As you might know, I love connecting with likeminded business owners for collaboration, accountability and just a general water-cooler natter. I was recently lucky enough to connect with the fabulous Estelle Hakner who is a website copywriter for brands making waves. We've had some brilliant chats about our love for the ocean and have teamed up as eco accountability buddies. Estelle also offered to share some of her insights into website copywriting. I'll definitely be tweaking my own About page having read this post - I hope you find it useful too.
When a business has a solid About page, it helps me feel confident that the brand shares my values and I’m not being greenwashed. If it’s really good, it has the power to spark almost a friendship, to the extent that I want to keep up with the brand and follow or help its mission.
On the other hand, if the About page falls flat, I’ll likely click away from the website without making a purchase. If it doesn’t spark a raw connection, it can make the brand forgettable.
For brands in the sustainability space, the About page is REALLY important.
When people visit your About page, they’re often looking for proof that there's a human behind your brand and that you:
- Know what you’re doing
- Get where they’re coming from
- Share their ethos
- Offer what they need
To tick these boxes and give your perfect customer confidence to take the next step, here are the elements your About page needs to include:
An overview of your brand
Start your About page with an overview of who you are, what you do, who you serve and what makes you unique. This instantly lets your perfect customers know they’re in the right place (i.e. that you can help them) and shows a point of difference to help you stand out.
Your origin story
How and why did you start your business? What got you into your sustainability journey?
What’s your ‘why’ (the deeper purpose behind why you do what you do)?
This is your chance to show the human story behind your brand and build raw, meaningful connection with the people you serve. Environmentally conscious businesses often have personal, heartfelt, purpose-driven stories behind them. If you shape yours in a way that resonates with your perfect customer and connects emotionally, this is marketing magic!
Credibility markers
Building connection with people is great but your About page also needs to build credibility.
Customers need to know, like and trust you in order to buy.
This is especially important for businesses in the sustainability space as your customers need to trust that you’re not greenwashing.
Consider including credibility markers such as:
- What you did before starting your business (and how that background helps you serve your customers now)
- Any relevant qualifications, accreditations or awards
- Specific information relating to the environmental friendliness of your offering. You could also include a link to your Environmental Policy
Thoughtful links back to the customer
While your About page is certainly about you, it’s really about your perfect customer.
The aim is to show how your story and experience makes you the right brand for them.
With every word you write, think “How does this benefit my customer?”. You can use linking phrases like “This means that…” to help you thoughtfully loop your point back to them.
Your core values
Your core values are at the heart of everything your business is and does. I recommend popping them on your About page so customers can quickly see what your brand stands for. This is a super effective way to spark connection with customers who share those values!
I think 3–5 core values is ideal. They can be absolutely anything as long as they are true to your brand. Examples are inclusivity, kindness, fun, sustainability, courage, balance, etc.
What to do next
Finally, don’t forget to let your reader know what to do next!
You’ve just spent a whole page building up a connection with them and growing their trust and excitement in your brand. So, make the most of the momentum by guiding their next steps – whether that’s contacting you for a quote, reading your blog, or going to your shop.
In summary…
About pages are super powerful for businesses in the sustainability space. Eco-conscious consumers seek credibility and connection with the brands they buy from, and your About page is the perfect place to show you’re a human being and spark an authentic connection.
I hope this helps you feel confident about writing your About page! If you have questions or want to chat more about copy, feel free to message me on Instagram or pop me an email at hello@estellehakner.co.uk.
