subject: Creating An About Us Page On Your Website [print this page] Creating an About Us page on your Web site isnt difficult, but you must understand certain basics about online content. About or About Us shouldnt be a rewrite from your companys printed brochure or a refreshed boilerplate description of what your company does. The page has to grab your readers immediately, and make them want to stay on your site.
Here are the six basic rules for developing an About Us page:
1. Use a conversational tone. Pretend youre just chatting with your neighbor, explaining what your company does. Use contractions instead of spelling out all the words; We are sounds stilted compared with Were.
2. Tell a compelling story. If your company was established because you saw an unmet need in your community or your industry, briefly explain the circumstances. Place the story in time and use historical reference points: In 2000, even though many dot-coms were going bust, it became clear that online retailing was a revolutionary concept that was simply going through a transformation. The founders of XYZ, Inc. understood that the public wanted the convenience of online shopping through a Web site that could be trusted.
3. Identify between 8 and 11 keyword or key phrases that best explain your business and incorporate those words into the text on your page. These keywords, which closely relate to the nature of your business, should help the reader easily understand what your company does. Examples: educational toys; organizational consultant; medical billing services. Take the most important keywords from the home page and work them into your text; include the words About and your company name in your list of 8-11 terms. Keep the keywords in mind as you write the content but dont let them dictate what you write. You can always revise the content to include more specific keywords.
4. Seek professional help from a search engine optimization expert about embedding the keywords (also known as meta tags) into your Web sites source code. Unless you are an SEO specialist, dont try to do this on your own.
5. Include at least one link on your About Us page. Strategically chosen, helpful and interesting links to other pages on your site help search engines find your pages more easily. Use specific language. See our blog for news and updates is better than See our blog because search engines can better index your Web site. In this example, you would want to link the words blog for news and updates. The link itself becomes whats known as the anchor text. Links also encourage visitors to stay on your Web site longer.
6. Keep the page page relatively short. Ponderous paragraphs dont translate well online. An optimally written page should include no more than about five paragraphs and about 400 words.
Before you start writing the About or About Us page, visit other small business Web sites to see what type of approach appeals to you. If you prefer a bulleted rundown of the companys capabilities over a more flowery description of what the company does, thats what your About page should reflect, for example. Try to let the page embody not only your companys mission, but also your personal vision for the company. In short, let it be a snapshot of you.
