Establish Credibility with an “About” Page on your Website

Posted by: Jennifer Escalona, August 11, 2009

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The Outright blog recently brought you a post about how a web site can make running your small business easier. But did you know that, aside from helping you get your job done, web pages can also add to your credibility?

Put yourself in a customer’s shoes. In the current economic climate, people are cautious about how they spend their money. With banks failing and companies going out of business left and right, potential clients are doing more due diligence than ever when it comes to hiring a new contractor or buying a new product. If a potential customer visits your website and finds that you are an enigma, she may take her business somewhere else.

So how do you establish credibility with skeptics? Include a thorough “About” page on your website.

Use this page to introduce yourself, your company and your team to potential clients, using elements such as:

Brief Biography & Experience – This is probably the most important aspect of an “About” page. It allows you to explain who you are and why you are qualified to provide the services you are offering. Potential customers will feel much more comfortable purchasing your goods or services if they know that you have several years of experience in your industry or have completed several successful projects. Use this space to brag! And, depending on your own intuition, you might want to include some personal details about yourself. Very few people will refuse to do business with you once they learn you love fly fishing, and the fact that you have hopes, dreams and hobbies makes you more relatable to the average Joe or Jane.
Pictures – Marcia Yudkin, author of the Website Marketing Makeover, points out that photographs of you and your staff make you all seem more “real, appealing, and accessible.” Don’t stop there. If you have a store front or a great image of your office, use that, too. When potential clients can see who will be working for them and where the work will be done, they will feel less nervous about contracting you.
Testimonials & Past Projects – Saying you have 20 years of experience as a widget inventor is all well and good, but this is where you back up your words with proof. Include testimonials from happy clients or case studies from your most important projects. Be sure to focus on results, and potential clients will like what they see.
Contact Information – This part of your “About” page is very important. Be sure to provide customers an iron clad way to contact you. This is the very least you can do when it comes to establishing credibility. And, of course, it would be a shame if a customer found you on the internet, got excited about your services, and then realized they had no way to get in touch with you.

Don’t miss out on a great business relationship because your website is too vague. Include a detailed, thorough “About” page and stand out from the crowd as a trusted businessperson.