If you have an e-commerce business and you are selling your products directly to customers, you NEED to have a compelling About page. Apologies for the capitals, but that’s how important it is in 2021. In our customer interviews conducted through Shop Critique, we learned that an average of 4 out of 5 customers prefer to buy from a small retailer instead of Amazon or a massive corporation.

So we’ve rounded up some ways that you can improve your About page on Shopify:

Don’t pretend you are bigger than you are

If you are a small operation, there are limited benefits to pretending that you are larger than you are. At some point, your customers will realize that they have only ever dealt with “Susy”, even though the About page keeps saying “We.” There is no shame in starting small and letting people know that they are supporting a small business. Communicating that you are a scrappy startup full of dreams is a unique value proposition that separates you from the generic big box stores. Celebrate this and let your customers support you!

Add photos of your team and facilities

It’s difficult to build trust online, but showing your face is a great way to show your customers that you are the real deal. Not everyone is a fan of photos and that’s ok! If you are camera shy, add some photos of your store location (if you are brick and mortar) or where you pack all the products. If you have a separate warehouse for fulfillment, maybe add some photos of happy customers with their orders or even an official furry team member!

Personalize the content with your personality

This is not the time to get super stuffy and pull out your AP Essay book. Instead, write in a way that is friendly and approachable. Don’t try to use too many big words or industry jargon. Imagine you are explaining your story to a high-schooler who has a limited vocabulary and attention span. Also, don’t be afraid to use slang if that is what your ideal customer would also use! Last, but not least, make sure to check your spelling! (we offer site-wide spellcheck with our Shop Makeovers)

Link to your favourite products 

Maybe this is the first product that you created or your bestseller. It could be the one that you use every day and has a place of pride in your home. Unless you are a dropshipper who is just in this to make a quick buck, you should be intimately familiar with what you are selling and able to explain why you love it and want to share it with others.

Share your history

Have you been at this for over five years? That’s an eternity for entrepreneurs (according to this article, 20% are shut down after 2 years - yikes!) So whether you are new to e-commerce or know all the ropes, let your customers know how you have innovated over the years. The best way we’ve seen to do this is by adding a Timeline section to highlight all the ups and downs of your journey (ok, maybe leave off the downs)

Highlight how you give back

Do you donate any of your profits or support a cause near and dear to your heart? We have found lots of Shopify merchants give back to causes they believe in and strongly believe that you shouldn’t hide this! Too many merchants tuck away their charity work in a teeny tiny paragraph or sidenote on the footer. We recommend checking out our Animated numbers section to highlight all the good you have done!

Read all of our tips and still feeling frustrated by your missed About page potential? No worries, that’s why we decided to start offering Shop Makeovers to get that second set of eyes you were looking for. Get more information here.