Blocks that read Our Mission, Our Vision, Our Values to represent an about us page

Your About Us page is one of the most visited pages on your small business website, yet it’s often treated as an afterthought or filled with generic corporate language that fails to connect with potential customers. This page represents an opportunity to build trust, establish credibility, and differentiate your business from competitors.

For small businesses, the About Us page serves a unique purpose. While large corporations use these pages to showcase their global reach and corporate achievements, small businesses should leverage this space to highlight what makes them personal, trustworthy, and valuable to local customers.

Why Your About Us Page Matters

Potential customers visit your About Us page because they want to know who they’re considering doing business with. They’re asking themselves: Can I trust these people? Do they understand my needs? Are they qualified to solve my problem? Will I feel comfortable working with them?

This page isn’t about you—it’s about helping customers feel confident in choosing your business. Every element should answer their unspoken questions and address their concerns about working with a new service provider or buying from an unfamiliar business.

Research consistently shows that About Us pages rank among the top five most visited pages on business websites. Visitors actively seek this information before making contact or purchasing decisions, making it essential to get it right.

What to Include on Your About Us Page

Your Business Story and Mission

Start with why you started your business and what drives you to do this work. Customers connect with authentic stories about real people solving real problems. Your origin story humanizes your business and helps customers understand your motivations beyond profit.

Keep your story focused and relevant to customer concerns. If you started your landscaping business after struggling to find reliable contractors for your own home, that resonates with customers facing the same frustration. If you opened your bakery to bring authentic family recipes to your community, that creates an emotional connection with local customers.

Avoid lengthy chronologies of every business milestone. Focus on the moments that shaped your approach to customer service or inform how you solve customer problems today.

What Makes You Different

Clearly articulate what sets your business apart from competitors. This isn’t about claiming to be “the best” or offering “quality service”—those are meaningless platitudes that every business claims.

Instead, focus on specific, concrete differences:

  • Unique processes or approaches you’ve developed
  • Specialized training or certifications you hold
  • Your specific focus or niche within your industry
  • Unusual guarantees or policies that demonstrate confidence
  • Community involvement or values that guide your business decisions

For example, a plumbing company might explain their flat-rate pricing system and why they developed it to eliminate surprise charges. A bookkeeping service might detail their weekly communication schedule that keeps clients informed without overwhelming them.

Your Team and Their Expertise

Introduce the people customers will interact with, including yourself, key team members, and anyone who plays a customer-facing role. People do business with people, and seeing the humans behind your business builds trust and familiarity.

For each team member, include:

  • Their name and role in the business
  • Relevant experience and qualifications
  • What they love about their work or what they bring to the team
  • A personal detail that makes them relatable (hobbies, local connections, family)

Keep descriptions conversational and warm rather than formal resume listings. “Sarah has 15 years of experience in residential design and loves helping homeowners discover their personal style” connects better than “Sarah Johnson, Lead Designer, BA Interior Design.”

Your Values and Approach

Explain the principles that guide how you run your business and serve customers. This section helps customers understand what working with you will be like and attracts clients who share your values.

Be specific rather than generic. Instead of “We value customer service,” explain “We respond to all inquiries within two hours during business days and provide detailed written estimates so you know exactly what to expect.”

For service businesses, describe your process or methodology. Customers appreciate understanding what happens from initial contact through project completion. This transparency reduces anxiety and builds confidence.

Your Community Connection

For local businesses, demonstrating community involvement and local knowledge is powerful. Mention:

  • How long you’ve been serving the area
  • Local organizations you support or participate in
  • Your understanding of local needs and preferences
  • Partnerships with other local businesses
  • Team members’ roots in the community

This establishes you as a genuine community member rather than a faceless business that happens to operate in the area.

The Role of Professional Photos

Professional photography on your About Us page is not optional—it’s essential for building trust and credibility with potential customers.

Why Professional Photos Matter

Stock photos are immediately recognizable and signal that you’re either too small to have real team members or unwilling to invest in professional presentation. Neither impression helps you win customers.

Professional photos of your actual team, workspace, and business in action tell customers you’re established, professional, and proud of your business. They provide visual proof that you’re a real, operating business with real people behind it.

Quality photos also signal attention to detail and professionalism. If you care enough to present yourself well on your website, customers assume you’ll bring that same care to their projects or purchases.

What Photos to Include

Your About Us page should include:

  • Professional headshots of you and key team members
  • Photos of your team at work showing your actual workspace and processes
  • Images of your physical location (storefront, office, workshop)
  • Candid shots of team interactions that show your culture
  • Photos from community events or charitable activities you’ve participated in

Ensure photos are well-lit, high-resolution, and consistent in style. Everyone should be professionally dressed and presented in a way that matches your brand and customer expectations.

Avoid casual cell phone selfies, poorly lit indoor shots, or dated photos from years ago. If your business has changed or grown since the photos were taken, invest in updated photography.

Working With a Professional Photographer

Hiring a professional photographer for business photos is an investment that pays dividends across your entire marketing presence. Budget several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on your location and the photographer’s experience.

Brief your photographer about your brand, your target customers, and how you want to be perceived. Show examples of business photography you admire and explain what appeals to you about those images.

Plan the shoot carefully with attention to:

  • Location (your actual business premises when possible)
  • Wardrobe that’s professional but authentic to your business style
  • Props or equipment that shows your work
  • Natural interactions between team members
  • Individual and group shots for flexibility

What NOT to Include

Avoid Industry Jargon and Technical Language

Write for customers, not industry peers. Excessive technical terminology or insider terms makes you seem unapproachable and can confuse potential customers who need your services but don’t share your expertise.

Skip the Generic Claims

Statements like “We’re committed to excellence,” “Your satisfaction is our priority,” or “We provide quality service” are meaningless because every business claims them. Focus on specific, provable differences and concrete examples of how you serve customers.

Don’t Make It All About You

While it’s called an About Us page, the content should focus on how your story, experience, and approach benefit customers. Frame everything in terms of customer value rather than self-congratulation.

Avoid Outdated Information

Keep your About Us page current. Outdated team photos, references to old locations, or mentions of former services create confusion and suggest your business isn’t actively maintained.

Skip the Complete Business History

Customers don’t need to know every detail of your business evolution. Focus on information that’s relevant to their decision-making process and builds confidence in your current capabilities.

Writing Style and Tone

Your About Us page should reflect your authentic business personality while remaining professional and customer-focused.

Use conversational language that sounds like how you actually talk to customers. Read your draft aloud—if it sounds stiff or unnatural, rewrite it in a more relaxed, genuine voice.

Be warm and approachable without being overly casual. The right tone depends on your industry and target customers. A tax attorney’s About Us page will be more formal than a food truck’s, but both should feel human and authentic.

Write in first person (“I” or “we”) rather than third person (“The company”). This creates immediate connection and acknowledges that you’re speaking directly to the reader.

Break up text with descriptive subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet points where appropriate. Long blocks of uninterrupted text discourage reading, especially on mobile devices.

Strategic Calls-to-Action

Your About Us page should guide interested visitors toward the next step in your sales process.

Include a clear call-to-action that invites readers to:

  • Schedule a consultation or meeting
  • Request a quote or estimate
  • Contact you with questions
  • Visit your location or showroom
  • Browse your services or products in detail

Place this CTA naturally within the content and again at the page’s end. Make it relevant to the page’s purpose—someone reading about your business is expressing interest and evaluating whether to work with you.

Measuring Success

Monitor your About Us page analytics to understand how well it’s performing. Look at:

  • Time spent on the page (longer is generally better)
  • Bounce rate (lower suggests engaging content)
  • Navigation paths from the About Us page to contact or service pages
  • Conversion rate for visitors who view this page

Test different versions of your About Us content to see what resonates with your audience. Sometimes small changes in how you present information significantly impact customer response.

Keeping Your Page Current

Review and update your About Us page at least annually or whenever significant changes occur in your business. This includes:

  • New team members joining or people leaving
  • Expanded service areas or new offerings
  • Relocated business premises
  • Updated photos as your team or business evolves
  • New certifications, awards, or achievements

An outdated About Us page raises questions about whether your business is still active and engaged.

Final Thoughts

Your About Us page is where potential customers decide whether you’re the right business for their needs. It’s not about impressing them with accomplishments or overwhelming them with history; it’s about making a genuine connection that builds trust.

Focus on authentic storytelling, professional presentation through quality photography, and clear communication of what makes your business valuable to customers. When done well, your About Us page becomes one of your most powerful tools for converting interested visitors into loyal customers.

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Amy Masson, Web Developer
Owner/Developer

Amy Masson

Amy is the co-owner, developer, and website strategist for Sumy Designs. She's been making websites with WordPress since 2006 and is passionate about making sure websites are as functional as they are beautiful.

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