When I ask what pages are the most difficult to write, “about” or “about me” pages always come up the most.
“I hate talking about myself!” — y’all
Well, good news/bad news.
Bad news first—You’re going to have to talk about yourself a lot as a solo service business. It’s okay. It gets less awkward as it goes.
Good news— your About page is more about your clients and what they need. So, it doesn’t need to be weird! And we can even make it easy!
How to write an "About" page that supports the bottom line—without the "writing about myself" struggle
The About page is likely one of the most-visited spots on your website.
Of course it is!
Someone wants to get to know you before they work with you, right?
There are plenty of ways we can do that.
👉 If a lead is excited, let’s keep them excited.
👉 If someone is curious, let’s stoke that curiosity.
👉 If someone’s not so sure, let’s give them something to really fire up interest.
And in all these cases, we want to encourage people to take the next step. Which definitely does not include bouncing from your site and forgetting that you exist.
Okay. Let’s do this.
Time to set the vibe
Your About page is here to set the vibe:
- What’s it like to work with you?
- What can people expect?
If you’re stressed while you’re writing, that’ll come across in the text.
(Bummer.)
Sometimes, we feel like we have to show our entire, authentic, vulnerable selves in order to connect with others.
I’m glad to say that isn’t true.
You don’t have to brag or overshare. Just tell your story in a way that feels comfortable.
Do what feels right for your business.
So: relax. You got this.
And hey. There’s no such thing as a perfect About page. You can let yourself off the hook for that.
What does an About page DO?
Before we start with goals for your About page, we need to take a quick step back.
I can hear you now:
“Booo, I hate steps back!”
No, this is going to be fine, I promise! Totally worth it! This will make everything faster and easier later!
Before we set a goal/purpose for your About page, we need to set one for your website as a whole.
Typical website goals for solo service providers could be:
- More sales
- More leads
- Better quality leads
- Drive sucky leads away to someone else
Yes, of course we want more sales. But do your sales happen via the website, or via sales calls? If it’s via sales calls, you probably want more good leads booking sales calls. That’s your website goal.
Now that we have that figured out, we’ll add a goal for the About page. One goal that fits your website/marketing ecosystem.
Goals for your About page might be:
- Sell an introductory service
- Book discovery call
- Push freebie
- Move people to new level of awareness
- Grow mailing list
- Grow social
Pick one.
Look! It’s not just “talking about myself” anymore, is it? We’ve got a goal, baby!
A simple get-this-done About page formula
First, we gather materials:
- Testimonials
- Call to action
- Brand story (Brief! And relevant!)
- Differentiators
- Qualifications
- Bio
They don’t have to be perfect. They just need to be present. Copy and paste any bio you’ve ever had. It’s fine. We keep moving.
Next, lay out your sections.
Map a basic plan for what you want to put on your page.
It’s fine to take inspiration from friends and people with similar services. But remember—just because someone else is doing something doesn’t mean it’s working. Keep your goals in mind.
It could look a little something like this:
- Invite them in: Talk about your client, and why they’re so important to you
- Share your story: Explain what brought you here, keeping it relevant to your business
- Show what you offer: “Here’s how I help…”
- Get personal: Prove how cool and effective you are: Mention qualifications, show a testimonial
- End with a connection: Ask them ENTICE THEM to make the next step. Make sure there’s a call to action.
Start writing your about page with zero stress and/or dread
Okay! It’s finally time to write this thing!
Copy and paste your bio, etc., into the relevant sections. Round out everything else.
“But… sitting down and writing is so hard.”
I know, right! It’s my job and it’s still hard!
Here’s what you do: Set a timer for 20 minutes, and just go for it. Push through any discomfort you feel—you might notice it more in the first few minutes, and then your brain might act up around the 15-minute mark.
You can focus for 20 minutes. Or, if you can’t, this is great practice.
“I tried that and hated it.” OR “That was great. Any other tips?”
Okay, try this: Set a timer for five minutes, and write one section.
Try to finish it.
Stand up and stretch.
Set another timer for five minutes, and write another section.
Bust out words without getting precious about it.
Then make it good
At first, just write.
Don’t worry about making it “professional” or having your “brand voice” dialed in. Just get a crappy first draft version in a document.
Then give yourself a high five or a oat flat white or a Dr. Pepper Zero or a whatever. Good job. You banged it out.
Take a few days as a brain break, and come back fresh to your scrappy-yet-better-than-nothing version. Either it’ll look better than you remembered, or it’ll be more obvious how to fix it up.
(Yes, the brain break part is important! Don’t skip it.)
Editing tiiiiime
Before you edit, watch this reel. If you still have Instagram.
In short: how does your customer talk about their problems after two drinks with a close friend?
They don’t say, “Oh my GOD, I cannot wait to be equipped with the psychological tools to overcome any inner barriers preventing me from success!”
Do they? If so, you’re hanging out with a different crowd than me.
But you see copy like that all over business sites, huh?
They’d be more likely to say, “You know what I need? I need to find a coach who can really call me out on my BS and help me notice the mental blocks I don’t see for myself anymore.”
Something like that.
More for your keen editing eye:
- Avoid clichés like “I’m passionate about helping people…” unless you back it up with specifics. Using language from your testimonials really helps.
- Replace jargon with plain, relatable language.
- Test readability—read it aloud to see if it sounds like you.
How a free mini audit can reach down from the heavens and make this even easier
I know. “Audit” can be a scary word. I just want to take five minutes answer any questions on your About page.
I helped Amanda with her About page and it worked out great:
“Kelley’s five-minute audit gave me so many actionable insights and tips for improving my website copy. After implementing her recommendations I immediately saw a bump in newsletter subscribers thanks to Kelley’s direct call to action!’
—Amanda Laird, slow and steady studio
I’ll give you specific, actionable feedback to make that About page shine. Before or after you re-write it.
Let's juice that know, like, and trust factor
You got this! You’re worth knowing, liking, and trusting, so be yourself.
You’ll do great.
