, what you do and why you rock, then your About Page can be more about you, your story. Or it can be a manifesto of what you believe relative to your industry. Or it can even be a simple bio… but that’s so passe! And boring.
But no matter what, your About Page should share the aspects of yourself or your business your ideal clients can relate to. You want your client to see themselves in your About Page – their concerns, fears, dreams and desires – in some way shape or form. They may see it in your story or in a simple statement about your mission or purpose. Or a fun laundry list about what makes you tick.
Let’s move on to…
5 Different Ways to Write Your About Page
Over the next few weeks I’m going to share 5 different kinds of About Pages you can consider before you update (or write) your own. They are:
- The Compelling Story
- The Soup Pot
- The Interwoven Thread
- The Interview
- The Laundry List
Today, I’m going to tell you about the Compelling Story and the Soup Pot. Here we go!
The Compelling Story
Did you start your business or choose to offer certain services because of some life changing experience or epiphany? Do you have an intriguing personal story that reveals why you do the work you do?
If so, let that story be the focus of your About Page.
There is nothing more intriguing and engaging than your own story of transformation or realization when it comes to communicating the essence of your business. As long as your story is relevant to your ideal client.
For instance, I had a client who helped people transform their relationship with money so they could get out of debt, become financially stable and live the rest of their lives free of money worries. She had an incredibly compelling story of how she went from being paralyzed by debt and deep denial around her financial mess to breaking free of the shame, fear and self-sabotaging behavior she had around money to then becoming the founder of her own hugely successful financial recovery business.
We used her story on her About Page not just because it was a story of triumph and renewal but because her ideal clients could see themselves in her story. They could relate to her when she was deep in debt, and they could find hope in the fact that she found a way to financial freedom.
So, if you have a compelling story about how you chose or came to do the work you do, tell it! Everyone loves a story of personal transformation, a hero’s tale from down and out to on top of the world. Or a simple story of how you fell in love with the work you do.
Now, if you don’t have a compelling story about how you created your business, no worries. There are plenty of other ways to write a captivating About Page. For instance….
The Soup Pot
If you want your About Page to give your website visitor the nitty-gritty about your business, what you do for your clients, your philosophy, why you’re different, then the Soup Pot About Page may be your best choice.
I call it the Soup Pot because you need to throw a lot of yummy ingredients into it if you want to make sure it’s hot and tasty.
The Soup Pot is a more traditional “we do this” About Page… except with some personality, flavor and spice. Rather than focus on your personal story, you’re telling your clients what you can do for them and why you’re uniquely suited to rock their world. It can also include drier information, like how long you’ve been in business, your credentials, your mission, and even a list of past clients.
But be careful! You don’t want your About Page to read like a resume. Be sure to spunk it up with your voice, your personality, and maybe even some surprising information. Like your fascination with dog shows. Or your addiction to “I Love Lucy” reruns.
Marie Forleo has a good example of a Soup Pot About Page.
Marie is masterful at writing copy that shines with personality, sass and her own kooky way of communicating. On her About Page, you can see how she starts with a statement that sums up her mission. But then she gets playful as she starts to talk about herself.
“I often say if Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, Oprah and Jay-Z had a love child, it would be me.
That’s because I’m part business strategist, part marketing maven and part spiritual ass-kicker with a side of hip-hop swagger.”
She goes on to talk about her accomplishments, what makes her unique, and how she can serve you. It’s her own hodge-podge of facts, revelations, and confessions.
Notice how she sprinkles in some great photos and her opt-in form. You can do the same!
Derek Helperin also has a Soup Pot About Page.
His About Page is heavy on graphics, light on copy. It doesn’t reveal much about Derek as a person. Instead, it’s a mish-mash of his media contributions, a short and sweet bio, a quick “Is this you?” section, and an invitation to go to his blog or YouTube channel. And some really big photos of his face.
While I’d personally love to read more about Derek, the person, or perhaps see a video from Derek, this page still gives you a strong sense of what you’re going to get by opting in or hanging out on his site.
The cool thing about a Soup Pot About Page is that it can give you a lot of freedom. To include what you want, be different, create a crazy quilt of information that’s intriguing yet still clearly communicates who you are, what you do and why anyone should give a damn.
If you chose to create or recreate your About Page in the Soup Pot fashion, I recommend you start with (or at least include) a strong, clear and concise statement about whom you serve, what you do and why it matters. You could also include your reason/goal/mission/quest for being in business.
From there, you’ve got plenty of options. Throw in any tidbit that you feel is interesting and relevant to you and/or your business. Heck, throw in your favorite recipe for sponge cake. Or a list of your favorite songs (I’ll share more about how to use lists in About Pages in the weeks to come).
Be true to you, your personality, your passion and the purpose of your business.
What’s next?
I’ve got 3 more About Page ideas to share with you over the next few weeks, so stay tuned. One of my new favorites is the Laundry List, so I’ll probably save that for last.
Meanwhile, why not share your current About Page below in the comments section and we can brainstorm ways to give it a bit of a makeover. Come on! It’ll be fun.