The About page is one of the most visited pages on most websites. When someone arrives from a search result or a social link and wants to know whether they’re in the right place, they go to the About page. What they find there either earns their trust or sends them somewhere else.
Most About pages fail at this because they’re written from the wrong perspective. They focus on what the site owner wants to say rather than what the visitor needs to know. The result is a page full of background story and credentials that doesn’t answer the visitor’s real question: is this site going to be useful to me?
This guide covers what to include on an About page, how to structure it, and how to write it in a way that actually builds trust with the people reading it.
Quick Answer
A good About page answers three questions quickly: who runs this site, what the site is about, and why the reader should trust it. Lead with value to the visitor — what they’ll get from the site — before talking about yourself. Keep it concise, use a real photo, and end with a clear next step.
What an About Page Actually Does
An About page isn’t a biography. It’s a trust page. The visitor who lands on it is making a decision about whether to keep reading, subscribe, buy, or hire. They’re not there to learn your life story — they’re there to answer the question of whether this site or person is worth their time.
That shift in framing — from “here’s who I am” to “here’s why you’re in the right place” — changes everything about how you write the page. The most effective About pages lead with the reader’s situation before talking about the author. They establish relevance first, then credibility.
In WordPress, the About page is a standard static page — created via Pages → Add New. You can set it as a standalone page with its own menu item, or link to it from your footer, author bio, or contact page. WordPress pages work differently from posts — they sit outside your blog’s chronological feed and are intended for evergreen content that doesn’t change often.
What to Include on an About Page
Who Is Behind the Site
Name, role, and a real photograph. Not a logo, not an avatar — a face. Research consistently shows that photos of real people increase trust on websites more than any other single element. This doesn’t need to be a professional headshot; a clear, natural photo works fine.
If the site is run by a team rather than an individual, introduce the key people briefly. If it’s a solo operation, own that — a single expert with a clear perspective is often more compelling than a vague collective “we”.
What the Site Is About
Describe what the site covers and who it’s for in clear, plain language. This is the first thing a new visitor needs to confirm — that they’ve landed in the right place. Be specific. “I write about WordPress, SEO, and website design for people building their first site” is more useful than “I’m passionate about helping businesses grow online.”
Why You’re Qualified to Write About It
This is where credentials, experience, and background belong — but framed in terms of what it means for the reader. Don’t list achievements for their own sake. Explain what your experience means in terms of the quality or perspective the reader can expect from your content.
Real-world experience signals are more persuasive than credentials alone. “I’ve built and managed over forty WordPress sites” is more convincing to a reader than “I have a degree in web development.” Both may be true — lead with the one that’s more directly relevant to the reader’s situation.
A Clear Next Step
Every page on your site should give the visitor somewhere to go next. On an About page, common next steps include: reading a popular post, browsing a category, subscribing to a newsletter, or visiting the contact page. Don’t end the page with a paragraph about yourself and a full stop — give readers a reason to keep exploring.
How to Structure an About Page
A simple structure that works for most WordPress sites:
- Opening paragraph — lead with what the site is and who it’s for. Reader-first.
- What you’ll find here — a brief description of what the site covers, the types of content it publishes, and what problems it helps readers solve.
- About the author — who runs the site, relevant experience, and why they write about this topic. Include a photo here or at the top of the page.
- Next step — a link to a popular post, a category, or the contact page.
This structure keeps the page focused and useful. It doesn’t need headings unless the page is long — for most sites, two to four short paragraphs and a photo is enough.
Writing the About Page Copy
Write in the same voice as your blog posts. The About page is part of the same site — a sudden shift to formal or corporate language creates a disconnect. If your posts are conversational and direct, your About page should be too.
Avoid the phrases that appear on almost every generic About page: “passionate about”, “on a journey”, “helping businesses thrive”, “dedicated to excellence”. These phrases have been used so often they’ve lost all meaning. Replace them with specific, concrete statements about what you actually do and who you do it for.
Keep it short. Most About pages are too long. Visitors scan rather than read — they want to confirm quickly that they’re in the right place, not read a memoir. Aim for 200–400 words for a personal or solo site. Larger sites or agencies may need more to introduce the team and the company’s focus, but even then, concise is better than comprehensive.
Practical Tips
- Write it in third person or first person — pick one and be consistent. Third person (“Etienne Basson is a web developer…”) can feel slightly formal but works well for professional sites. First person (“I build WordPress sites…”) feels warmer and more direct. Both work — inconsistency doesn’t.
- Update it periodically. If your site’s focus has evolved, or you’ve built up experience that’s now relevant, update the About page to reflect it. A page that references work from three years ago signals that the site isn’t actively maintained.
- Link it from the author bio on your posts. The author bio box that appears below each post is a natural place to link to your About page — readers who want to know more about the author will look there first.
- Don’t obsess over it at launch. Write a functional About page that covers the basics, publish it, and revisit it after a few months when you have a clearer sense of what your site is and who’s reading it.
Common Mistakes
- Starting with yourself instead of the reader. The most common mistake. Open with what the site offers, not with your personal history.
- No photo. An About page without a photo of the person or team behind the site is a missed opportunity. People buy from, trust, and return to people — not anonymous entities.
- Too much background, not enough relevance. Your educational background, career history, and personal interests belong on a CV. On an About page, include only what’s directly relevant to why you’re the right person to run this site.
- No call to action. Ending the page with a paragraph about yourself and nothing else wastes the momentum you’ve built. Always give the reader a next step.
How the About Page Fits With Other Key Pages
The About page works alongside the other pages that build trust on a website. The contact page is where visitors go when they want to reach you directly — link to it from your About page. The homepage is where most visitors arrive first and get their initial impression of what the site is about — the About page goes deeper on the same story. Together these pages form the core of what every site needs before it can build a real relationship with its audience — covered in the guide to essential pages every website should have. Manage it all from Veravix.
Etienne Basson works with website systems, SEO-driven site architecture, and technical implementation. He writes practical guides on building, structuring, and optimizing websites for long-term growth.