Why Your About Page Matters More Than You Think

Most small business owners treat their About page like an afterthought. They dash off a few paragraphs explaining when the company was founded, list their services again (even though that’s what the Services page is for), and maybe add a photo if they’re feeling ambitious. Then they move on.

Here’s the thing: your About page is consistently one of the most visited pages on most small business websites. When someone is deciding whether to hire you, they go to your About page. They’re not looking for your company history. They’re trying to answer one question: can I trust this person?

Writing an About page that actually builds that trust is a skill, and most business websites get it wrong in the same few ways.

Stop Making It About You (Really)

The biggest mistake on About pages is that they talk about the business when they should be talking about the customer. \”We were founded in 2015 with a mission to deliver excellence\” tells a visitor nothing useful. It doesn’t help them decide whether you’re the right fit for their problem.

Trust is built when someone feels understood. Before you introduce yourself, acknowledge what your customers are dealing with. A plumber’s About page that opens with \”Most people call us after something’s already gone wrong — a leak, a broken water heater, a drain that won’t clear. We know that’s stressful, and we show up fast\” is instantly more compelling than one that starts with \”Smith Plumbing has served the region for 20 years.\”

Lead with empathy. Show that you understand the problem your customers are trying to solve. Then introduce yourself as the person who can solve it.

Tell a Real Story

Once you’ve established that you understand your customer’s situation, people genuinely want to know who they’re hiring. But the story they want is specific and human — not a corporate-sounding bio.

What led you to this work? Was there a moment that clarified why you do what you do? Is there something about your background that makes you approach your work differently than others in your field? A landscaper who grew up working on their family’s property in the Chelan Valley and has a genuine love of how plants interact with the dry, high-desert climate has a story that a customer will remember. That’s differentiation that no competitor can copy, because it’s true and it’s yours.

You don’t need to write a memoir. Two or three specific, honest paragraphs that explain who you are and why you care about this work will do more than a list of credentials.

Credentials and Social Proof Belong Here Too

Your About page is the right place to establish credibility — but do it in service of the customer’s decision, not your own ego. Think about the questions someone would have before trusting you with a meaningful purchase or service. How long have you been doing this? What training or certifications are relevant? Have you worked with businesses like theirs before?

If you have relevant credentials, licenses, or certifications, mention them — briefly and in plain language. \”Licensed and bonded in Washington State\” means something to a homeowner. \”Certified by the National Association of X\” may or may not, depending on whether your customer knows what that means.

Customer results belong here too. A brief reference to outcomes you’ve helped clients achieve builds trust in a way that self-description can’t. \”We’ve helped more than 80 local businesses improve their search rankings in the past three years\” is worth more than \”we’re passionate about results.\”

Include a Real Photo — No Excuses

This is non-negotiable. People hire people, and a professional photo of you (or your team) on your About page dramatically increases trust. Not a stock photo of someone shaking hands at a meeting. Not a logo. You.

The photo doesn’t need to be taken by a professional photographer, though that helps. A well-lit, clearly focused photo with a neutral background taken on a newer smartphone is far better than no photo at all. Get outside on a bright overcast day, face toward the light, and have someone take a few dozen shots.

If you have a team, photos of actual team members matter too. Customers want to know who’s going to show up at their door or answer the phone.

Don’t Forget the Call to Action

Your About page has done its job if a reader comes away thinking \”this seems like someone I can trust.\” But then what? Give them a clear next step. A link to your contact page, an invitation to call, or a prompt to read a relevant case study keeps momentum going.

Something as simple as \”If that sounds like the kind of help you’re looking for, we’d love to talk\” followed by a contact link is enough. The point is that you’re not ending the page on a full stop — you’re opening a door.

A Few Things to Cut Immediately

While you’re at it, here are a few things that hurt more than they help. Remove any sentence that starts with \”We are committed to…\” or \”Our mission is to deliver…\” — these phrases have been copied so many times they’ve lost all meaning. Cut your founding date from the opening sentence unless it’s genuinely relevant context. Remove any reference to being \”passionate\” without explaining specifically what that means in practice.

Also remove any stock phrases about \”going above and beyond\” or \”exceeding expectations.\” Every business claims this. It means nothing without a specific story or result attached.

Replace the generic with the specific, every time. The more specific your About page is — specific people, specific places, specific outcomes — the more believable and trustworthy it becomes.

If your About page could use a rewrite — or your whole website needs a fresh start — Manson Bay Digital can help. We work with small business owners to build web presence that actually converts visitors into customers. Start the conversation at mansonbaydigital.com/contact/ or call (509) 800-7735.