What the Heck to Put on Your Website’s “About” Page

The biggest mistake I see virtual professionals make is treating their About page as filler. After all, we’ve been taught that it’s not polite to talk about ourselves, right? However, your About (a.k.a. Profile or Company) page should be given as much attention as any other page on your website. First of all, its one more entry point into the site–never assume your visitors will find you via your homepage. In other words, this is one more opportunity to inject your site with relevant content that will attract the search engines. Second, your About page is an excellent way to build trust, especially given that prospects often don’t have the chance to meet with their virtual assistant or consultant face to face.

Try to touch on some or all of the following points when creating your About page:

• A professional looking portrait. No excuses on this one. People want to put a face to the name before they send money. A digital camera with a timer will do the trick. No camera? Then head down to WalMart for a cheap-o-de-beap-o photo shoot. No one will know but you!
• Your mission statement. A sentence or two will suffice. And stay away from trite descriptions such as “the best,” “premier” or “number one.”
• How long you have been in business and/or related industries. Just opened your doors? Then how about a couple of testimonials from professionals you’ve worked with–and impressed–in the past?
• A brief outline of the kinds of projects you’ve worked on and/or clients you’ve worked with in the past. Again, if you just launched, consider mentioning relevant previous professional experience.
• Reinforce what makes you and/or your company unique. This can be done with the tone of your writing, creative headlines and bold statements around your company culture as its pertains to client value.
• Last but not least, close with a call to action. What do you want your visitors to do next?

Remember, your About page can be a lot of things. Be creative. Be different. Be anything but safe. And one more thing: this isn’t a resume so don’t make it look like one!

This article was featured in the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) Newsletter .