The About page is usually one of the most visited pages on a business website, and one of the least considered. It often gets written once, at launch, in a rush, and then left alone for years.
That is a missed opportunity. Visitors who click "About" are not browsing idly. They are interested enough to check whether you are real, credible and right for them. A clear, specific About page turns that interest into trust. A vague one ("we are passionate about excellence") sends them back to Google.
This guide explains what to put on the page, in what order, and how to write it so it sounds like a real business rather than a template.
What an About Page Is Really For
An About page is not a biography. It is a sales page in disguise. Its job is to answer the questions a cautious buyer has before they get in touch:
- Who is behind this business, and are they real people?
- Do they understand people like me and problems like mine?
- Why should I trust them over the alternatives?
- What would working with them actually be like?
- What should I do next?
Every paragraph on the page should help answer one of those questions. If it does not, it can go.
Who Actually Reads It
About pages attract three kinds of visitor, and a good page serves all three:
| Visitor | What they want | What helps them |
|---|---|---|
| The evaluator | Proof you are credible before contacting you | Experience, clients, results, credentials |
| The connector | A sense of who you are and what you stand for | Story, values, faces, a human voice |
| The checker | Basic facts: location, size, how long you have operated | A short facts block and contact details |
Most people skim. Put the most useful information in headings and short paragraphs so a 30-second visit still leaves the right impression.
A Structure That Works
This order works for most service businesses, agencies, consultants and small companies. Adjust the length of each section rather than the order.
- Opening statement: who you help and the result you deliver, in one or two sentences.
- The problem you solve: show you understand the reader's situation.
- Your story: why the business exists, told briefly and with a point.
- How you work: your approach, process or principles in practice.
- Proof: clients, results, testimonials, credentials, numbers.
- The people: founder and team, with real photos and short bios.
- Call to action: one clear next step.
Writing the Opening
The first lines decide whether anyone reads the rest. Most About pages open with the company's founding date or a mission statement. Neither tells the reader anything useful.
The strong version names the audience, the outcome and a piece of proof. A reader knows within ten seconds whether they are in the right place.
A simple opening formula
[Business name] helps [specific audience] [achieve specific result] by [how you do it]. [One proof point.]
You do not need to use it word for word, but checking your opening against it will show what is missing.
Telling Your Story Without Rambling
Stories build connection, but only when they explain something about why you do the work the way you do. Keep it short and give it a point.
- Start with the moment that mattered: the frustration, gap or experience that led to the business.
- Connect it to the customer: how that origin shapes the way you serve clients today.
- Leave out the CV: a full career history belongs in a founder bio, not the main story.
- Keep it to three or four short paragraphs unless your story is itself a selling point.
Adding Proof
Claims are cheap; proof is persuasive. Include whatever evidence you genuinely have:
| Proof type | Example |
|---|---|
| Numbers | "120+ clinics", "4,000 projects delivered", "11 years in business" |
| Client names or logos | With permission, a row of recognizable clients |
| Results | "Average admin time cut by 35% in the first quarter" |
| Testimonials | One or two short quotes with full name and role |
| Credentials | Certifications, memberships, awards relevant to buyers |
| Media mentions | Publications, podcasts or conferences you have featured in |
Only include numbers you can stand behind. A specific, modest figure is more believable than a large rounded one.
We interview you, find the story and proof that matter to your buyers, and write an About page that turns visitors into enquiries.
Showing the People
People buy from people, especially for services. Real faces and names make a business feel accountable.
- Use real photos, not stock images. A natural, well-lit photo beats a stiff studio portrait.
- Write short bios focused on relevance: what each person does for clients and the experience behind it.
- Add one human detail if it fits your brand: a hobby, a local connection, a favorite project.
- For solo businesses, lean into it. "You work directly with me" is a strength, not a weakness.
Ending With a Next Step
Readers who reach the bottom of your About page are warm leads. Do not leave them at a dead end. Offer one clear action that suits where they are in the decision:
- Book a short call or consultation
- See your services or pricing
- Read a case study
- Join your newsletter if the sale is a longer process
Adapting It to Your Business
| Business type | What to emphasize |
|---|---|
| Freelancer or consultant | Your expertise, your process, and working directly with you |
| Agency | Team depth, specialisms, client results and how projects run |
| Local business | Location, community ties, years serving the area, real staff |
| Ecommerce brand | Why the products exist, how they are made, values and guarantees |
| B2B software | The problem the product solves, who uses it, company stability |
Voice and Tone
Write the page the way you would explain your business to a potential client over coffee. A few practical rules:
- Use "we" and "you" rather than the company name in the third person.
- Prefer concrete verbs ("we build", "we fix") to abstract nouns ("solutions", "excellence").
- Cut every word like "passionate", "innovative" and "world-class" unless you immediately prove it.
- Read it aloud. If a sentence sounds like a brochure, rewrite it.
For a fuller approach to tone across your whole site, see our brand voice guide.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Making it all about you. The page is about you, but it is written for the customer. Keep linking your story back to their needs.
- Leading with the founding year. Unless longevity is your main selling point, open with who you help.
- Hiding the people. A faceless About page feels risky to buyers.
- Using generic values. "Integrity, quality, service" describes every business. Show what your values change in practice.
- Writing it once and forgetting it. Update your numbers, clients and team at least once a year.
- No next step. The end of the page should never be a dead end.
How Long Should an About Page Be?
Long enough to answer the buyer's questions, short enough to skim. For most small and mid-sized businesses that means 400 to 900 words, broken up with headings, photos and a proof section. Agencies and consultants selling high-value services can go longer, because their buyers read more before committing. If a section does not help a buyer decide, cut it rather than shrinking the font.
A Short Example, Start to Finish
Here is a compact About page for a fictional bookkeeping firm, written using the structure above. Notice that every section answers a buyer question.
The problem: Hospitality margins are thin and cash moves fast. Late invoices, supplier price changes and staff rota costs can turn a busy month into a loss without anyone noticing until it is too late.
Our story: Clearledger was started by Amira Hassan after eight years managing the finances of a family restaurant group. She saw talented chefs close good restaurants because nobody could tell them, week by week, where the money was going. That is the gap we fill.
How we work: Every client gets a weekly one-page cash summary, a named bookkeeper who answers the phone, and month-end accounts by the fifth working day.
Proof: "We found £1,400 a month in supplier overcharges in our first quarter with Clearledger." Daniel Osei, owner, Kiln Café.
The people: Amira leads a team of four qualified bookkeepers, all with hospitality experience. (Photos and short bios.)
Next step: Book a free 20-minute call and we will show you what your weekly summary would look like.
About Page Checklist
- The first two sentences say who you help and what result you deliver.
- The reader's problem is described in their own terms.
- Your story explains why you work the way you do, in a few short paragraphs.
- There is at least one form of specific, honest proof.
- Real names and real photos are on the page.
- Generic buzzwords have been cut or backed up with evidence.
- The page ends with one clear next step.
- Numbers, clients and team details are up to date.
In Short
A strong About page answers a cautious buyer's questions: who you are, who you help, why you are credible and what to do next. Open with your audience and outcome, tell a short story with a point, back it up with real proof and real faces, and finish with one clear action. Write it like a conversation, keep it current, and it will quietly convert more visitors than almost any other page on your site.