How to Write an About Page People Actually Read

Why Most About Pages Fail (And How to Fix Yours)

Your About page is probably the second or third most visited page on your website. Yet most micro-businesses waste this golden opportunity with a chronological CV that sends visitors straight to sleep.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: nobody visits your About page because they're fascinated by your qualifications. They visit because they're deciding whether to trust you with their money. They're asking: "Is this person like me? Do they understand my problem? Can they actually help?"

Most About pages answer none of these questions. Instead, they drone on about the founder's education, career history, and professional achievements—all written from a perspective of "look how impressive I am." The visitor leaves knowing everything about you and nothing about whether you can solve their problem.

This article will show you how to transform your About page from a boring biography into your second-best conversion tool (after your homepage). You'll learn the exact structure that turns curious visitors into qualified leads, and you'll have a complete draft ready to publish in under an hour.

Jump to: Quick Start | Complete Guide | Troubleshooting

Quick Start: The 3-Part Customer-Focused About Page (15 Minutes)

5-Step Process for Creating an About Page

If you just need to get something live quickly, follow these five steps:

Step 1: Create Your Three-Section Outline

Open a blank document and create three headers:

• •"The Problem We Solve" (or "Why We Exist")
• •"Our Story"
• •"Work With Us" (your call-to-action section)

Step 2: Fill Section One With Their Pain

In 2-3 sentences, describe the specific frustration or challenge your target customer faces. Use their language, not industry jargon. Start with "You're probably here because..." or "Most [target customers] struggle with..."

Step 3: Tell Your Origin Story

Pull your brand story from your prerequisites and place it in section two. Focus on the "aha moment" that made you start this business—the specific problem you witnessed or experienced that you decided to solve. Keep it to 4-5 sentences maximum.

Step 4: Add Your Team Section

Write 2-3 sentences about yourself (or key team members). Include your name, your role, and one relevant credential or experience that proves you can solve the problem. Add a professional photo placeholder.

Step 5: Create Your Exit Point

End with a clear call-to-action. Don't be subtle. Use phrases like:

• •"Ready to solve [specific problem]? Here's how to start..."
• •"See exactly how we help businesses like yours..."
• •"Book a free 15-minute call to discuss your situation..."

Link this CTA to your services page, contact page, or booking calendar.

✅ Completed the quick version? Move on to Make It Easy for People to Contact You or continue below for the detailed walkthrough that will make your About page significantly more effective.

Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Shift the Focus (The 70/30 Rule)

The biggest mistake on About pages is making them actually about you. Your visitor doesn't care about your journey until they know you understand theirs.

The 70/30 rule states that 70% of your About page should focus on the customer—their problems, their goals, their situation. Only 30% should focus on you—your story, your credentials, your process.

How to implement this:

Start your About page by acknowledging your visitor's situation. Before you mention your name, your qualifications, or your company history, demonstrate that you understand exactly what brought them to your website.

Example opening (wrong way):

> "Smith Consulting was founded in 2015 by Jane Smith, who holds an MBA from University and has 15 years of experience in the industry. We pride ourselves on delivering excellent service to our clients."

Example opening (right way):

> "You're spending hours every week on bookkeeping that you don't understand, using software that feels like it was designed to confuse you, and you're terrified you're making expensive mistakes. You started a business to do the work you love—not to wrestle with spreadsheets at 11pm.

>

> That's exactly why I started Smith Consulting."

Notice how the second version makes the visitor feel seen before it makes them impressed. This is the foundation of conversion-focused copy, and it applies to every page on your site, not just your About page.

Practical exercise: Read your current About page (or draft) and highlight every sentence. Use yellow for sentences about the customer, blue for sentences about you. If you don't have significantly more yellow than blue, rewrite.

Step 2: Tell the "Aha!" Origin Story

Once you've demonstrated that you understand your customer's problem, you've earned the right to tell your story. But not your whole story—just the relevant bit.

Your visitor doesn't need your complete career history. They need to know why you're qualified to solve their specific problem, and more importantly, why you care about solving it.

The most powerful origin stories follow this structure:

1. I experienced/witnessed this exact problem (relatability)
2. I tried the existing solutions and they failed (credibility)
3. I discovered/created a better way (authority)
4. Now I help others avoid what I went through (mission)

Example:

> "Three years ago, I was exactly where you are. I'd just launched my first business and spent £2,000 on a website that looked beautiful but generated exactly zero enquiries. When I asked the designer why, they shrugged and said 'you need to drive traffic to it.'

>

> That's when I realized most web designers build pretty things, but they don't understand how small businesses actually get customers. So I spent the next year learning everything about conversion-focused design, tested it on my own business, and then started helping other micro-businesses build websites that actually work.

>

> I started Smith Web Design because I never want another small business owner to waste money on a website that doesn't deliver results."

This story does several things simultaneously:

• •Proves you understand the problem (you've lived it)
• •Establishes credibility (you solved it for yourself first)
• •Explains your mission (helping others avoid your pain)
• •Differentiates you from competitors (most designers don't focus on conversion)

Pull from your core brand story that you created earlier. If you haven't completed that exercise, do it now—it's the foundation for this section.

What if you don't have a dramatic origin story? You don't need one. You just need honesty. Explain what frustrated you about existing solutions in your industry, or what gap you noticed that nobody was filling. Vulnerability and specificity build more trust than manufactured drama.

Step 3: Define the People Behind the Business

After your origin story, introduce yourself and any key team members. This is where credentials belong—but only the ones that matter to your customer.

What to include:

• •Your name and role
• •One or two relevant qualifications or experiences
• •A personal detail that makes you human
• •A professional photo (absolutely essential)

What to exclude:

• •Your complete educational history
• •Every job you've ever had
• •Industry awards your customer won't recognize
• •Anything that doesn't directly relate to solving their problem

Example:

> "I'm Jane Smith, founder of Smith Web Design. Before starting this business, I spent five years as a marketing manager for small retailers, where I saw firsthand how a good website could transform a struggling business. I'm a certified conversion optimization specialist, but more importantly, I'm a small business owner myself—I understand the budget constraints and time pressures you're facing.

>

> When I'm not building websites, you'll find me walking my two ridiculous dogs around Hampstead Heath or experimenting with sourdough (with mixed results)."

The personal detail at the end ("ridiculous dogs" and "sourdough") does something important: it makes you memorable and relatable. People buy from people they like, and they like people who feel real.

For team members: If you have employees or partners, include a photo and 2-3 sentences about each person who interacts with customers. Don't include back-office staff unless it's relevant to your value proposition (e.g., "our team of five certified accountants" matters; "our administrative assistant" probably doesn't).

About photos: This is non-negotiable. Your About page must include at least one photo of you. Not a logo. Not a stock photo. You. Ideally:

• •Professional but not stiff (smile like you're greeting a friend)
• •Well-lit and in focus
• •Showing your face clearly
• •Dressed appropriately for your industry

If you're uncomfortable with photos, remember: your customer is trying to decide whether to trust you with their money. Seeing your face makes that decision significantly easier. For more guidance, see our article on choosing professional visuals.

NetNav Insight: Building trust means looking professional across every touchpoint. Your About page contributes significantly to this first impression. NetNav audits this specific area, checking for missing or inconsistent social links and ensuring your essential contact information is accessible to maximize credibility.

Step 4: Integrate a Strong Conversion Goal

Your About page cannot be a dead end. Every page on your website must guide visitors toward the next step, and your About page is no exception.

After someone has read about your understanding of their problem, your origin story, and your qualifications, they're in one of two states:

1. Convinced: "This person gets it. I want to work with them."
2. Interested but uncertain: "This sounds promising. I need more information."

Your call-to-action needs to serve both groups.

For the convinced visitor:

Provide a direct path to working with you. This might be:

• •"Book a Free Consultation" (link to calendar)
• •"See Our Services" (link to services page)
• •"Get a Quote" (link to contact form)
• •"View Our Packages" (link to pricing page)

For the uncertain visitor:

Provide a low-commitment next step:

• •"See Examples of Our Work" (link to portfolio)
• •"Read Client Success Stories" (link to testimonials/case studies)
• •"Download Our Free Guide" (link to lead magnet)

The best About pages include both options:

> "Ready to get a website that actually brings in customers? Here's how to start:

>

> For businesses ready to move forward: [Book a free 30-minute strategy call] where we'll discuss your goals and I'll show you exactly how we'd approach your project.

>

> Want to see our work first? [View our portfolio] of websites we've built for businesses like yours, complete with before-and-after traffic numbers."

Notice how this doesn't apologize or hedge. It doesn't say "if you're interested, maybe consider possibly thinking about..." It assumes the visitor wants to take action and simply offers them the appropriate path.

For more on crafting effective calls-to-action, see our guide on writing CTAs that actually get clicks.

Common mistake: Ending your About page with "To learn more, contact us." This is weak and vague. Learn more about what? Contact you how? For what purpose? Be specific about what happens next and why they should do it.

Step 5: Visuals, Professionalism, and Trust Signals

The final step is ensuring your About page looks as professional as it reads. This involves three elements:

1. Visual hierarchy

Your About page should be easy to scan. Use:

• •Clear section headers (H2s and H3s)
• •Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences maximum)
• •Bullet points where appropriate
• •Adequate white space between sections

2. Professional imagery

Beyond your headshot, consider including:

• •Photos of your workspace or office
• •Images of you working with clients (with permission)
• •Your team in action
• •Any relevant certifications or credentials (displayed as badges/logos)

Avoid stock photography entirely if possible. If you must use stock images, choose ones that look candid and real, not posed and artificial. See our guide on professional visuals for specific recommendations.

3. Trust signals

Your About page should include:

• •Links to your social media profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram—whichever platforms you actively use)
• •Your physical location (city/region at minimum, full address if you have a shopfront)
• •Years in business or number of clients served
• •Relevant professional memberships or certifications
• •Media mentions or notable clients (if applicable)

These elements answer the subconscious questions every visitor has: "Is this business real? Are they established? Can I verify their claims?"

For a complete breakdown of trust signals, see our article on essential trust signals that make you look professional.

Technical considerations:

• •Ensure your About page loads quickly (compress images)
• •Make it mobile-friendly (most visitors will read it on their phone)
• •Include your About page in your main navigation menu
• •Use a clear URL like yoursite.com/about (not yoursite.com/about-us-page-123)

🎉 Completed your About page? Brilliant work. You've just created one of the most important trust-building tools in your marketing arsenal. Next up: Make It Easy for People to Contact You to ensure visitors can actually reach you once they're convinced.

Troubleshooting

What's Next

You've completed your About page—one of the most important trust-building elements of your website. Your next step is ensuring visitors can easily take action on that trust.

Continue to: Make It Easy for People to Contact You

In that guide, you'll learn how to create a contact page that actually converts interest into enquiries, including the exact form fields to use (and which ones to avoid), how to set up automated responses, and how to make yourself accessible without getting overwhelmed.

Go Deeper

Want to explore related topics?

• •Building a Personal Brand vs Company Brand – For micro-businesses deciding whether to focus the About page primarily on the founder or the company entity
• •Anatomy of a High-Converting Homepage – A deeper dive into how the About page fits into your site's overall conversion architecture and visitor flow

Other Get Online Guides

Building your complete web presence? These related guides will help:

• •Create a Simple FAQ Page – Answer common questions before they become objections
• •Add a Portfolio/Case Study Page – Prove your capabilities with concrete examples
• •Design Basics for Non-Designers – Make your site look professional without hiring a designer
• •The 5 Pages Every Small Business Website Needs – Ensure you're not missing critical pages
• •Write Your Website Copy in a Weekend – Complete all your core pages efficiently
• •Creating a Simple Brand Style Guide – Maintain consistency across all your pages

Get Your About Page Professionally Audited

You've successfully deployed a powerful, customer-centric About page. This is a huge step for building trust and converting visitors into customers.

Now, use NetNav to perform a full site-wide audit and verify that your new About page is properly indexed, loads quickly, and is accessible across all devices. NetNav will also check that your trust signals are consistent, your contact information is easy to find, and your page structure follows best practices for both users and search engines.

Run your free NetNav audit now →

Don't let technical issues undermine the trust you've just built with great content.