When people buy from you, they also want to buy into your story. They want to know who they’re buying from and what your brand stands for.

Far too often, however, the ‘About Us’ page is an afterthought, updated once with details of when your store was founded.

A well-written ‘About Us’ page is so important when it comes to connecting with customers, and when used correctly can actually improve sales. So it’s vital that your About Page is a cohesive part of your business branding and marketing message.

Here are my top tips for writing an About Us page to  make your customers swoon.

A great opener

The majority of visitors to your ‘About Us’ page will read only the first line before deciding whether to click away or read the rest of the page. So you’ve got to make sure your opener captures what your brand is all about.

If you only had one sentence to tell someone about your business, what would you say? Would you waste it by saying “Betty’s Custom Shoes was established in 2012 to provide bespoke shoes for ladies with hard-to-fit feet”? Um, boring! (I made that up, but it’s a pretty standard opener).

Better to come up with something fun to capture the spirit of your brand. How about “Gorgeous shoes made just for you, no Fairy Godmother required”.

Include your story

People love to read stories and they love to share them with others. Your ‘About Us’ page is the perfect place to tell the story of your brand.

Like all good stories, make sure you’ve included a beginning, middle and the end. A bit of drama also helps.

Don’t think you have a story worth telling? Rubbish. The story of why and how you started your business is always interesting and definitely unique to you. It’s just a matter of finding the hook and telling it in a way that’s engaging and interesting.

Make it more than just text

While it is possible to have a great ‘About Us’ page that’s all text, photos, videos and more tell the full story of your brand.

You could include photos of your team (or anyone essential to your biz like your partner). If you create your products yourself, include photos of your workspace or videos of you making a piece.

You might also include testimonials from happy customers (especially if your product is high-end or bespoke) and any press mentions you’ve received.

Of course anything you do include has to add to the story you’re creating.

Your brand’s personality

So often I come across great, funny, personable brands on Instagram, but when I head to their website it’s all dry and robot-like. What’s with that?

If your store is fun, curious, exciting or playful then make sure this comes across in your ‘About Us’ page. Likewise if your brand is edgy, sarcastic, conversational or whatever, make this clear on your website.

My tip is to write it out first however you want. Then go back and read it out loud (alone or to someone else). If it doesn’t sound right coming out of your mouth then rework it.

A call to action

So I’ve read your ‘About Us’ page and I’m totally in love with your brand and products. So where do I go next? Don’t leave people wondering what the next step is. Tell them. Do you want them to join your email list? Or buy your product? Whatever it is, make it clear and easy.

Contact details

Okay, I love your store, I’m on your email list and I want to do some more stalking? How can I do that? Place the links to your Instagram/Twitter/Pinterest on your ‘About Us’ page so your customers can give you some social loving all over the interwebs.

Finally, don’t stress too much about getting your ‘About Us’ page perfect the first time around. You can (and should!) be updating and tweaking it regularly. But most important is to get it up there and make it shines a spotlight on your awesome brand.

Have you got any questions about your own about page? Leave a link in the comments below and I’ll go check them out and give you a few quick pointers.