How to write an about page that builds trust

Nobody reads an about page for fun. A visitor opens it when they are close to a decision: they have seen your ad, read your proposal or been sent a link by a colleague, and now they want to know if you are safe to hire. They are asking three questions. Do you understand my situation? Have you done this before? Who will I be dealing with?

Write the page to answer those three questions in that order. Everything else, including your founding date and your values statement, is optional.

Start with one or two sentences that name your customer and the result they get. Not "We are a passionate team of experts." Something like:

We help B2B service firms with 5 to 50 people turn referrals into a steady pipeline, so the next quarter is not a guess.

Use the words your customers use. If you are unsure, copy phrases from your sales calls and reviews. This opening is your headline, and it should make sense to someone who has never heard of you.

Under the opening, write a short paragraph on what you see going wrong in your customers' world, and why. This is your point of view. It shows you have seen the problem many times, and it is the part competitors cannot copy.

Keep it to four or five sentences. Describe the situation in concrete terms: what the customer was doing, what it cost them, what they tried first. Do not criticise other providers by name.

Claims do not persuade. Proof does. Add three pieces of evidence that a stranger could verify or at least find believable:

• A named customer result with a number, such as "cut proposal turnaround from five days to one".
• A short quote with the person's name, role and company.
• Facts about you that are easy to confirm, such as years in the field, certifications, or a recognisable client logo you have permission to show.

Never invent or round up a result. If you only have one real case, show one. For more on how proof works on a page, read Proof does the selling, claims do not.

People hire people. Add a photo, name, role and one sentence about what each person does for customers. Use real photos, not stock images. For a small company, two or three people is enough.

If you are a one-person business, say so and say what you do yourself and what you use tools or partners for. Buyers prefer honesty to a team page that looks bigger than it is.

Add three short steps that describe what happens after someone contacts you: the first call, what you deliver, what the first month looks like. This lowers the fear of the unknown more than any value statement can.

If you have values, express them as behaviours. "We tell you when you do not need us" says something. "Integrity" says nothing.

End the page with one clear action, usually the same call to action as the rest of your site. Do not add a menu of five options. The reasoning is in One job, one CTA: the focus law.

Link the about page from your main navigation, your footer, and your proposals and email signature. It only builds trust if people can find it.

• Starting with the company history, when the reader wants to know about themselves first.
• Using vague claims such as "trusted partner" or "tailored solutions".
• Writing in the third person for a company of three people.
• Using stock photos or no photos at all.
• Hiding the page deep in the footer.
• Leaving it unchanged for three years, so the proof is out of date.

Run a five-second test. Show the top of the page to three people who do not know you, then ask them what you do and who it is for. If two of three get it right, your opening works.

Then look at the data in Google Analytics or a tool such as Microsoft Clarity.

• Visitors who view the about page should convert at a higher rate than those who do not. If they convert less, the page is putting people off.
• Most visitors scroll past the opening and reach the proof section.
• The next step gets clicks.
• Sales calls start with fewer "so what do you do?" questions.

Review the page every six months, and whenever you win a new case worth showing.