How To Write an About Page That Builds Trust

Back in high school, we went to this five-day leadership camp on a college campus during the summer. I was in charge of the pep rallies, meaning I was basically the guy hyping everybody up on the microphone. During the camp rally, I was annoyed at this girl because she wouldn’t take a picture with me at the beach earlier that day. At one point, “In My Feelings” by Drake started playing and instead of saying “Keke, do you love me?” into the mic, I said her name instead. The entire crowd immediately went “oooooh.”

After the rally ended, I walked into the classroom to a standing ovation, sat down, and noticed she was typing something on Snapchat. She typed for what felt like forever and finally sent the message. When I opened it, it looked like a full-on college essay. I read the first sentence, scanned through the rest, understood the point, and replied with: “Alright, my bad.”

Not my proudest moment, but it’s something I think about all the time because honestly…that’s how people read most About pages on small business websites.

They open the page, read the first few lines, scan the rest, try to figure out the main point, and leave.

A lot of businesses treat their About page like an autobiography. They talk about when the company was founded, their entire history, their mission statement, and every tiny detail about themselves without ever thinking about what the customer is actually looking for.

The problem is that most visitors aren’t reading your About page because they’re deeply interested in your life story. They’re reading it because they want reassurance.

They want to know:

• What do you actually do?

• Can I trust you?

• Do you understand my problem?

• Why should I choose you over someone else?

Your About page isn’t supposed to be a documentary. It’s supposed to build trust.

And when it’s overloaded with long paragraphs, vague corporate phrases, and information nobody was asking for, people mentally check out before they ever reach the important part.

A good About page should quickly explain what you do, build trust, and help visitors understand why your business matters. Here’s what’s holding your About page back and how to write an About page that builds trust and gets customers.

Reason 1: Your About Page is Too Focused on You

Whenever a business owner needs to figure out how to write an about page, they think they need to write an autobiography. But that’s not what customers are looking for.

When someone lands on your website, they’re trying to figure out one thing: how can you help solve their problem?

They are not trying to hear the story about how a turkey attacked you in Santa Cruz on a random Thursday in 2018.

But when businesses write their About pages, they usually lead with:

• company history

• personal backstory

• generic mission statements

The problem is that customers don’t care about most of that stuff until they already trust you.

If visitors open your About page and immediately see a giant wall of text full of unnecessary hooplah, they mentally check out before they ever reach the important part.

That’s why there’s a huge difference between: “We’ve been providing innovative solutions since 2012.”

And: “We help local businesses create clearer websites that bring in more customers.”

One sounds like corporate wallpaper.

The other immediately tells people why they should care.

Reason 2: It Takes Too Long to Understand What You Actually Do

When someone visits your website, it should be clear from the start. They shouldn’t have to turn into Indiana Jones just to figure out what time your shop opens.

If someone searches “lawn care in Jerome, Idaho,” or “web design in Twin Falls”,  they want to quickly understand:

• what services you offer

• who you help

• and how to contact you

Instead, a lot of About pages hit visitors with:

• long paragraphs

• vague wording

• little explanation of services

• unnecessary information overload

It’s like asking someone what they do for work and they somehow turn it into a TED Talk about why their Pinecrest vacation from 2015 was legendary.

Most people don’t carefully read websites word for word. They scan.

That’s why your About page should be simple, organized, and easy to understand within five seconds.

If visitors have to dig through paragraphs just to figure out what you actually do, there’s a good chance they’ll leave before they ever contact you.

Reason 3: It Doesn’t Build Trust Fast Enough

When people land on your website, they’re looking for proof that you can actually do the job.

Anybody can say: “Customer satisfaction is our priority.”

But customers are immediately going to look for evidence that it’s actually true.

Because if there are no reviews, no testimonials, and no proof anywhere on the website, people start making assumptions. At that point, they’re probably imagining a one-star review that says:

“Owner was extremely rude. They said they couldn’t fix my toilet because it was a sink. Avoid like the plague. Would give zero stars if I could.”

That’s why customers want to see things like:

• pictures

• customer testimonials

• experience or credentials

• actual results

Generic phrases don’t create trust anymore.

Just because your About page says you “strive for excellence” doesn’t automatically make people believe it.

The best About page examples focus less on sounding impressive and more on making customers feel confident.

Reason 4: Your Story Doesn’t Connect Back to the Customer

A lot of businesses talk about themselves and how great they are. But when someone lands on your website, they don’t really care about your life story or accomplishments right away. They want to know one thing:

“How can you help me?”

During my last semester of college, I learned about an excellent framework called StoryBrand, and honestly, it’s one of the main reasons I started Vibe King Media.

StoryBrand says the customer is the hero and the business is the guide.

So think of it like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Your customer should be Link, and you should be (whether you like it or not) Navi the fairy guiding them through the journey.

Even though your About page shouldn’t read like an autobiography, personal stories still matter. People connect with people, not faceless businesses.

A good personal story can make your business feel more relatable, memorable, and trustworthy. It helps customers understand:

• why you started

• why you care

• what makes you different

• why you’re qualified to help them

The key is making sure the story connects back to the customer.

For example, if you own a landscaping company and talk about growing up helping your dad mow lawns every summer, that reinforces experience, passion, and familiarity with the work.

But there’s a huge difference between relevant storytelling and oversharing.

Relevant storytelling helps customers trust you more.

Oversharing is when the story completely takes over the page and has nothing to do with why the customer visited your website in the first place.

Your About page probably doesn’t need:

• your entire life story

• every job you’ve ever had

• a seven-paragraph explanation about your middle school basketball career

• the emotional lore behind why you started dropshipping in 2017

At some point, visitors stop thinking: “Wow, this business seems trustworthy.”

And start thinking: “What does any of this have to do with fixing my air conditioner?”

Your story should support the customer’s journey,  not distract from it.

Reason 5: There’s No Clear Next Step

A good About page should guide visitors toward an action.

Because when someone spends all that time reading about how you met your wife at a frat party and the best buffalo wings you’ve ever had, they eventually reach the bottom of the page thinking:

“Okay… now what?”

If your About page has no:

• calls-to-action

• contact direction

• service links

• reason to continue exploring

…people are going to leave and go somewhere else.

A good About page shouldn’t feel like a dead end. It should naturally guide visitors toward the next step, whether that’s:

• contacting you

• viewing your services

• requesting a quote

• booking a consultation

If someone is interested enough to read your About page, that’s a good thing. Don’t waste that attention by giving them nowhere to go next.

The Bottom Line on Writing a Good About Page

A good About page should build trust, create clarity, connect with the customer, and guide people toward a decision.

People don’t sit down at their laptop or pull out their phone because they want to read your entire life story. They want to quickly understand:

• what you do

• who it’s for

• and why it matters

If visitors are sitting there confused after reading about how your high school girlfriend dumping you changed your life, there’s a good chance your bounce rate is about to skyrocket.

Because at the end of the day, your About page isn’t supposed to be a documentary. It’s supposed to help people feel confident about choosing you.

The best About pages don’t overwhelm visitors with unnecessary information Whether you’re running a landscaping company in Jerome, a coffee shop in Twin Falls, or a small business anywhere in Southern Idaho, clarity builds trust.

So if your About page feels more like a memoir than a trust-building tool, it might be time for a redesign.

And if you want help figuring out whether your website is building trust or confusing visitors, click the button below for a free website audit.

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