How to write an About page people actually read.

If you've ever wondered how to write an About page that people actually finish, here's the secret most business owners miss: it isn't really about you. It's about the person reading it, quietly deciding whether you're the right fit before they ever fill in a form.

The About page is one of the most-visited pages on almost any small business website. People click it when they're close to enquiring and want a reason to trust you. So it's worth getting right — and it's usually the page that needs the most love.

Start with what you do for them, not your life story

The most common mistake is opening with a slow wind-up: when you were founded, where you studied, the year you went full-time. That's the wall-of-history About page, and most readers bail before the good part.

Flip it. Open with the reader. In the first two or three lines, make it obvious:

• What you do — in plain words, not "bespoke holistic solutions"
• Who you help — Melbourne cafes, tradies, allied health, whoever your people are
• What changes for them — the result, the relief, the thing they actually want

When someone sees themselves in those first lines, they keep reading. That's the whole game. Everything else on the page is earning the right to be read, one paragraph at a time.

Then a short, purposeful origin story

You can tell people how you got here — a good origin story builds connection. The trick is to keep it short and make it earn its place. A few honest sentences usually beats three paragraphs.

Ask one question of every line: does this help the reader trust me or understand me better? If it's just a date on a timeline, cut it. Keep the moment that explains why you care about this work, because that's the part people remember.

Nobody enquires because your business turned five. They enquire because they believe you'll get them where they want to go.

Show your values through specifics, not adjectives

Every About page in the country says the business is "passionate", "professional" and "reliable". Those words have stopped meaning anything because everyone uses them. Adjectives tell; specifics show.

Instead of claiming a value, show the evidence of it:

1. Don't say "we're responsive" — say you reply to every enquiry within one business day.
2. Don't say "we're detail-oriented" — say you proofread every page on a phone before it goes live.
3. Don't say "we genuinely care" — describe the small thing you do that nobody asks for.

Specifics are believable in a way adjectives never are. They also sound like a real human, which is exactly what an About page is for. If you want help making the whole site sound like an actual person rather than a brochure, our notes on a brand voice that sounds like you pair nicely with this.

Put a real photo of the actual humans

This one is small and it matters more than people expect. A real photo of the real people — you, your team, your studio, your van, your bench — does something a stock image never will. It tells the reader there's a person on the other end.

It doesn't need to be a glossy corporate headshot. A warm, well-lit photo taken on a decent phone is plenty. What matters is that it's you, not a smiling model from a stock library that three other businesses in your suburb are also using.

Build trust, then point to the next step

Once you've shown who you are, give the reader a reason to feel safe choosing you. You don't need to overdo it — a light touch of proof goes a long way:

• Your experience — years in the trade, the kind of work you do most
• Your approach — how it feels to work with you, in a sentence or two
• A line of proof — one short testimonial, a recognisable client, a result you're proud of

Then, crucially, tell them what to do next. So many About pages build genuine warmth and then just... stop, leaving the reader to find their own way out. Don't make them hunt. End with one clear, calm next step — a chat, a quote, a look at your work. If you'd like more on guiding readers toward action without sounding pushy, our piece on website copy that converts goes deeper on that.

A simple order that works for most businesses

If you're staring at a blank page, this structure rarely fails:

1. What you do and who you help (lead with the reader)
2. A short, honest origin story
3. Your values, shown through specifics
4. A real photo of the real humans
5. A small dose of proof — experience, approach, a quote
6. One clear next step

Write it like you'd explain your business to a friendly stranger at a market stall. Warm, clear, no jargon, no showing off. That tone reads as confidence, and confidence is what makes people enquire.

If your own About page has quietly become a wall of history, it might just need a fresh pair of eyes and a gentle rewrite. We're always happy to take a look over a free chat and help you turn it into a page people actually read — and act on.