How to Write a Compelling About Page for Your Pet Business

Writing an about page is a stumbling block for many business owners. While it may feel daunting or uncomfortable to write about yourself or your business, it happens to be one of the most important pages on your website.

When created thoughtfully, your pet business' about page will show your ideal customer that you understand their pain points and have the knowledge and experience to help them. It helps build trust and position you or your business as the perfect resource to solve their problems.

If you've been struggling to craft an effective about page for your pet business, keep reading. We'll break down some common mistakes business make on their about pages and show you the elements to include to craft a page that will resonate with your ideal customers.

Before you start writing, consider these frequent mistakes. Despite being one of the most important pages on a website, many businesses fail to use their about page to its full potential.

Here are some common mistakes businesses make on their about pages:

• Making it all about themselves instead of about their customers
• Not including a call to action
• Relying on jargon and using vague language instead of clearly explaining what they do
• Forgetting to include social proof
• Using content that is dry and boring

You can easily avoid these pitfalls by following the tips below.

Make it clear what you offer Your about page should make it crystal clear exactly what your pet business does and how ti helps your customers.

Don't alienate readers by relying on industry jargon or making vague, grandiose statements. Even if synergy is an important part of your business, don't talk about it here. Your content will resonate best if you use phrases and terms that your audience easily understands and identifies with.

For instance, if you're a dog trainer, don't say, "I create synergy between dogs and their owners." This is vague and leaves readers wondering what synergy is and how you go about creating it.

Instead, say something like, "I help dogs and their owners master basic obedience skills so they can live harmoniously." Do you see how much clearer the second statement is? Dog owners can easily see their pain points reflected here.

Share your brand story, not your life story. One of the most common mistakes businesses make on their about page is making it all about them. It may seem counterintuitive, but your about page is about your customers, not you.

Use this space to communicate your business' brand story. In other words, highlight what you do, why you do it, and who you serve. Position your customer as the hero of your brand story and your pet business as their steadfast sidekick prepare to help them get where they want to go. Sharing the origins of your pet brand and what compels you to do the work you can do can be a powerful way to build trust with your audience. Sharing the realization you had that led you to create your business is sure to resonate with your prospective customers.

What does this look like in practice? Let's say your business specializes in creating hiking accessories for dogs. Perhaps you started your business because you, a hiking enthusiast, struggled to find suitable gear for your dog to wear while accompanying you on multi-day treks. Share exactly that! But, instead of focusing on yourself, put the spotlight on your customers. Show them that they can trust your products because you (and your dog) were once where they are now, and you're passionate about what you do.

Include a photo of yourself or your team. What better way to introduce your brand than showing the people behind it? Including images of yourself or your team helps humanize your brand and build a personal connection with prospective customers. It's simply human nature that customers are more likely to trust a brand when they can see who's behind it. This is especially true on your about page.

Provide social proof Social proof is a powerful way to demonstrate that your business is highly regarded and can achieve results. Incorporating elements of social proof into your about page will improve your credibility in the eyes of potential customers. In fact, according to TrustPulse, 97% of consumers look at reviews before purchasing.

Here are a few ways to incorporate social proof on your about page:

• Showcase any press features you've earned with an "as seen in" graphic or by linking out to the published pieces
• Publish a case study highlighting results you've achieved for a client (or yourself). It doesn't have to be long; even a couple of paragraphs is sufficient.
• Include a video testimonial from a happy customer
• Include graphics with positive feedback you've gotten from past customers
• Create a testimonial slider with reviews from happy clients
• Use a social media widget to highlight how many shares your content has had

Include a call to action Each page of your website should have calls to action guiding your visitors to the next step you'd like them to take. Your About page is no exception. Now that you've shown your prospects how you can help them and offered examples of your past success, use a call to action to let them know what you'd like them to do next.

Do you want them to click over to your business' product page? Book a consultation? Join your email list? State your chosen call to action clearly and make sure it's easily visible on the page.

Showcase your brand's personality Showing off your brand's unique personality will help make your about page memorable and separate you from competitors. There are endless ways you could do this, from incorporating creative graphic elements or illustrations to using creative copy or even sharing your brand story in video form.

Gather inspiration by scoping out the about pages of other brands you admire and respect. Scope out your competitors, too- is there anything they're not doing that you might incorporate to stand out?

Whatever you do should be consistent with your overall brand personality and the feeling you want your customers to have with they visit your site.

The bottom line The elements we discussed above are essential to your pet business' about page, but there are no rules about putting them all together. Don't be afraid to be creative as you're crafting your page. As long as you keep your ideal customers top of mind, you can't go wrong.