I was recently asked about what to put on an “about me” page on a personal website. I gave a quick answer and moved on. Later that day, I began to put more thought into the question. The question troubled me because it’s not really the right question to ask.
Three better questions immediately come to mind: What’s the purpose of your “about me” page? Why should your visitor read this? And, what do you want the visitor to do once they arrive at that page?
I did some reasearch about great “about me” pages on personal websites, then reviewed my own. My audit revealed 5 things that make a great “About Me” page for your site.
You must have a clear purpose, a great headline, a focus on your visitor, be written in first person, and have a clear call to action.
In this article I’ll help you answer the three questions above and share what to include on your page to create the perfect “About Me” page for your personal website.
Let’s dive in.
1. Have a clear purpose.
Having a clear purpose for your page is a key for developing any successful page on your personal site. It’s even more critical with your “About Me” page.
Think about why your reader visited this page. Perhaps they were directed to this page by a link on your linkedin profile. Maybe they found this page as a result of a google search. Or, they may have clicked on the about me page from the menu at the top of your personal website. Your visitor may have had a different purpose for landing on this page based on how they found you.
With a personal web site, it’s reasonable to conclude that your visitor wants to know why they should read more about you and how you can help them.
As I was preparing to write this article, I audited my personal website. The first thing I noticed when I reviewed my “about me” page is that I framed it incorrectly.
The purpose of my personal website is to serve as a hub for my online presence and to establish my credibility as a very successful regional sales manager.
In my opening paragraphs I shared background about how I started selling and walked the reader through my early years as a 10 year old sales person, then onto more recent sales leadership roles. At best, this “about me” section is self agrandizing. At worst, it’s a waste of time.
To improve my page, I clarified my purpose, then revised the content to share how I can be valuable to the reader – particularly a reader who is looking for someone to help lead a product launch or to turn around a struggling sales team.
2. Have a great headline.
How much time will your reader take to decide whether to continue reading your “about me” page? How long does it take you to make a decision to read a page on a website? One second, three seconds? Maybe 5 seconds?
You get the point. You need to craft a compelling headline so that your visitor will read the next line on your page. Copywriting and headline writing are beyond the scope of this peice. We’ll have an article about writing headlines soon.
3. Focus on your visitor, not you.
Another thing I noticed when I audited my “about me” page was that it told a story. It was a good story, but it was all about me and my passion for sales and sales leadership. Nice ideas, but it is all wrong.
It’s ok to share insights into your personal experiences and anecdotes about your career, but only if you frame them in a way that helps your visitor see how you may help them.
For example, if you are building your personal brand as a great sales coach, include stories about the impact you’ve had on an individual, a team or a company.
If you are a human resouces professional who focuses on performance management processes, share your successes influencing individuals and organizations with your processes. If you haven’t had the opportunity to make those kinds of contributions, share your ideas for how to make performace management process better and even more effective.
People are not interested in what you’ve done. They want to know what you can do for them.
4. Write in first person.
The first “Bio” I wrote and published on my website was written in the thrid person. When I read it now, it sounds distant and a little arrogant. Frankly, it lacks authenticity.
Writing your “about me” page using first person (I and we, not he and they) makes you seem more authentic, more approachable and more real. It helps develop a more trustworthy tone than using third person perspective language.
5. No clear Call to Action.
Remember the three questions I proposed at the top of this article? The last question I asked you to consider was, “What do you want the reader to do?”
Your call to action is simply asking your visitor to do what you want them to do.
For example, are you open to new employment opportunites? If so, the content on your site and the content on your “About Me” page are geared toward generating interest in you as a candidate.
Why not offer your visitor a chance to schedule 15 minute meeting with you right now, while they’re on your site and while they’re thinking about it?
You could put a button on your site that opens a calendar with your availability for the next two weeks. Calendy offers a free service for this. You can find more details about how to do this here.
What if you want your visitor to contact you by email or phone? After you ask your reader to send contact you, you could direct them to your contact page, or you could put a link on the page saying something like “click here to contact me.” Then, make this text link to your contact page.
Remember, your “about me” page is really an “about your visitor” page. It’s part of the great experience you want them to have when they visit your site. Your “About Me” page should answer the questions from the reader’s perspective:
1. Why should I read this?
2. What can you do for me?
3. What do you want me to do?
By answering these questions and demonstrating a clear purpose for your page, having a great headline, focusing on your visitor’s intent, writing in the first person, having a clear call to action, you’ll be well on your way to having the perfect “About Me” page on your personal website.