What Makes a Great ‘About Us’ Page for a Local Business
Here’s something most business owners don’t know: the About page is often one of the highest-traffic pages on a local business website. When someone is close to making a decision — they’ve looked at your services, they’ve seen your prices, they’re considering calling — they want to know who they’re dealing with. They click About.
And what do most small business About pages give them? A list of company milestones. A vague mission statement. A stock photo of hands in a huddle. None of it answers the question the visitor actually came to answer: “Can I trust this person with my house, my health, my business?”
What Your About Page Is Really For
The About page is a trust page. Its job isn’t to impress people with your history — it’s to make them feel like they already know you before they call. The business owner who reads your About page and thinks, “This is exactly the kind of company I want to work with” — that person is about to become a customer.
That requires being specific, human, and honest. It doesn’t require being long.
The Structure That Works
Lead with Who You Serve, Not When You Were Founded
The instinct is to start with “XYZ Company was founded in 2009 by John Smith…” The better opening addresses the reader directly: “We build custom homes for Texas families who want quality they can actually afford — without the runaround.” One sentence tells me who you serve and what your value proposition is. Now I’m reading.
Tell the Story Behind the Business
Why did you start this business? What were you frustrated by in the industry that made you want to do it differently? What drives you to do good work? These are the questions that separate a company biography from a compelling story. You don’t need three paragraphs — two sentences of honest, specific motivation is more powerful than two paragraphs of polished corporate-speak.
Show Real People
A photo of the owner or team is one of the highest-trust elements you can put on an About page. Not a stock photo — a real photo of you and your people, ideally doing the work or with customers. For solo operators and small teams, this is especially powerful. It answers the question “Who is this?” immediately.
Signal Credibility with Specifics
Credentials, licenses, certifications, associations, years in business — these matter to your audience. But lead with what they prove, not just the credential itself. “Licensed Master Electrician with 14 years in the Dallas area” tells me more than just a badge image. Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) rewards sites that demonstrate real-world qualifications — your About page is a key place to do that. Our own About page is built on this principle.
Local Credibility Cues
For a local business, being genuinely local matters. Name the specific communities you serve and have served. Mention local involvement — a Chamber membership, a community sponsorship, a neighborhood you know well. This isn’t about bragging; it’s about proving you’re embedded in the same community your customers live in.
Acknowledge What Makes You Different — Honestly
The best About pages often include a brief, honest statement about who you are and are not right for. “We’re not the cheapest option in town, and we don’t want to be — we’re the team that does the job right the first time.” That kind of confident, specific positioning qualifies leads better than any amount of vague reassurance.
What to Leave Off Your About Page
- Mission statements that could apply to any company in any industry
- A chronological company history that nobody will read
- Stock photography of generic professionals
- Vague claims: “exceptional quality,” “unmatched service,” “dedicated to excellence” — these say nothing
- Awards without context (“Award-winning” — what award, given by whom?)
End with a Next Step
Your About page should end with a clear invitation. The visitor came here to confirm their trust in you — if the page has done its job, they’re ready to act. A simple CTA closes the loop. Get in touch — we’ll respond within one business day.
If you need a hand building an About page that actually converts trust into calls, our custom website service includes strategic copywriting support for every core page.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an About page be? +
Long enough to tell the story and answer the trust questions, and no longer. For most local businesses, 300–500 words is the right range — supplemented by photos and visual trust signals. A well-written 350-word About page with real photos outperforms a 1,000-word corporate biography every time.
Should I include employee photos on my About page? +
Yes, for any business where the relationship with a specific person matters — which is most local service businesses. Real photos of the owner and team build human connection faster than any words. If your team changes frequently, keep it to key leadership rather than trying to maintain a full staff directory.
Does my About page affect Google rankings? +
Not directly as a ranking factor, but it contributes to E-E-A-T signals that Google uses to assess site quality — especially for health, legal, and financial categories. A well-structured About page with verifiable credentials and author information can strengthen your overall site authority.
What’s the difference between an About page and an author bio? +
The About page represents the business and builds brand trust. An author bio (usually on blog posts) represents the individual who wrote the content and signals their expertise on that specific topic. For small businesses where the owner is the primary content creator, these often overlap — but they serve different purposes and should be written distinctly.
