The About page is consistently one of the most visited pages on any business website. After a potential client lands on your homepage and decides you might be worth considering, the first place they go is your About page. They want to know who they're dealing with before they decide whether to trust you with their money.
And yet most About pages completely waste this opportunity.
The Most Common About Page Mistake
The biggest mistake is writing an About page that's entirely about you — your history, your qualifications, your awards, the year you were founded. Pages that start with "We are a passionate team of dedicated professionals committed to excellence..." are a classic example.
The problem isn't that this information is wrong. It's that it answers the wrong question. Your visitors aren't asking "who are you?" They're asking "can you help me?" and "should I trust you?"
Reframe your About page: Instead of "Here is who we are," write "Here is why what we do matters to you."
Your About page should connect with visitors, not just list your credentials
What a Good About Page Actually Does
A well-written About page does several things simultaneously:
- It establishes credibility without sounding like a CV.
- It creates connection — the visitor sees something of themselves, their problem, or their goal in what you're describing.
- It communicates your values in a way that attracts the right clients and gently filters out the wrong ones.
- It builds trust through specificity and authenticity rather than generic claims.
- It has a clear next step — a call to action that tells visitors what to do after they've read it.
The Structure That Actually Works
Here's a framework you can adapt for your own About page:
1. Start with the problem you solve, not your name. "Most businesses look like everyone else online. I build websites that make them look like the premium choice they actually are." This immediately tells visitors what you do and who you're for.
2. Make it personal but purposeful. Share something real about your journey — not a list of every job you've ever had, but the specific moment or realization that led you to do this work. People connect with stories, not CVs.
3. Prove you understand their world. Show that you understand the specific challenges your ideal client faces. This is the fastest way to create the feeling of "this person gets it."
4. Let your work speak. Link to your portfolio. Show specific results. Named, specific achievements ("I built a fintech platform currently used by over 500 active users in Ghana") are infinitely more convincing than generic claims ("I deliver high-quality work").
5. Add a human touch. A real photo. Something personal. What you care about outside of work. People hire people, not profiles.
6. End with a clear CTA. Don't leave visitors with no direction after they've read your page. "Interested in working together? Send me a message on WhatsApp" is a simple, direct close.
Good About page copy sounds like a real person talking, not a corporate brochure
The Tone Question
One thing many business owners struggle with is tone. Should the About page be formal or casual? First person ("I") or third person ("Christian Treasure is...")?
In almost every case, first person is more effective. "I build websites that make businesses look expensive" is more direct and human than "Christian Treasure is a web developer who builds websites." If you're a solo business or small team, third person often reads as strange and distancing.
As for formal vs casual — match the tone to your ideal client, not to what you think a "professional" sounds like. If you want to work with corporate clients, a more polished tone makes sense. If you want to work with startups and small businesses, conversational works better. The worst thing you can do is write in a voice that doesn't sound like you at all.
One Last Thing
Your About page isn't a one-time write. As your business grows and changes, your About page should reflect that. Review it every six months. Does it still accurately describe who you are, who you serve, and what makes you different? If not, update it.
The clients you want to attract are out there, reading About pages right now, deciding who to trust. Make sure yours is telling the right story.