by Carolyn Edlund
The About page is one of the most visited on any website. Are you satisfied with yours?
Creating an About page that really works takes time and effort. Check out these tips to improve your own page:
Make it compelling.
Your website visitors will be far more interested in reading your story than simply looking at a resume. As an artist, you are fascinating to many people. Create emotional resonance with your reader by presenting your story in a compelling way that connects with them, and draws them in to read more.
After all, your About page actually isn’t only about you; it’s also about the reader and what matters to them.
Keep it concise.
Few people have a long attention span when reading online; most tend to skim, and can easily click away. Short, meaningful paragraphs of a few sentences each put your information into little “bites” which are more reader-friendly.
I recall visiting an artist’s website with an About page that ran on for thousands of words (with hardly any breaks) including a long family history. Writing it was surely a labor of love. But who would read this lengthy page? Practically no one. (I didn’t either.)
Include your photo.
Your About page is the perfect place to include a photograph of yourself for greater impact. Whether you use a headshot or a photo taken while working in your studio, readers will feel they know you, and you will become more memorable to them.
You may also want to consider including a video about your work or one showing your technique on your About page.
Use testimonials.
Besides the Home page, your About page is a perfect place to publish testimonials from fans and collectors. These supportive statements add social proof to your presentation, which tends to make readers take your work more seriously.
Include deep links.
The content on your About page is a perfect place to segue into other pages on your artist website. If you mention that you have a blog, make that a live link. Encourage the reader to look at your portfolio of work by linking to those pages as well.
Keep it current.
Review your About page at least once or twice a year. Does it reflect what you are currently doing? Could it use a rewrite? This is one of the most important pages on your website, so commit to updating on a regular basis.
Carolyn, excellent post! I will add more live links to my about page post haste! Thank you for your great work.
Wow. Am I ever happy that I came across your website not that long ago. All the tips and advice have really helped me tweak my website. I just recently added a photograph of myself on my About page and now, I think I will have to add some more live links. Thanks!
I could not put this better myself! It’s that place for me, my art and why.
Always good to see content talking about the value of the About page, which I see as one of the most important places on a Website. It’s surprising to come across About pages that are confusing or incoherent given people visit them for clear information. Here are my thoughts on the key elements for a good About page – http://www.markevans.ca/2014/11/13/about-page-2/
My about page needs work. Thanks 🙂 Always good to know that there are people out there like Carolyn that are helping folks do better, be better. Thanks heaps.