Writing an About page is one of the most challenging steps to developing a professional website, but it is also one of the most important pages on your site. Your About page is your opportunity to tell your story and connect with clients on a deeper level. An About page should explain:
1. Your design philosophy and inspiration. What inspires you? Is it the customer, nature, family or developing innovative concepts for the marketplace?
2. The techniques or processes that you prefer to use. Do you typically hand-paint designs and then work with them in Photoshop? Do you prefer to start each project with in-depth customer research because that is what is most important to you?
3. The types of clients you enjoy working with. Let people know what types of clients you enjoy working with most and why. It’s a great chance to let your personality show through in a professional, targeted way.
4. What markets do you enjoy working in? Letting potential clients know the areas that you have experience in and enjoy working in is very important. A future client wants to know that you’d be excited about the opportunity to work with them.
These four topics are helpful, but what else contributes to a beautiful About page?
What To Include On Your About Page
1) A Welcome Message
If a visitor simply glances at your About page what do you want them to take away? This description should contain your marketing message but with a more personal touch. Share your passion for what you create and how you make your client’s lives that much better.
2) Include a Picture
I know, I know…this can be hard to swallow for the “behind the scenes designer” but it is a helpful way to increase your chances of engaging potential clients. Who doesn’t like looking at photos, especially when you are considering working with someone? It’s nice to put a face to the name. In fact, Hubspot Blog reports that Twitter accounts with a profile picture have 10 times more followers than those without one. If you don’t want a traditional portrait picture, have a friend take an action shot of you sketching or working at the computer.
3) Share Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to calm any worries that potential clients may have. In The Portfolio Development Workshop we walk you step by step through the process of reaching out to past clients and colleagues for testimonials that work for your business.
4) Call to Action
A “call to action” is a button or link that you place on your website to drive prospective customers to take action. This button should direct viewers to wherever you want to drive traffic. For some designers the “call to action” may be a contact me button; others may decide on a sign-up spot for a newsletter or even an invitation to directly view their portfolio. The choice is up to you and what is aligned with your business model.
5) Brag
This may seem challenging and it can be a tough thing to do for certain individuals but it’s important to share your successes.
“What most site owners miss is that your About Page is actually about the person who clicks the link to see it. Talk to that person about why they should bother reading your site. Talk about the problems you solve. Talk about how you can help. Talk about what they’re interested in.” ~ Sonia Simone ~
If you want to learn more tips to building a portfolio that sells your work then I encourage you to check out our Portfolio Development Guide available for just $19.99. In this guide we walk you step-by-step through the process of creating a polished, professional website that you can use to market your skills and advance your career. Through step by step practical lessons we’ll walk you through the entire process, from identifying the goal of your portfolio website to editing your artwork and crafting your service pages.
