Writing About page copy is something a lot of people struggle with, because:

It feels gross and weird to write about yourself
It’s hard to know what’s too much (or too little) information
You don’t want to creep people out or scare people off by over-sharing

And these are just a few of the things that trip people up when they sit down to write this particular page.

BUT! Don’t worry. I’m gunna help you with a few easy suggestions. Let’s get right to ‘em.

Have your About page tell a story.

It’s really easy to drop in a boilerplate paragraph that sums up who you are, where you live, and what you do...but guess what? That feels pretty sterile.

Instead, provide some context not just about who you are, but also the journey that got you to where you are now (and what inspired you to create your business in the first place.)

If you’re worried about getting too wordy, there’s always the option to include a ‘Read more’ link to an unlisted page on your site where you can take a deeper dive. You can see this in action on my about page and the supplemental read more page.

**Remember that an About page isn’t really about you.**

One thing that people often get wrong when it comes to writing About pages is that they get all wrapped up in talking about themselves...and they forget to think about the reader and why he or she is on the About page in the first place.

A reader comes to an About page not just because they want to learn more about a person or brand, but also because they’re looking for things to connect with. That might be shared interests, values, geographic location…you name it. It’s all part of what Seth Godin calls ‘People like us do things like this.’

You can still tell your story and use ‘I’ language while keeping this top of mind and remembering that you’re ultimately trying to communicate how and why you’re working to improve the lives of your target audience.

Take a service-oriented slant to copy on your About page and speak to how (and why) you’re working to serve others.

Spotlight what makes you unique.

Your About page is one of the few pieces of online real estate where you can put your individuality (and weirdness!) on full display. So you should!

Don’t be afraid to talk about your hobbies, your obscure talents, your favorite things…even your pets (I mean...of course your pets.)

Go beyond where you live and what you do. Talk about who you are outside of business hours. Let people get to know the real you, in all your unique glory.

Pictures. Your About page needs them.

I don’t know about you, but don’t you think it’s weird when you can’t see a picture of a person’s face when you go to an About page? I want to see the face behind the brand. I want help building that mental image.

Include a current, high-quality head shot (not a crappy selfie) at minimum.

If you want to go even further, you might also include some images of your workspace, a stack of your favorite books, your pets (again, YOUR PETS!), etc.

Give your reader some visual context that helps them get a clear picture of who you are.

Include a next step.

About pages often don’t include a call to action, which is a major missed opportunity. Don’t let a website visitor click away from your site because they feel like they’ve reached a dead end. Give them something to do next.

That might be sending you an email, completing an intake form, signing up for your newsletter, reading your blog, following you on social--there are so many options. Just give them something to do next with a clear call to action.

With these tips, you can upgrade your About page in a matter of minutes.