Have you heard of an elevator pitch? Your 30-second rehearsed speech explaining your career/role/position to, well, anyone? It’s handy to have something prepared so you don’t end up rambling about what you do for a living.
There are so many components involved in this short speech. It’s the same for the About page on your website. You need a brief, compelling explanation of what you do and why it matters to your audience. This strong first impression is so important- you want your visitors to relate to you, and really take an interest in your business.
With that in mind, there are questions to consider: What to include? What to leave out? Who am I talking to? Why is this important? What can I offer someone?
You could literally spend days — or weeks! — working on this page... and still end up with something kind of meh.
Those days are over. I have two super simple yet extremely effective tips to help you write your About Page effectively and with the right amount of flair.
First though, let’s talk about a few common pitfalls to avoid.
Sidestep These Common Traps
1. Too much jargon
Jargon makes it difficult for your audience to understand you. At best, you end up sounding like a robot trying to impress rather than connect. At worst, you lose their attention immediately and you’re left without an audience at all.
In common conversation, jargon puts your listener in an awkward position. If they’re too embarrassed to ask you what you’re talking about, they’ll start the classic bobblehead: ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll nod my head like I do.’ Online, you end up with high bounce rates. (That’s when people click away from a page really quickly.)
Your audience probably won’t call you out on your jargon. It’s up to you to catch it so that they will understand you and you can make a real connection with the people you’re trying to serve.
The fewer words that require an explanation, the better. Keep it simple, friends.
2. Irrelevant Details
The last thing someone wants to do when they’re stuck in an elevator is sit through a boring pitch. Instead of getting carried away explaining what you do, keep it short and sweet.
Business owners often feel the need to go into the backstory of their business, giving all the details that lead them to this [very exciting!] point in their career.
Your backstory is absolutely an important part of your story! But the reality is, a lot of context is missing from an introductory conversation or piece of copy. Which means the info that’s meaningful to you is relatively meaningless to a prospective client.
Leave behind the peripheral. Instead, identify how you stand out from the crowd and incorporate those colorful, relevant, and compelling details!
3. Boring or Standoffish
Are you piquing your audience’s interest? If your About page isn’t compelling or you don’t sound like a real human, your audience isn’t going to have any attachment to you. People buy from people they like!
You have a secret sauce. It’s your interesting, unique angle that’s so intriguing, your audience will know right away why they need you!
Your business is far, far from incomprehensible or boring! But sometimes we overthink things. We get stuck inside our heads and wind up spouting off a robotic pitch that doesn’t allow us to connect with the people we’re trying to serve.
So, how do you craft the perfect About page?
Don’t Outsmart a 1st Grader
Your well-crafted and finely-tuned pitch will be so clear that even a 6-year-old can understand exactly what you do.
Deliver your information in bite-sized pieces. And each bite should be interesting, digestible, and memorable. Every word counts.
Make sure to trim the fat. You know, all the unnecessary words, terms, phrases, and sentences you’ve added to “fill it out.” Keep it streamlined and simple. (Lots of food references here. Am I hungry or something?)
Know your audience and speak directly to them in a way that resonates. Finely tune your pitch specifically for them.
Let’s face it, you are probably your own biggest critic. Lean into that. Find a simple and confident way to explain it to the audience living in your head (silently judging you).
Access Your Inner Middle Schooler
Teenagers are famous for sniffing out — and calling us out on — our bullshit. So, if you can convince a 13-year-old that your business makes sense, you’re golden.
Be authentic. In the sea of inauthenticity, finding someone who’s real is like finding a lifeboat. Be that lifeboat for all the people out there looking for the solution you offer.
Talk and write like you would to a friend or family member. Ask yourself, “Does this sound like me? Or does it sound like I’m acting a part?”
Find common ground with your audience and relate to them. This will help them feel camaraderie and security, forming a bond with and building trust in you.
Make your about page memorable. Make sure it is so compelling that they’d want to go and tell their friends about it.
Don’t be afraid to use examples or analogies to help get your message across. Humans LOVE a good story, anecdote, or joke. Share some aspect of your experience that directly relates to the service you provide. (As long as it’s relevant and real, and doesn’t fall into trap #2 above.)
Let your humanness shine through, and people will have a much easier time choosing to work with you.
Keep the 1st and 7th grader philosophy in the forefront of your mind, as you craft your About page. Your message will resonate with your audience and help them feel your passion for your business.
Do you need help putting your website together? THE TIME IS NOW! Join the upcoming Website Kickstarter Coaching Program to learn exactly how to write a website that builds your business!
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