Copywriting tips and techniques to help you write the perfect about page for your new website
I see you there, typing “about page writing for dummies” into Google as you prompt Chat GPT on another tab hoping he’ll be there to help you out when your browser starts to chug along with information overload. Take a deep breath boo, close the browsers and let’s get down to basics. After wading knee-deep in website copy strategy for the last decade, I’m here to tell you the do’s and don’ts when writing the perfect about page. You may not be an expert copywriter, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to bang out a darn good first draft if you don’t have the dollar-bucks to invest in professional copywriting just yet. So, in this blog we are getting down and dirty, and laying out the rules so that your about page can slay on the internet (Gen Z’ers, did I say that right?).
Oh – and on a side note. If you want to download our Cosmic CEOs Ultimate Website Checklist guide and follow along as you map out your perfect About page, then click here to have it whizzed off into your inbox by our fairy-internet-mothers. And if you find this article ever-so-helpful, then why not check out our one on How to write the Perfect Home Page? We think you’ll find this one pretty darn swell too.
First things first – your About page isn’t really about you. Sorry boo. I mean it is, but it isn’t. If someone is browsing through your website as if it were the latest catalogue to their favourite homeware store, they probs don’t want to know how many hotdogs you could consume in a 10-minute eating contest (for the record, I do want to know that so please pop into my mails and tell me your dirty little secret. Mine’s probably 2. Don’t judge). What they do want to know, however, is exactly how you are equipped to take them from feeling down and dirty in the mud, to feeling like they could take on the world (in whichever way you weave your magic into the world). They want to see how you can take them from muddy seedling to beautiful lotus with a wave of your crystal wand. And this is exactly how you are going to tell them that.
Top Banner
This sassy little number is one of the most important pieces of copy you’ll ever write on any page – call it the Leo of your About page. It wants all the fame and glamour, and your pen should write the words to give it exactly that. The top banner headline copy is the piece that appears above the fold before your website visitors start scrolling. Just like on your homepage, this little vixen can be used to showcase your unique personality while still letting ’em know exactly what you do. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer with a reputation for helping anxious couples relax so you can take the best photos, don’t say that. Say this instead: “If a wedding photographer with a reputation for relaxing tense shoulders and capturing your perfect love story is on your vision board, then keep scrolling. With my suitcase fulla dad jokes and dance moves sicker than your weird Uncle Freddie’s, I’m here to do exactly that. All you need to do is put on the dress, showcase that bridal beauty, and leave the rest to me.”
See what I did there? The first sentence (otherwise known as the H1 header) houses your SEO keyword, ‘wedding photographer’. It also sets the scene by calling out exactly what your client is looking for – to have a photographer who will make the process easy and relaxing for them so they can just enjoy the day. The next sentence (otherwise known as the H2 copy) is the how and personality piece. It lets site visitors know exactly how this photographer does this – and here’s the kicker and most important part – by showing, not telling. The showing and storytelling piece is what shows off the personality and positions the photographer as someone who doesn’t blend in with the wallpaper – which is a good thing when you want to stand out online.
Street Cred & Credentials
You know you’re cool. I know you’re cool. But now it’s time for them to know just how cool you are too. When it comes to street credibility, social proof is the go-to boasting method that every home page, about page, and services page needs. I mean, you could stand on the street corner telling everyone how awesome you are and encouraging them to buy your stuff (and you should totally do this too),
but what’s even better is to allow someone else to stand up there and do the boasting for you. Social proof – such as testimonials, case studies, awards, previous client logos, or media features – shows your expertise and the results you bring to the table without you having to call it out.
Certifications, on the other hand, show how you are qualified and trained to do what you do, and that you’re not just some garage-side-hustling creative trying to charge expert prices for amateur work. You’re good. You know it, so don’t be afraid to show it (ahh, sweet beautiful rhymes). Both social proof and certifications should be placed on your About page to ramp up your credibility.
Your Mission & Legacy
This is the second part of your Brand Story – your legacy and Mission. Sure, we now know why you started, but now we want to know about the big scary vision that fuels you on a daily basis. Tell your website visitors where you are going, what you are aiming for, and what kind of tangible difference you are making in the world. If your business is contributing to the evolution of humanity in some way or another, share it. Oftentimes, people want to connect with a bigger vision. Let them.
Your Origin Story
This is the first piece of messaging that makes up your brand story, and it is by far the juiciest. Your Origin Story is the ah-ha moment that caused you to want to start your business in the first place. This is one of the most important elements of every brand story because it anchors your story into the world and makes it relatable. People connect with real-life experiences. Tell them yours, the real one, not the generic: ‘I wanted to help more women live a healthier and more beautiful life.’ We want the raw and the real, which requires some level of vulnerability.
For example, I have spoken about my divorce once or twice on social media, and how this was a pivotal point where I decided to start my brand – I never wanted to feel disempowered or reliant on anyone ever again. This story then shifted when I had my kids and wanted to use the wealth from the business to create conscious schooling solutions.
My Origin Story is also linked to my spiritual journey (detoxification, plant medicine, conscious living) and how this has shaped a lot of my innovative copywriting solutions here at Meraki and made me a go-to expert for holistic entrepreneurs and wellness brands. See – I didn’t just say that I want to help women make more money with their words while waving my sage stick around (although I totally do this too). My story speaks to embodied, feminine leadership, intuitive business solutions, and heart-centred living.
That’s what your Brand Story wants from you. It wants the depth that can only come from lived experiences. Map out your Origin Stories (at least 5) and it’ll make your marketing so much easier.
How you wave your magic wand
There can be a million people doing the same thing as you, but the way in which you do it is your own personal brand of magic. Call it your secret sauce, your unique process, your method of creating art – we want to hear all about it. Map it out in an easy-to-understand way so that we can see just how different you are, without you having to say ‘We’re different, you’ll like us’. Remember – show, don’t tell.
Meet the faces behind the laptops
Have a team of wonder women that stand behind you? This is their time to shine. It’s time to put faces to the names and give credit where credit is due. Introduce your team with a bit of sass and showcase their personality. Don’t say: “Meet Suzy, our social media manager. She loves coffee and reading on a rainy day”. Snooze. Instead, rather say: “If social media was the meal of the hour, Suzy would be the chef you’d be complimenting for a darn good experience. Give her a camera, a brief, and an hour at most, and she’ll be back with a million ways to market it with her dark sense of humour and knack for understanding the human brain better than your therapist. Don’t believe us? Check out our Instagram page and give her a wave.”
See what I did there? It paints the picture, introduces the team members, and directs traffic to your social media page so that they are able to have another touchpoint with you and your marketing content. Your website copy should do this. Constantly. Think of it as weaving a spider’s web that connects all your web pages, marketing platforms and communication channels. Now before you get all serious and hit panic mode (which automatically upgrades itself to procrastination), remember that the About Page is the one website page where you can be the most relaxed. If you aren’t in the position to invest in an expert just yet, give it a twirl at writing it yourself. Put it out there and know that as you grow, so your page will morph and change too. The best thing you can do is get started, and I hope this guide helps you do just that. Go get ’em tiger!
