Overcoming the cringe of writing about yourself - how to craft the perfect About page

Does the thought of writing about yourself fill you with dread? Does it make you cringe? Do you not know how to start or what to say? Don’t worry, this is a common feeling for a lot of people. We’re always worried about people judging us, and no one wants to seem boastful. Talking about how great you are doesn’t always come naturally. The fear can lead to you closing your laptop without even starting. I know business owners who don’t even have websites due to the mental block of writing about themselves.

As much as you might hate the thought of writing one, an About page is important. They are often one of the most visited pages on a website and are a chance to build your customers' trust.

The purpose of an About page

Before you jump in, it’s worth remembering what the purpose of an About page is.

It is not:

– An outline of your life story.

– A hard sales page.

It’s actually a subtle, carefully crafted combination of both. For most businesses, they are a chance for potential customers to get to know you and identify how you can help them.

Luckily, About pages don’t have to be hard.

I have broken the process down into simple steps that will help you get over the fear that is holding you back

Step 1 – Break it down into sections

I always give my clients a list of questions and ask them to fill in the answers with bullet points. Doing this helps to break the task down into bite-size chunks.

Under each of the headings below, write some bullet points to get your thoughts flowing. Add anything you like, don’t overthink things at this stage.

• What are your customer’s main problems? What reasons could they have for coming to your website? This helps you keep the focus on the customer and not you. Notice how I started this blog post?
• How do you help your customers? Outline what you do for them and how you do it.
• Who are you? If you are a service business, tell people your name. Is there anything else interesting that might be relevant to your audience? Your location could be important.
• Why do you do what you do? What are your values and beliefs in relation to your industry? Don’t be afraid to show your passion for your business. Get personal and talk about your own experiences, it’s good to relate to people.
• What experience and certifications do you have? Keep this brief and put it under its own subheading, so people don’t have to search for it.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR TEXT, BUT DON’T WAFFLE

You can structure your page using similar sub-headings as those in Step 1, or you can change this around. Start expanding your bullet points into sentences. If a certain point seems too wordy, delete it. If it’s not answering your customer’s questions, delete it.

STEP 3 – REMEMBER, IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU

Talk about yourself but in relation to your customer’s problems.

Think about your client and what they want to know, rather than what you want to tell them. If you were a customer searching for your services, what’s the first thing that would be important to you? What might their problem be and how can you help them solve it? What sort of things would they google when looking for your product or service?

You don’t have to be a skilled copywriter or academic to write an About page. Keep your sentences simple, avoid jargon and always use your own writing voice – it’s more engaging.

STEP 4 – MAKE IT EASY TO NAVIGATE

Link to other pages on your website, such as your Services, Prices and Testimonials. This builds your authority. Always link to your contact details.

STEP 5 – CALL TO ACTION

Make sure you have a button or link to what action you want the reader to take. Whether you want them to download something, make a purchase or sign-up to your email list. Make it easy for them.

STEP 6 – SHOW YOUR FACE

This is not the time to be shy. A profile picture makes it easier for people to remember you. It doesn’t have to be a professional headshot; a good quality phone picture is fine. Make sure you’re looking natural. Either use a tripod or get someone to take the photo for you. A neutral background works fine. Even better is if you show something work-related in the background, like your office or products. There are loads of good editing apps that you can download for free.

Once you’ve done everything listed above, you’re pretty much done!

Do you struggle to write about yourself? Get in touch if you have any questions!