Does it make me a massive geek that I find About pages interesting? I can't help it, I just love the things. When I find one that is fun and innovative I am pleased. When I see one that has next to no info and no creativity, I am disappointed.
Quite often, I am confused by companies and their lack of attention to what I see as an important detail. What kind of marketing expert would allow such an oversight?
But my “coolness” aside, I am sure I am not the only one to gain some interest in this topic. I would like to point out a couple of About pages that I think really got it right.
But first:
What Makes a Good About Page?
This is a debatable topic, simply because some believe certain elements are crucial while others should be kept out of it. In my personal opinion, a good About page:
- Presents all relevant information that sums up the mission of the company/site.
- Addresses all questions the visitor is likely to have (See what customer-centric content is).
- Manages to get the point across in as little text as possible, without leaving anything out.
- Provides an innovative design that doesn't retract from the data, but leaves a lasting impression on the visitor.
Considering most people just slap on a paragraph and leave it at that, it might seem as though I am asking a lot. But a good About page is an opportunity to hook the reader with nothing but the bare facts about your product or service. So why wouldn't real effort be put into it?
Tools and Resources to Create a Better About Page
Before we dive into some creative examples, here are a few tools and resources to help you build a better one yourself:
- Make My Persona is a great persona building tool for you to make sure your page caters for your perfect reader
- These WordPress themes have beautiful templates for About pages making building one much easier
- Atomic Reach will help you word your About page the way it resonates with your audience
- Yoast SEO will help you optimize the page for search engines
- Simple Follow Me Social Buttons Widget will generate social media “follow” buttons that will blend nicely into your blog color palette
- Bannersnack is a cool way to create some visual calls-to-action to use on your About page. This of banners that reflect your goals and showcase your achievements!
Five Sites Doing It Right
I am not trying to list dozens of examples here. Instead, here are a few pages that present absolutely different concepts for you to see various ways the information can be formatted. This way it will be easier for you to choose the format you like best and create your own About-me page following it.
The Thinking Closet: Show Your Personality
Instead of going with the usual details, Lauren went with something a little different. She listed off her personal traits of character, events, pictures, family and more.
On the bottom of the page is a quick list of Lauren's most popular posts, and videos. This includes active links to assist with navigation.
The goal of this page is to befriend the reader. You feel much more likely to subscribe and return when you know the personality of the blogger behind the page and this page accomplishes the goal perfectly.
Mike McDonald: Tell Your Personal Story
There are few bloggers who manage to get the whole “long About Us page” thing right. They usually add in way too much, are rather scattered and don't even manage to address what they should be within all that space they have taken up.
But Mike McDonald got the perfect mix of information on his longer-than-average About page. He covers his personal story, his goals and even includes some inspirational quotes to get you interested.
Sure, there is a lot to scroll through. But what better way to measure the success and effectiveness of a person than sharing his background and personal story.
Tumblr: Be Brief and to the Point
Providing a long story on your about page is one option, but certainly not the only one. You can create a convincing and memorable about page by
Microblogging giant Tumblr has many fans, and I count myself among them. Their About page is unique, as it works more towards diverting the attention of the user back to the main website content.
They give a quick rundown of how many blogs are currently hosted, how many posts, how many employees work for the site and the number of monthly page views.
Along with that is a short introduction to what the site does, and “at a glance” section with more basic data. But then they move right back to showing you their latest and most popular posts on the same page. The effect is a positive one.
Andrew Reifman: Get Visual
A piece by a professional designer, no wonder this is a real piece of art. Everything is mixed here: quick intro, services, awards, social media profiles and personal fun facts to understand the author better.
The page is entertaining, informational, professional and beautiful, all at the same time.
To learn more about the tactic, read my other article on visualizing your About page over at @pakwired.
Pinterest: Turn Your About Page into the Resource Page
Do you have a lot of information you feel is important to share? This was the challenge faced by social media giant Pinterest.
Due to legal issues with copyright, a unique layout and format and a new concept in their mission that was unlike anything seen before, a tiny About page wasn't going to do it.
So they made a series of pages addressing each section that they felt was important. There is a main hub, with other pages extending outward that users can navigate easily.
Amy Harrison: Sell Without Being Self-Promotional
Making an About page for a service page. You aren't dealing with the comforting facts of a company. Instead, you are introducing the web to yourself, as an individual while talking about your services. That can be daunting, which is why so many people cop out and write that they “hate these About Me things”. But not professional copywriter Amy Harrison.
Never have I seen someone actually succeeding at selling your services without sounding too promotional. The structure of this page is outstanding.
She also provides her past notable clients as well as places that have featured her. Wow… now that is details.
Do you have an About page you would like us to see? Let us know in the comments!