Most About Us pages read like a company mission statement nobody asked for. “We are passionate about delivering quality solutions” tells a visitor nothing they can act on. A good About page does real work: it builds trust, answers the unspoken question “can I rely on this business,” and gently moves the reader towards contacting you.
Direct answer: a converting About Us page has four parts: a clear statement of what you do and who it’s for, your genuine story or reason for starting, what makes your approach different, and one clear next step. Skip the generic mission statement and be specific. Vague, safe writing is the most common reason About pages fail to build trust.
Here’s how to write each part properly.
Why the About page matters more than owners think
Roughly two thirds of website visitors click through to a business’s About page at some point, often looking for reassurance rather than product details. They already know roughly what you sell. What they’re checking is whether you’re a real, credible business worth trusting with their time or money.
There’s a newer reason this page matters too. AI tools and assistants that answer questions like “who does X near me” often draw directly from About pages to describe a business, since this is typically where a business explains itself in its own words. A vague, generic About page gives those systems very little to work with.
1. Say clearly what you do and who it’s for
Open with a plain, specific sentence. Not “we are a team of dedicated professionals,” but something like “we build and maintain WordPress websites for small businesses across the UK.” Specificity does more to build trust than polish does.
If you serve a particular type of customer especially well, such as sole traders, or a particular industry, say so directly. It helps the right visitors recognise themselves immediately.
2. Tell your actual story
Every business has a reason it started, even if that reason is simple. Explain it honestly: what problem you noticed, why you decided to solve it, and what’s changed since. If you’re a new business without years of history yet, that’s fine too. Talk about what you’re building towards and why, rather than manufacturing a history you don’t have.
Avoid corporate distancing language like “the company was founded” when you mean “I started this business.” Small businesses build trust through personal connection, and writing about yourself in the third person quietly undermines that.
3. Explain what makes your approach different
This is where most About pages go generic, listing values like “quality” and “integrity” that every competitor also claims. Instead, be concrete about what you actually do differently. Do you respond faster than most agencies? Do you specialise in a particular type of project? Do you handle everything in-house rather than outsourcing? Name the real thing, not the vague virtue behind it.
4. Give the reader one clear next step
Every About page should end somewhere. Depending on your business, that might be “get in touch,” “see our services,” or “book a call.” Don’t leave the reader having just built some trust in you with nowhere obvious to take it.
A simple structure to follow
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening statement | What you do, and who it’s for, in one or two plain sentences |
| Your story | Why you started, what’s changed, honest and specific |
| What’s different | The real, specific thing that sets your approach apart |
| Team (optional but valuable) | Names, photos, and a line on each person’s role or experience |
| Next step | One clear call to action |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing in vague corporate language. “We are passionate about excellence” says nothing a reader can use. Be specific instead.
- Making it entirely about you. The story should connect back to what it means for the customer, not just describe your own journey in isolation.
- Skipping the call to action. Trust built on this page is wasted if there’s no obvious next step.
- Using stock photography instead of real photos. A genuine photo of you or your team, even an imperfect one, builds more trust than a polished stock image ever will.
- Never updating it. An About page that still describes your business as it was several years ago undermines the very trust it’s meant to build. If your site’s other pages feel similarly out of date, it’s worth checking the signs it’s time for a redesign rather than patching this page in isolation.
What to do once it’s written
Your About page works best as part of a coherent site, not in isolation. If you’re building your page list from scratch, see our guide to essential pages every small business website needs to make sure About sits alongside the right supporting pages, particularly Contact and Services. And because trust signals age quickly, this is a page worth revisiting during your regular website maintenance, not writing once and forgetting.
FAQs
What should an About Us page include? At minimum, a clear statement of what you do and who it’s for, your genuine story, what makes your approach different, and one clear call to action. Team photos and credentials add further trust if relevant.
How long should an About Us page be? Long enough to cover those four elements properly without padding, which for most small businesses is around 300 to 600 words. Length matters less than whether every sentence is specific rather than generic.
Do I need a photo on my About Us page? It’s not strictly required, but a genuine photo of you or your team meaningfully increases trust compared to text alone, particularly for service-based small businesses where customers are essentially choosing to work with a person.
What if my business has no history yet? Focus on why you started and what you’re building towards, rather than manufacturing years of history you don’t have. Genuine intent, written honestly, works just as well as a long track record.
