The About Us page is one of the most commonly visited pages on any small business website. For many service businesses, it is the page visitors check just before deciding whether to make contact. Despite this, it is also one of the most neglected pages on the web. Most small business owners write a brief company biography, paste in a logo, choose a stock photo and move on. The result is a page that tells visitors almost nothing they actually need to know. A well-written About Us page, by contrast, builds credibility, establishes a connection and gives visitors the confidence to pick up the phone.
Why the About Us Page Matters More Than Most Business Owners Think
Visitors who navigate to the About Us page are not casual browsers. They are actively researching the business and deciding whether it is the right fit. By the time a potential customer clicks that link, they have usually already seen the homepage, read some of the services page and formed an initial impression. The About Us page is where they look for confirmation. They want to know who runs the business, how long it has been operating, whether the team seems trustworthy and whether this business feels like the right choice compared to the alternatives they have already looked at.
According to Nielsen Norman Group’s research on About Us pages, users visit About Us sections across a variety of professional contexts, from qualifying potential suppliers to researching a business before making contact. Users who reach this page have a high level of intent. Losing them here because the page is generic or uninspiring means losing people who were already close to making an enquiry.
What Most About Us Pages Get Wrong
The most common mistake is writing about the business in a way that focuses entirely on the company rather than on what the customer gains from working with it. A list of founding dates, industry memberships and business values does not answer the questions a potential customer is actually asking. What they want to know is whether this business can help with their specific problem, and whether they can trust the people running it.
Relying on stock photography is another frequent misstep. As HubSpot’s guide to About Us pages notes, users are increasingly tired of seeing business websites full of corporate language and stock images. Real photos of the actual team, premises and work consistently outperform polished but impersonal imagery. Visitors respond to authenticity, and no stock photo can communicate it.
A third issue is the absence of any call to action. Many About Us pages end without directing the visitor anywhere. After a visitor has invested time reading about the business, they are left wondering what to do next. That friction costs enquiries that would otherwise have converted.
What a Winning About Us Page for a Small Business Website Looks Like
1. Lead With the Customer, Not the Business
A strong About Us page opens by addressing the customer’s situation, not the business’s history. Rather than beginning with “We were founded in 2005,” a more effective opening puts the customer at the centre: “Central Coast families and businesses have trusted us with their service for over 20 years.” The distinction is subtle but important. The first version is about the business. The second version shows the customer they are in the right place. From there, the page can move into who runs the business, what makes the team the right choice and what the experience of working with them looks like. However, the page should always return to the customer benefit rather than dwelling on internal achievements for their own sake.
2. Show the Real People Behind the Business
People trust people, not logos. A small business website that includes real photos of the team, a brief introduction to the owner and a sense of the personalities behind the work creates an immediate sense of familiarity that a faceless business cannot replicate. Website Guy’s Business Media Package includes professional photography designed specifically to capture the people and environment behind a business in a way that communicates authenticity and quality. A short personal note from the owner, explaining why the business was started or what drives the team’s approach, adds a layer of connection that is difficult to achieve through any other type of content. Visitors remember stories far more readily than lists of credentials.
3. Include Proof That the Business Delivers
Credibility claims are more powerful when backed by evidence. A well-designed About Us page includes specific proof points: the number of years in business, the number of customers served, awards or accreditations and genuine testimonials from real clients. A selection of recent project images placed within or near the About Us page also reinforces credibility by showing visitors what working with the business actually produces.
How Long Should an About Us Page Be?
There is no single correct length for an About Us page. However, a useful guideline is to include enough content to answer the questions a first-time visitor is likely to have, without making the page feel overwhelming. For most Central Coast small businesses, a page of between 300 and 600 words with supporting images, a team introduction and one or two testimonials covers the ground effectively. The goal is a page that feels complete and trustworthy without requiring a significant reading commitment.
Scannable formatting helps considerably. Short paragraphs, a subheading or two and a clear visual hierarchy make the page easier to absorb for visitors who are reading quickly. Most people scan before they read in full, and a page that rewards scanning is more likely to hold attention long enough to leave a strong impression.
Should the About Us Page Include a Call to Action?
Yes, without exception. After a visitor has invested time reading about the business, they should be directed clearly toward the next step. A call to action on the About Us page does not need to be aggressive or sales-heavy. A simple invitation to get in touch, with a link to the contact page and a visible phone number, is usually enough.
Beyond the CTA itself, placement matters. A call to action at the very end of the page captures visitors who have read through to the finish. However, adding a second, subtler CTA midway through the page also captures visitors who have decided earlier that the business is the right fit and are ready to reach out without reading every word.
For some businesses, the About Us page is also an appropriate place to link to a portfolio, a project gallery or a selection of services. The key is making sure visitors do not have to guess where to go after reading. A well-placed call to action that flows naturally from the page content consistently turns readers into enquiries.
Let Website Guy Build an About Us Page That Works for the Business
A professional About Us page is one of the highest-value improvements a small business can make to its existing website design. Website Guy has been helping Central Coast businesses build credible, conversion-focused websites since 2004 and understands what local customers need to see before they make contact.
Call (02) 4329 2814 or reach out via the contact page today to discuss how the website can work harder for the business.
