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Did you know that your blog’s about page is consistently the second most-viewed page on your blog?
Whenever a new visitor’s breath is taken away by a post of yours, it’s the first place they go to find out who this amazing person is.
It’s your chance to hook your readers, make them come back for more great stuff from this fascinating blogger. (That would be you.)
Okay. Here’s the thing. You already knew that your blog’s about page isn’t really about you, right?
About pages can be tricky because your readers want to know more about you, but they also need to know how who you are makes you the best person to blog about your topics. And just how you can help them with their needs.
So it’s really just as much about them.
Don’t Make These 5 Classic About Page Mistakes
I see smart, talented bloggers make certain mistakes over and over again on their about pages. They are easily fixed, if you know what they are:
1. You don’t tell me what your blog is about.
Most people think it should be obvious what their blogs are about. But it’s the one thing missing from many, many blogs I visit. Your readers want to know what you’ll be talking about.
My blog’s about page says:
I love to write about things that get people thinking about how they can show up online in unique, real ways.
How they can attract more website and blog visitors with a true voice and compelling copy.
How they can use social media to get their brand out there in the world.
Don’t make me guess what your blog is about. Give me that reason to stick around.
2. You start by telling me how great you are.
One about page I read said, in the second sentence, “[Name here] has long been on the cutting edge of web technology.”
Okay, double demerit: he used the cliché “cutting edge” and he told me how good he is, instead of showing me.
It’s okay to list your achievements (in fact, you should), but let me see who you are and what you care about first.
3. You bore me with too many details.
I want a personal glimpse. I really do.
But 27 diary-like entries—including when you were born, what year you got your driver’s license, the date your first husband ran off with a younger woman and the color of your first-born’s hair—doesn’t quite hold my interest. (Actually read an about page with this information today.)
Better to cut that list down and make some of the trivia fit who you are as a blogger. Give me a sense of who you are and what you bring to this blogging thing.
4. It feels like you’re applying for a job.
I don’t care what college you graduated from. Sorry, but I don’t.
If your about page reads like a résumé, I probably won’t stick around.
Now, there are some instances where degrees and credentials are very important (for a therapist, professional coach or attorney, for example). Keep them in there, but just don’t lead with them because people want to get to know you first.
And take out the chronological history of places worked. Now if you had a job somewhere that lets me peek into a part of you that helps me understand who you are today and why you have this blog? Then, yes, I want to hear that.
5. You don’t give me a short version.
Sometimes, on a first-time visit, I’m in a hurry. If I don’t see what you and your blog are all about—and within seconds—I may click away.
Always include the Cliff Notes version of your about page in a bio box, right there in the sidebar on your home page. Some readers are looking for any old excuse not to hang around, so hook them on you as the blogger right away.
My home page bio (with photo included) is only 62 words but it tells readers right away what they can expect to see on my blog.
What about you?
What do you see missing on about pages you visit?
Do you mix a little personal into your page or keep it all professional?
What do you want to know about a blogger when you visit their page?
About the author
- More at
Thanks for this great list! Should the About page also include a blogging schedule or other blogging/commenting policies? If not, where should they go?
Glad it was helpful. You bring up a great question about posting schedules. If you are able to stick to a strict schedule, for example, every Wednesday, or twice a week—Tuesday and Thursday—I say tell your readers that in your about page (and also in the short bio on your home page). “I blog here about _____ every Monday and Friday,” or something like that. It trains your readers to come back for that next post and lets them know when to expect it.
On commenting policies, it’s something I need to work on, too. I don’t think I would put them on my about page because they might be hidden there. If your blog’s theme/template allows it, I would make a separate page in the top navigation bar for your commenting policies, so people looking for that will find it right away.
GREAT post! This is extraordinarily helpful when it comes to what people want to read about “us”. Bios that deal with all the “boring” stuff like degrees and work experience will make people exit our website and find something else to do with their time.
Thank you so much.
Patricia,
Thanks. Glad it was useful. And, yes, “boring” is a word we do not want to be attached to us!
Good advice! Now if only I can make it work!
Shary,
About pages and bios are always a work-in-progress. Try working on one tip at a time and I am sure that you will eventually get where you want to be.
Thanks for the great advice Judy! I’ve been working on my About Me page lately, but I wasn’t satisfied with it. After reading your post and making a few more changes, it’s much closer to what I want.
Marianne,
Isn’t it great with the online stuff? We don’t have to go out and print another brochure with each change. : )
Glad this helped and thanks for being a part of this community.
Excellent points. Interested in writing a post for us? Indiopress is a small publisher dedicated to women’s fiction.
We’d love to hear fresh new voices on our blog.
indiopress@gmail.com
Many thanks.
http://indiopress.wordpress.com/
I’ll certainly check your site out. A small press dealing with women’s fiction? That’s so cool. I’ll be in touch.
@illumine
Glad it was helpful. You bring up a great question about posting schedules. If you are able to stick to a strict schedule, for example, every Wednesday, or twice a week—Tuesday and Thursday—I say tell your readers that in your about page (and also in the short bio on your home page). “I blog here about _____ every Monday and Friday,” or something like that. It trains your readers to come back for that next post and lets them know when to expect it.
On commenting policies, it’s something I need to work on, too. I don’t think I would put them on my about page because they might be hidden there. If your blog’s theme/template allows it, I would make a separate page in the top navigation bar for your commenting policies, so people looking for that will find it right away.
@PatriciaYagerDelagrange
Thanks. Glad it was useful. And, yes, “boring” is a word we do not want to be attached to us!
@Shary About pages and bios are always a work-in-progress. Try working on one tip at a time and I am sure that you will eventually get where you want to be. : )
@marianne.worley
Isn’t it great with the online stuff? We don’t have to go out and print another brochure with each change. : )
Glad this helped and thanks for being a part of this community.
@indiopress I’ll certainly check your site out. A small press dealing with women’s fiction? That’s so cool. I’ll be in touch.
@JudyDunn @illumine Thank you soo much for the hint about telling people that you blog on so-and-so day. I forgot all about that. Great idea! Thank you.
In reference to #2, it drives me crazy when people speak in the third person. I mean, we know you wrote it. Ok, just needed to get that off my chest. Also, I really like some of the advice on Get Storied (http://www.getstoried.com), definitely worth checking out.
@joebertino Yeah, I didn’t get into the first-person, third-person thing. I’ve seen it done successfully both ways, but I much prefer 1st person. Some bloggers I work with have a tough time talking about themselves—claim they sound like they are bragging. First person just draws me in closer, though.
Tried to check out the link, but it was broken. : (
@JudyDunn Agreed, closer is better. Sorry about the link. Here you go: http://www.getstoried.com/
Much needed post. Will RT. People get flustered when talking about themselves, so they tend to go all pompous or give way too much information. This is just what they need to hear: blogging should be conversational, but concise.
Is that really all there is to it because that’d be fblabregsating.
@PatriciaYagerDelagrange @illumine It’s the way of blogs. The community asa whole is much more than the sum of its parts. Glad Illumine mentioned that. : )
@annerallen Thanks for sharing this with your network, Anne. I really need to get over and dig deeper into your blog. Visited just briefly the other day. Looks like lots of good stuff is going on there. : )
HI Judy, actually could you be so kind as to click on my about me page and tell me what you think? No pressure, if you can.
I have done it to show my personality, it certainly tells people about me and a bit about my blog. (actually done on a different page) What I haven’t said is what can the readers expect from me, like frequency of posting etc.
Fabulous post. I always enjoy your writing. Cheers
@blog_therapy I’m slammed with client projects right now (actually writing their about pages)… : )
But give me some breathing room and I’ll see if I can point you to some more resources. I’ll also be offering affordable about page critiques soon, so that;s another option.
Thanks for stopping by!
@annerallen Anne, what’s your blog URL? Judy’s comment below piqued my interest.
@swooshbyscrollwork @annerallen http://annerallen.blogspot.com Come on over and join the discussion. We’re talking about rejection this week.
Hi Judy, You’re the best with advice. Every post of your’s is. My home page is the one page I did not know what to do with truely. I have a bio page and a publications page but lack the “what I blog about” and the “summary box”. I’m going to revise the home page tonight to add these with my scientist author point of view called out there. Thanks so much for the hints Judy.
@jjbrown Wow, the best thing I can hear is that someone is actually applying the tips to make their site or blog better. Thanks for sharing that. And for the great feedback on my posts. Means a lot. : )
Very good points, Judy. I ‘ran’ right back home and got busy with my ‘about’ page. I have a feeling it is still a page under construction as this is a whole new world for me.
Thanks again
@barbz.1232 You are welcome. Glad it helped.
Ha! It’s always a page under construction (at least for me). I’m writing one for my new writer website today and am doing some revising as we speak. : )
I had a debate with someone over About pages not too long ago. I made the statement that statistically they were the most visited page after someone landed on a site. This individual argued with me saying that isn’t so. I showed him my stats, someone else’s stats (with permission) and the argument ended there, lol.
For me, my About page is the 1st most visited page on my site after someone lands there via a post, the home-page or otherwise. Naturally, it’s a great opportunity for me to connect with new site visitors and earn new subscribers. Though I think it’s in need of a refresh…
You know who’s About page I really like? Copyblogger’s. It starts with: 1.) An intro to what the blog is about with a Call To Action, 2.) An intro to why the blog is effective then another Call To Action and 3.) An intro to the person behind the blog again ended with a Call To Action. It’s the perfect formula!
@blog_therapy I’m not finding a link to your about page anywhere.
@RicardoBueno Ricardo, exactly. Tends to be ignored, that about page, and it is SO important!
Haven’t looked at Copyblogger’s about page lately, but sounds like he blends the right amount of personal with professional. (Not surprising, huh.) : )
Thanks for sharing here.
@JudyDunn @Marya | Writing Happiness Hi Judy, I have actually changed the name of my blog, that could be the reason. Hope you can see it now. http://writinghappiness.com/about/. Thanks for your reply.