The about page is such a neglected page on most websites. It’s pretty lame. Ask yourself, Is the information that is there, really there for your visitors? Depending on your type of business, truth is, most people will never venture into your about page. But we want them to know about us, right? Well, what the heck do you want them to know? What’s important and why would they venture there?

In the past 30 days I’ve had 7,396 page views on my entire website. Guess how many of those page views were of my about page? Only 123 were actually views on my about page. 1.66% Is pretty low. And being a web designer who works almost entirely remotely with clients without ever seeing them face to face, I would think most people who hire me would venture there.

As a web designer, I got tired of making boring about pages that I know are pretty much lame in most circumstances. So what’s the solution?

Do this instead…

The main reason any visitor would want to read your about page is so that they can validate their trust for you.

Convert the about page, to a Reviews page. People are 3x more likely to view your reviews page vs an about page. Reviews have been proven to be necessary in building trust with your users and competing against your competition.

What are some important things we want to show in a reviews page?

• True reviews from the internet. Such as Google reviews, Bing reviews, or privately submitted reviews
• Average star rating or highlight 5 star ratings. Whichever is most beneficial
• Key Information about your company or about you
• A few portfolio or case study items if applicable
• Logos of clientele you do business with

Optimize your top level navigation menu

In your main navigation menu, I recommend not emphasizing an about page (for most businesses). Hide it in a sub level menu or delete it all together. Which ever you feel is best for your company. It is my personal opinion that if you have more than 6 top level navigation choices, you have too many choices.

If it’s possible, try to organize your navigation so that you have 6 or less choices.  Too many choices can be confusing for most small business websites.

Less choices allow more control over how we navigate a user visually, in turn providing higher conversions.

An ideal layout for a reviews page which utilizes a small about section and clientele logos. Less is more.

will focus on reviews page increase conversion and views?

After implementing websites that emphasize reviews over about pages the increase has proven successful and the conversion rate has been increased.

The following is a snapshot from a local Spokane web design client who is in the food and beverage service industry. As you can see, for this particular new website, they have 3% of viewers accessing the reviews page. This client has a very minimal navigation with only 6 options which includes the home page. No about page was used.

We strictly used a reviews page which contains information regarding the company. Since I’ve redesigned this website, this particular client does extremely well and reaches his service quota long before the month has ended. Every month, for the past 6 months.

Do user generated reviews affect conversions?

Reevoo found that 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates. … Bazaarvoice found that site visitors who interact with reviews and customer Q&As are 105% more likely to purchase while visiting (and spend 11% more than visitors who don’t interact with user-generated content). (Oct 3, 2019) – Source, CXL

How great is the impact of reviews?

User ratings and reviews have a significant impact on sales. They are a critical part of whether a buyer decides to make a purchase or not. According to research, 85% of online consumers trust online reviews on the same level as personal recommendations from friends and family. – Source, Forbes

Is an about page necessary for SEO?

A contact page is necessary for good SEO and conversion. An about page is questionable and can be pinpointed down to what your about page actually offers a user. Does your about page include articles? Important information regarding employees or job openings? Do you have dedicated pages for those informative areas?

Some people will utilized the about page in a smart manner to gain traffic by using the keywords they want to target. I’m not a huge fan when it comes to worrying about keywords. I try to pay attention more to valuable content.

About pages typically don’t have enough content and usually never have VALUABLE content. So in that regard, it’s not an SEO friendly page.

What are your personal thoughts on the about page?

Detailed conversion analysis like this is best reviewed by your marketing provider and/or SEO professional. We make it our business to be educated in user behaviors and conversion.