Good about page design answers a simple question: why should a visitor trust this business over the others they have open in the next tab? Many about pages miss that purpose. They become a company history lesson, a list of awards nobody recognises, or a wall of text about “passion” and “excellence” that could belong to anyone. A well-designed about page instead gives a stranger enough honest information to feel comfortable making contact.
Visitors usually arrive at this page at a moment of hesitation. They like what they have seen, but they want to check who is behind it before spending money or sharing their details. Design and content together should remove that hesitation, not add to it.
Lead With the Customer, Not Your History
The most common mistake is opening with the founding date and a chronological story. Visitors care about your history mainly as proof that you are established and experienced. They care much more about what you do, who you do it for and what it is like to work with you. Open with that. A short opening section can state the problem you solve, the customers you serve and the area you cover, much like a focused version of your homepage.
History still belongs on the page, just lower down and in shorter form. A few milestones are enough: when you started, a significant change such as a new premises or a second generation joining, and where you are now. Dates and specifics make the story believable. Vague claims about being “industry leaders” do the opposite.
Write in a Human Voice
An about page is the one place where a bit of personality is expected. Write in the first person if you are a sole trader, or as “we” if you are a team. Avoid corporate filler that hides who you are. Pair this with the plain, specific writing advice in our guide to how to write website copy, and the page will sound like the business customers actually meet.
Show the Real People
Names and faces matter. A short section introducing the owner, and the staff customers will actually deal with, turns an anonymous website into a business run by people. Use real photographs where you can. They do not need to be studio quality; a clear, recent photo taken in your actual workplace is more convincing than a polished stock image of strangers.
Keep each introduction brief: the person’s name, their role, and one or two lines on their experience or what they look after. If your team is large, feature the people customers meet first, such as the owner, the person who answers enquiries and lead staff, rather than listing everyone.
Handle the One-Person Business Honestly
If you work alone, say so plainly. Many customers prefer a sole trader for the direct contact it brings. Pretending to be a large team with stock “staff” photos unravels quickly at the first phone call and damages trust that took care to build. A clear statement of who does the work, and what that means for the customer, is a strength.
Include Proof, Placed Naturally
Trust signals belong on this page, but they should support the story rather than replace it. Relevant qualifications, trade memberships, years in business and a small selection of genuine customer comments all fit well here. So does a realistic photo of your premises, vehicles or recent work, as long as it is genuinely yours.
Be careful with logos and badges. Only display memberships and accreditations you currently hold, and link to the organisation where that helps a visitor verify them. One honest, checkable credential outweighs a row of meaningless badges. This proof then flows naturally into your contact page design, where the reassured visitor takes the next step.
Structure the Page for Skimmers
Few visitors read an about page top to bottom. Most skim headings, look at photos, read a paragraph or two and decide. Design for that behaviour. Break the page into clear sections with descriptive headings: what you do, who you are, how you work, and how to get started. Use short paragraphs and put the most important information early in each section.
Add a clear call to action at the end, and consider one midway for longer pages. After reading about your business, the natural next step is contact, a quote request or a look at your services. Do not leave the visitor at a dead end after you have done the hard work of convincing them.
How You Work Is Part of the Story
A short section explaining your process removes a common source of anxiety. Customers want to know what happens after they enquire: whether you visit first, how quotes are provided, and how long things typically take. Three or four plain steps are enough. This material also helps visitors compare you fairly with competitors, including on practical points raised when weighing up a small business website cost and the wider cost of doing the job properly.
An About Page Checklist
- Opening section states what you do, who for, and where
- Real names and genuine photos of the owner and key people
- Short, dated history with specific milestones, not a full chronology
- Proof included honestly: qualifications, memberships, real customer comments
- Brief section explaining how you work and what happens after an enquiry
- Clear headings and short paragraphs for skimmers
- Call to action at the end of the page
- No stock “team” photos presented as your own staff
Review the Page as Your Business Changes
About pages go stale quietly. Staff leave, services shift, premises move, and the page still describes the business as it was three years ago. Reread it twice a year and after any significant change. Check the photos still look like the people, the services listed are the ones you still offer, and the contact route at the end still works.
Also compare the page against the experience customers actually get. If your page promises a family feel but enquiries are answered days later, the gap is the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an about page be?
Long enough to cover what you do, who is behind it, proof you can be trusted and how to take the next step. For most small businesses that is a few hundred words in clear sections. Length matters less than whether a skimming visitor finds those four things quickly.
Should I write in first person or third person?
First person, “I” or “we”, suits most small businesses because it matches how customers will actually deal with you. Third person can suit larger firms with a formal tone. Whichever you choose, keep it consistent across the page.
Do I need professional photos for the about page?
No. Clear, recent photos taken in good light at your real workplace work well and look more genuine than staged shots. What matters is that the people and place are really yours, and that the images are sharp enough to read comfortably on a phone.
What should I leave off the about page?
Leave out long personal histories, unverifiable claims about being the best or the leading provider, badges you do not hold, and stock photos presented as your team. Each one either slows the page or weakens the trust it exists to build.
Conclusion
Thoughtful about page design treats the page as a trust check, not a history lesson. Lead with what you do and who for, show the real people, include honest proof, and end with a clear next step. Rewrite your opening section today so it speaks to the visitor first, then check your photos and facts are current. When you are ready for enquiries, make sure the route from this page to your contact page is one obvious click.