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    How to create an amazing "About Us" page (tactics from a professional About Page writer)

    marian-about-page-money

    Businesses pay this woman $1,500 to write their "About Us" pages.

    That is Marian Schembari, and she's a copywriter that specializes in About Us pages.

    A $1,500 minimum seems like a CRAZY amount re-writing a single About Us page.  So why is Marian able to charge such high prices?

    I lured Marian to Austin with promises of cupcakes and jellybeans, then STOLE ALL HER SECRETS.

    I made Marian some nice  truth serum  tea and she gave away all the secrets to writing a $1,500 About Us page below:

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    For a page with no clear ROI (unlike a sales page with obvious conversion metrics), it doesn’t make a ton of sense that you’d put a lot of time into an "About Us" page.

    That’s why most About pages suck big time.

    You know the ones... Rambling 3rd-person paragraphs listing out a company's timeline or a contractor's education.

    *Yawn*

    about page sleeping

    Don’t worry, I’ll lay out exactly how to write an About page without having to pay me $1,500.  But first, know these two things:

    1.) Your About page is often the most-visited page on your entire website.

    2.) Your story is THE content that will stay in a reader’s head long after they’ve clicked "exit".

    Organizations from start-ups to nonprofits don't pay me $1,500 and say:

    "Write us an About Page please!!!"

    No no no.....

    What these clients pay for is:

    • A story that makes journalists pick up the phone.
    • A value proposition that makes readers sign up for everything they’ve ever created.
    • An offering that makes customers request a beta version of software that’s still in stealth mode.

    Value of an about page

    So let’s dive into how to actually do this:

     

    Step 1.) Understand your "About Page" is often the 2nd-highest visited page behind your homepage.

    I hacked into Neville's private analytics and stole these screenshots from his account:

    about page stats kopywritingkourse

    Despite him having a terrible About Us page, people stay on the page for an average of 2min and 3seconds......since he has barely 3 paragraphs of text on his About Page, this means people are ACTUALLY READING what he's saying.

    However since he put very little effort into the page, he's missing some crucial opportunities to hook people in for life, or take an action.

    Don't be dumb like Neville and neglect the 2nd-most visited page on your website!

     

     

    Step 2.) Understand your "About Page" is often the highest "bounce rate" of any page

    Bounce Rate = The percentage of visitors to a website leave after viewing only one page:

    about page bounce rate leaving

    Think about it…

    Whether it was via a Facebook advertisement, Google search, or guest post, a new visitor has landed on your site. Cool. Congratulations!

    Now, these new readers either leave .... OR…. they click "About" in your navigation.

    And that, my friend, is a very clear, screaming statement:

    "I like what I see... Tell me more!"

    You’ve piqued their interest, and it’s your About page’s job to reel them in.

    The problem is, most people slap up a third-person copy/pasted bio from LinkedIn and call it a day.

    The result? You’ve just told that new reader: "Sorry, nothing to see here."

    And instead of that new reader devouring everything you’ve ever created, they click that terrifying "x" and explore someone else’s website.

    Oops.

     

     

    Step 3.) Understand it's your About Page's job to steer the visitor somewhere:

    Think about your About page as a train station—bustling with crowds, each person armed with a different destination and departure schedule.

    These visitors have one thing in common: They want to get somewhere!

    It’s your About Page's job to tell them how:

    about page helpful

    Thanks for the help Mr. About Page!

    Sadly a lot of people treat their About page like an abandoned station with a boarded up ticket window.  This sad and abandoned About Page is telling visitors they’re in the wrong place and to get off at the next stop:

    about page sad

    Awww Mr. About Page is depressed and not being helpful at all 😞

    As you can see, a great About Page can be the difference between a quick visitor exit and a newly obsessed fan.

    So how do we turn your awkward third-person text fest into a sticky page that leads to more press opportunities, subscribers and rabid fans? By knowing the "anatomy" of a good About Page:

     

     

    Step 4.) Understand the Anatomy of a good About Page

    Essentially your About page has two jobs:

    (1.) Get new readers excited to have found you.

    (2.) Send them to the right place.

    There are a million creative ways to format your About page, but there are a few sections I consider for each page I write:

    1. A Value Proposition
    2. A Day Dream
    3. A Differentiator
    4. A Story
    5. An Offering
    6. A Call to Action

    I like this order, but you can mix and match in a way that works for you. This "Anatomy of an About Page" contains everything I put into about pages I write that cost up to $1,500....so pay close attention and take notes!

     

    anatomy of an about page

    Let’s go through each section, then walk through some examples.

    Here are the different parts of an About Page.....

     

     

    PART 1.) The Value Proposition:

    A value proposition is just a fancy way of answering the question: What is unique and desirable about you?

    That’s it.

    It’s usually just a sentence or two, and works great as an introductory headline. When you use this headline on your About page, you also avoid the dreaded (and completely overused) headline: "About Us."

    Your headline doesn’t need to be catchy or clever or "punchy". It just has to encapsulate what you do, how you’re different and why people should keep reading.

    Here are some example Value Propositions:

    • "Life coaching for people who give a shit" (Liz Goodchild)
    • "A marketplace where people connect to make, sell and buy unique goods" (Etsy)
    • "Tools to grow your website’s traffic" (Sumome)
    • "A marketplace for accomplishment" (Thumbtack)

    For every page I write, I brainstorm at least 25 headlines. And I do this last.

    I’ve found the best stories reveal themselves throughout the writing process and it’s easier to come up with something clear and unique after writing the rest of page.

    But that’s what works for me—you do you.

     

     

    PART 2.) The Day Dream:

    about page day dreaming

    How will your reader’s life be different when they buy/read/subscribe? What does that perfect life look like?

    You’ve likely seen sales pages feature this tactic with the words, "Imagine if…"

    For example:

    • Imagine if you could take your dog anywhere, without worrying he’ll bark at old ladies on the street.
    • Imagine that going to work felt as magical as Christmas morning.
    • Imagine making a full-time salary by selling your jewelry at renaissance faires.

    These stories don’t need to start with the word "imagine," but it’s helpful exercise. You can cut the first few words once you’re done:

    • Take your dog anywhere, without worrying he’ll bark at old ladies on the street.
    • Going to work every day will feel like Christmas morning.
    • Make a full-time salary selling your jewelry at renaissance faires.

    Now write a short paragraph, including pain points, to really make that big idea resonate.

    For example:

    When you first brought Fido home, you imagined taking him everywhere… sitting at your feet while you worked from a coffee shop, running along the beach… but your dreams were quickly dashed when you realized Fido couldn’t go ANYWHERE without barking his cute little head off at every person he saw. You cringe every time you think about that one time he knocked over that patio table, spilling coffee all over your laptop.

    Isn’t that so much better than starting your page off with, "I am a seasoned dog trainer with 12 years experience at the Harvard School for dog barking. I will help train your dog for $50. Call me plz."

     

     

    PART 3.) The Differentiator:

    about-page-different

    I once had a client who, when I asked what made her different from every other yoga clothing store, said, "Well, I started business to be like other yoga apparel stores."

    Instead of backhanding her over Skype, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Did you really? Why didn’t you just get a job there? Why start a business that already exists in 1000 different incarnations?"

    "Well, I love the buying process. And a lot of those stores say they stock organic products or Fair Trade fabric, but they don’t. Turns out, most of them sell over-priced wellness products that are actually bad for you."

    Now we’re getting somewhere.

    Personally, I started copywriting because I got a headache from all the eye rolling I did while working in tech. I hated when these well-funded, "innovative" tech guys played it safe on their websites, shying away from Human Speak in favor for generic corporate language (HELLO!? Aren’t you supposed to be disruptive"). That’s why, on my About page, I tell a story about when an old boss told me that "personality wasn’t a brand value."

    Because I share that story, almost every new client brings it up during our first session. Every single one of them hired me specifically to add an emotional story their copy, too.

    This tactic works in every industry.

    • House cleaner? Your differentiator might be your homemade cleaning products.
    • Dog trainer? Yours could be an extensive knowledge of canine body language.
    • Renaissance faire jewelry designer? You combine Pinterest trends with necklaces modeled after real pieces in the British Museum.

    We ALL have experiences that makes us uniquely qualified to do what we do. Your About page is the place to share that.

    Draft this section by asking yourself: "What pisses you off about your industry?"

    A photographer might say, "I hate how everyone thinks their cousin can photograph a wedding. It takes a ton of expensive equipment and years of training to develop an eye for capturing deep emotions."

    Now that’s a compelling message. Why not write something like...

    Here are a few other questions to help you brainstorm:

    • How is your approach different?
    • What do you offer that competitors don't?
    • What drives you crazy about your industry?
    • What part of your industry do you want to see changed?
    • Why did you start your own business instead of getting a job with someone else?

     

     

    PART 4.) A Story:

    about page story

    NOW—and only now—is when we include more about you. Talk about your mission, your work history, your awards or your personal story.

    I’m a big fan of getting vulnerable here, even if you run a 100-person start-up in Silicon Valley. While, sure, "No one cares about you, they only care about themselves," (thanks Nev), that’s only true if you tell your story like a robot. As humans, we constantly hunt for connections to our own lives.

    Let’s say you want to get back into shape, but you’ve taken "Netflix and chill" to a whole new level. You decide to hire a personal trainer and get two recommendations from a friend.

    1.) One is a marathon runner who’s been obsessed with running his whole life.

    2.) The second struggled to get off the couch for years until finally losing 112 pounds and running his first marathon. He talks about his own struggles with laziness and how he conquered them using straight-forward goal setting and 15-minute morning routine.

    I haven’t told you anything about their skills, just their stories. But you already have a first choice, don’t you?

    If you get personal, you will retain more visitors and attract more of your perfect customer.

    To help you write this section, use these prompts:

    • Why do you want to help?
    • How did you get involved in this industry/project/topic?
    • Have you experienced this problem before?
    • What questions do clients ask you all the time?

    NOTE: Do not—under any circumstances—write this in the third person. Use "I" or "we" only.

    If you can’t use first person throughout the page, try writing a letter from the CEO here. Huckberry and Groove both do this successfully.

     

     

    PART 5.) An Offering:

    Think back to the last time you discovered someone new online….

    Maybe you Googled "puppy obedience" and you found someone who—FINALLY—provided a training schedule broken down by priority and training duration.

    Her About page talked about her story and experience, followed by an easy way to start absorbing her content and services. She linked to her most popular training videos, a free training calendar download and a quick overview of her online training program.

    You clicked "open in new tab" left right and center.

    Your page should make your readers feel like they’ve just stumbled across the internet’s best-kept secret.

    The Offerings section is a stylized table of contents that helps new readers learn about you while also tackling their biggest problems.

    You could include:

    • A blurb and button to your top 3 services.
    • A list of popular blog posts.
    • Images and links to your bestselling products.
    • Upcoming events

    Before you get overwhelmed, ask yourself: "What ONE thing do you want readers to do after reading your About page?" (Take "grow my list" off the table for a minute, because we’ll go into that later.)

    For my company, I want people to check out my signature offering because it’s a good entry point for retainer clients.

    My yoga apparel client wants new readers to shop—so we feature photos and links to the top products on her site.

    It’s okay to have a few offerings listed here. That yoga client also includes links to her most share-worthy blog posts for those readers not quite ready to buy. Unlike a sales page, you can have a few different off ramps for readers. If you do this well, they’ll explore them all.

     

    PART 6.) A Call To Action:

    Outside of your biggest offerings, you should end on a final call to action. Ideally, this would be an email subscription form.

    I have a pop-up, hello bar and footer opt-in offer, but the form on my About page converts at a significantly higher rate.

    Why?

    Because these are super warmed-up leads who I’ve just convinced I’m worth listening to.

    So if you have a list, here’s the place to promote it.

     

    You're done!

    If your About Page is complete, you will have an About Page that will be grabbing customers by the hand, pointing them where you want, and saving that valuable traffic!

    About Us Page Man

    Download this "About Us" Page Guide:

    Click here to subscribe

    -Download as PDF, Word, or Google Doc-

    -Keep this whole post in your files-

    -Share with colleagues-

     

    Sincerely,

    Neville, Marian, and About Page Man

    nev-marian-about-page

    P.S. In the comments leave a link to your own About Page (or one you think is awesome). Just maaayybe Neville, Marian, and About Page Man will take a look at the page and leave some suggestions 😉

    P.P.S. If you need some about page inspiration, here's a free collection of about pages to browse.

     


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Thank you for showing how to do this properly; we are starting a re-write of our page at work and this will be our guide =)
    Link to comment
    Guest startupily

    Posted

    Hey, I don't really have a separate about us page. I have a small paragraph at the bottom of the website that gives a description on what we do; www.startupily.com.

    Let me know what you think and should I create a dedicated about us page?

    Link to comment
    Guest Edward Wicks

    Posted

    Hey, Neville last week I printed 25 boron letter chapters and completed it is great material for beginners I am working on the educational site what do you suggest for about us page ?
    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Edward, The Boron Letters are great! I would probably take Marian's advice from above and write a little about what the company does and how it helps people.

    Try printing out this post too and go through it a few times. There's some good stuff in here!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Gerard, that's actually a great About page...not many suggestions I can give.

    ...okay, just one :)

    I would suggest you write something like this:

    --------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------

    When you come here you’ll find the actual results of things that worked and didn’t, and you’ll get ideas that you can apply in your own class, hopefully tomorrow. The best way to keep up is by subscribing. You can do that by entering your email below, and, as a thank you, I’ll send you Simplify Feedback, my ebook for any teacher who wants to respond to student work more effectively and efficiently. No spam, promise.

    [signup form]

    Sincerely,

    Gerard Dawson

    P.S. Here are three popular articles of mine you might like:

    1.) Link 1

    2.) Link 2

    3.) Link 3

    --------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------

    I think this will "salvage" some readers who aren't going to subscribe right away, but they might be interested enough to click some of your great articles!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Uche! I think the main problem with the page is that it "leaves people hanging."

    Maybe at the end of the about page make a small list of your most popular products or pages.....just give them SOME guidance as to where to go. Maybe something like:

    -------------------------------------

    -------------------------------------

    --Our full guide to hair extensions: [LINK]

    --Browse our store: [LINK]

    --See Before/After pics of clients: [LINK]

    -------------------------------------

    -------------------------------------

    Something like that at the end of the page would at least give people an option to keep exploring your site and products!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    I think you should, as there's nothing on the page that feeds my thirst to learn more about you!

    While looking at the page I was thinking:

    "Is this a company or a single person writing this?"

    "Where are they located?"

    "What's the purpose of this site?"

    "Do they have any must-read articles?"

    ....all of these questions went unanswered for the most part without an informational page. Perhaps the About page can also have a short story of WHY people should read you (maybe a cool story about your past experience or successes).

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Thank you Karmin, best of luck getting the page up and running. Post it below when done (if the company allows it)!
    Link to comment
    Guest Gerard Dawson

    Posted

    Neville, thanks for taking the time to offer the individualized help. I see that in the post, and it totally makes sense.

    Thanks again.

    Link to comment
    Guest richard

    Posted

    All very interesting and useful, but I'm questioning the current use of what formerly were quaintly referred to as "vulgarities" in copy. For example, “Life coaching for people who give a shit” (Liz Goodchild). This is kinda crude, doncha think? Now it may very well be both appropriate and (more importantly) effective copy for offers directed to the very youthful end of the potential client spectrum (i.e., under 30 years old) and perhaps that's the target market for life coaching. What do I know? But it's certainly possible to be interesting, informal, and persuasive without sounding, uh, "intellectually challenged." Yo, bro, ya feel me?uaintly
    Link to comment
    Guest Frank Schwarz

    Posted

    Well, I never even thought about that before. The "About Page," always felt like writing the first part of a business plan while suffering from a stubbed toe. Now I have to go write a proper page with these fantastic ideas until I can afford to hire Marian and her team. Thanks, Neville.
    Link to comment
    Guest Christine

    Posted

    Wow, glad I saw this article. Now I know my about section sucks! I have a one pager currently and the goal is to get people to subscribe to be the first to know when the website launches. I was going for mystery to pique people's curiosity but not sure if that's working hah. After reading this, I think I'll have to rewrite the whole page!

    blistersandbliss.co

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Richard, I don't think Marian said you SHOULD use that...it was just pointed out as an example.

    Also I think "vulgarity" is very subjective. Some people might find that offensive (which is ok), but another group might not even bat an eye!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Ellen! It seems like you are missing the part on your "About" page where you tell people what to do.

    This can mean directing them to a tutorial, or telling them HOW you train people to use their iOS devices, or give them a story about why this is important to you.

    ....it can also simply be just pointing them somewhere else on the site at the end of the page such as:

    ------------------------------------

    ------------------------------------

    If you'd like to start brushing up on your Apple product skills, read these:

    --Here's my guide on using an iPad: [LINK]

    --Neat things you can do for your health with your iPhone: [LINK]

    ------------------------------------

    ------------------------------------

    So instead of "leaving them hanging" on your About page, you point them in a new direction!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Thanks Frank!

    I will say this: I wouldn't focus on the "About Page" until your site is doing well. The businesses that pay Marian for an expensive About Page are generally doing well and getting good traffic.

    However by following this guide, it could actually help hone your business message. There's some good questions Marian asks such as, "Why are you different or better than the competition" that is sometimes a hard question to answer!

    Link to comment

    I thought our About Page was reasonable, until I read this post :) Thanks for opening my eyes!

    In any case, please take a look - https://nano-b.com/pages/about-us

    Of course, any feedback or advice will be appreciated (bribery in the form of toothbrushes is possible).

    Link to comment
    Guest Edwin Torres

    Posted

    Hey Neville great article!

    I read through it and I feel like my about page has a lot of the components that you wrote about.

    The only thing I'm really missing is a call to action linking to my email subscription form, but other than that I feel like I did a good job.

    Here's the link to it: http://nextlevelconfidence.com/about/

    It's for an upcoming website I'm working on.

    Let me know what you think :)

    Link to comment
    Thanks Neville! After reading your post, I figured that was the strongest weakness. I'll work on that ASAP. Thanks so much for your help!
    Link to comment



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