The About Page Debate (With Examples)

Every website needs an about page. Even yours. This is the content that proves you are a real business with real outcomes. Put simply, the about page builds trust.

Here’s the debate:

1. Should your about page be written in third person and follow a general corporate-style company description complete with a mission statement and vision statement?
2. Should your about page only talk about the solutions your company provides the customer?
3. Should your about page be written in first person and talk about the people at your business and how they get the job done?

I always encourage clients to go with option number three, with a little bit from option one and two when appropriate. Visitors click on the about page link to learn about YOU. No where else on your site do you have the freedom to talk about yourself so freely. More importantly, though, the about page is your opportunity to humanize your company. To me this is paramount.

How to Get Personal on Your About Page

There are a few ways to get personal on an about page. What follows are examples to help you decide what works best.

Tell a story.

Everyone loves a story. I landed on the Atlanta Wow! Food Truck website and read the about page word for word (despite some of the typos and formatting issues). It’s short, but it has just the right amount of description.

Share your history.

One of my favorite sites, 37 signals, calls their about page “Our Story” and has a timeline to tell the story. I’m a sucker for a company history.

If you’re corporate, be corporate, but only to a point.

For big companies, b-to-b companies, and others that want an uber-professional online appearance, embrace a corporate tone. Just don’t go crazy with jargon and sales talk. Plus, refer to yourselves as “us” and “we.”

Vertical Response does a great job of presenting the impressive facts without droning on and on about what they do. I also like the way they list all of their media properties, recent press releases, and contact information on the about page.

Introduce your people.

People don’t buy from companies. People buy from people at companies. Why not publish pictures of all your team members like the Denver-based Unleaded Group did?

Describe how you do things different.

Pier 1 sells home goods. A lot of stores do that and most describe themselves in generic ways. That’s why Pier 1’s about page is so awesome. They don’t regurgitate a thing. They only talk about how they are different.

Make it personal.

Graze, a company that provides healthy snack boxes to busy people, has the cutest darn about page I’ve seen in awhile. Its secret? Simplicity and pictures. While short on words, the page starts off emphasizing the relationships of the company owners and goes into how they help other people. The pictures help to emphasize the company’s people-centered approach.

In an upcoming post I’ll share a few tips for how to write your about page. Until then, tell me what type of about pages you prefer?

About Sara Lancaster

Sara is The Condiment Marketing Co.’s founder and creative director. She oversees client relationships, strategic marketing plans, as well as a bit of copywriting and social media management.