Do you avoid writing an About page for your website because you feel uncomfortable talking about yourself? I did. But when I talked to professional copywriters I learned the purpose of an About page is not to talk about yourself; instead, it is to connect with potential customers.
Keeping that in mind, here’s how our experts— professional copywriters Susan Greene and Gill Andrews—create an effective About page.
The Importance of an About Page
First, you need a website to show the world who you are and what you do. Your website it also the place clients can book directly with you.
It is a mistake to think your home page can serve as your About page. The two are different. Your home page tells the customer what you do and who you serve, says Andrews. It also describes the benefits of your service as well as the next step, e.g., click here to book. Your About page helps the customer get to know you better.
To illustrate the importance of an About page, imagine you had a massage booth at a community fair. Elvira is thinking about getting on your massage chair. She asks how long you have been doing massage, but instead of answering her, you smile and motion for her to sit on your massage chair.
In the online world, a website without an About page is like you ignoring Elvira’s request for more information about you at the fair. Without more information, it is harder for Elvira to trust you—and your About page, says Greene, is the place where you build trust.
You can start building trust on your About page by providing your credentials.
List Your Credentials and Show Your Reviews
Credentials would include state licensing (if applicable), massage classes and special certifications. Greene suggests to be selective and only pick the more important skills and classes that you want customers to know about. Include work experience. If you are new therapist and have no work experience, you can substitute testimonials from family members, friends, teachers and clients.
Reviews on review platforms, like Google or Yelp, also build trust. But Andrews warns not to simply copy the text of a review onto your About page because it won’t appear as trustworthy as having the actual review on your website. You can make reviews appear on your website using a review widget. Next, talk about your values.
Express Your Values
According to Greene, when you explain why your service is important to you, a customer can see if values align.
Here is an example of expressing values:
How I Became Interested in Massage
I was an avid climber in my early 20s until I was side-lined with over-use injuries. Then I started receiving massage. Within a few months, I was better and massage made more aware of my injury areas, which allowed me to make adjustments in my training before I reinjured myself. Now at 45, I climb more than I did when I was 25.
In this example, the values are massage promotes healing and facilitates body awareness. This message will resonate with athletes, active people and people wanting to optimize their health. By the way, when you ask yourself why massage is important to you, you just might find your story.
Tell Your Story
You don’t need to be a professional writer to tell your story. However, you will want to follow these expert tips to avoid turning potential clients away.
First, keep in mind that ultimately your story should be connected to why the customer should choose you as a massage therapist. Recounting how you loved anatomy in massage school and hated the four massage jobs you had before you eventually opened your own business is unnecessary information.
Keep your story simple, says Greene. Get your creative juices flowing by asking yourself how you got started on your massage journey. It doesn’t need to be earth shattering, but it does need to be relevant to the reader.
Here’s an example of a story that a potential client could relate to:
I was introduced to massage when I was taking care of my sick dad. Hospital visits, doctors appointments and around the clock care wore me thin, and I couldn’t turn the worry off. Then a friend gave me a gift certificate to see her massage therapist.
Honestly, I didn’t want to go. In fact, the thought of going created more anxiety. But I went, and I’m glad I did. After carrying what felt like the weight of the world on my back for months, I suddenly felt unburdened.
From that point on, I knew that I wanted to be a massage therapist so that I could help people disconnect, power down and recharge.
For massage business owners who have employees or use subcontractors, explain when, how and why you started the business. Include brief bios of the employees.
More Writing Tips
Also, add in search terms that describe your skill or type of massage you do to drive more traffic to your site, says Greene. For example, “myofascial massage” would be a search term if you practice MFR. You can test out how popular a search term is by going to Google trends and comparing search terms.
As you edit your About page, take a close look at the words you are using. According to Andrews, there is good and bad jargon. Words and phrases that have no value for the client are bad jargon. Good jargon includes industry terms your customer understands and uses. If you need to use an unfamiliar term, explain what it means after the first time you use it.
Though not writing advice, both Andrews and Greene are strong advocates of pictures of real people (you or your employees), not stock pictures, in your About page. Seeing your face or the faces of your employees’ faces is another way for a customer to determine if you are trustworthy.
At this point, you might be thinking you’re good to go, but according to our experts, not quite. Your About page still needs both a value proposition and call to action.
Call to Action
If there is no call to action on your About page, you leave visitors hanging and it’s a missed opportunity to move them down your sales funnel, according to Andrews.
You decide which action you want a visitor to take after reading your About page. Examples are a “Get In Touch” button that allows the visitor to email or call you, or a booking widget or link that takes the visitor to your online appointment book.
Add a Value Proposition
A value proposition lets potential customers know exactly what they are getting if they purchase your service. To come up with a value proposition, Greene says, consider what makes you unique from the competition.
Here’s an example: “I help runners recover fast by combining targeted stretching with massage.” This value proposition says: I specialize in helping runners recovery fast with my unique massage approach.
We are almost to the finish line. Last, add a call to action
Mark’s About Page Example
Both experts agree that your About page content should contain your credentials, values, story, photos, call to action and value proposition.
Here is an About page example (minus the photos) I wrote about myself, with Greene’s edits. Note that the text in parentheses at the beginning of each paragraph is included here for teaching purposes and is not included on my website.
About Mark
(Value proposition): I help people in pain get immediate and long-term relief with focused-pressure massage that is both relaxing and soothing.
(Credentials): Hi. My name is Mark Liskey, licensed massage therapist and certified neuromuscular therapist.
(Story and values): For the past 30 years, I’ve helped thousands of clients feel better and return to the activities they like to do, like playing with grandchildren and running marathons, but it wasn’t a straightforward journey.
Out of massage school, I cut my teeth in a chiropractor’s office. Lots of neck- and back-pain clients came my way. Every day I would go home wishing I could be doing more to help my clients get permanent relief, which lead me to become a certified neuromuscular massage therapist (NMT). NMT taught me how to do focused-massage work. I was ready to heal the world! But it didn’t quite work out that way.
Though the focused technique of NMT improved treatment outcomes, it wasn’t the game-changer I thought it was going to be. Over time I discovered that the “appropriate pressure” was the missing ingredient. Eventually, by marrying the preciseness of NMT with a pressure that is relaxing and offers pain-relief, I was able to help more people improve their long-term health and well-being.
(Call to action): My goal has never changed since I first graduated from Omega Massage School in 1993—to help people feel better so they can do the things they want to do. To that end, I invite you to call me to discuss how I can help you with your pain issue.
Your About Page
Now it is time for you to create an About page that shows customers, like Elvira, you are trustworthy.
When you have a good rough draft, ask friends and family to read your story to provide feedback. If you need more help, hire a copywriter to make sure your trustworthiness shines through.
About the Author
Mark Liskey, LMT, CNMT, is a massage therapist, business owner, teacher and blogger. You can access his free, massage-business crash course on his business page.