Imagine you are walking down the street and a street peddler offers to sell you a Rolex for 50 percent of its retail value. You have wanted this watch for as long as you can remember. You aren’t sure if it is real or not, but the gliding second hand makes you think that perhaps this could be the real deal.

Now imagine you can buy that same watch from a jewelry dealer in town. This jewelry dealer has been in business for 30 years and has won numerous awards. They are charging a whopping 60 percent more than the peddler on the street, but you don’t have to worry that someone was held up so you could purchase this item. You also know that the store owner has something at stake if that Rolex is fake.

Now which one is going to get your business? If you are buying one online, can you even tell which one is which?

Telling your customers who they are buying from is just as important as showing what you sell. You can put up a website with cheap prices or spend a fortune on an amazing design, but unless you tell your customers who you are, they won’t know if you are that street peddler, a jeweler with years of experience, or an outright fraud just trying to pick off consumers who don’t know any better.. If that person walks into your brick-and-mortar store, they can shake your hand, talk to you, and assess if you are worthy of their business. An online consumer does not have this luxury and so you must somehow indicate why they should trust you.

According to a study done by MarketingSherpa, a personable “About Us” page boosts sales up to 30 percent on ecommerce websites. What is “personable”? According to Bryan Eisenberg at ClickZ, a good “About Us” page:

1. Shows the personality of your company. Are you a fun-loving company? Are you driven? Involved in your community? Share this with your customers so they can get a sense of what you are about.
2. Lets your customers “inside” your store. You don’t have to go as far as the video game company Bungie by setting up webcams in your office, but be sure to establish a sense of familiarity.
3. Tells your story. Creating a timeline is a great way to highlight achievements without bragging. See Dave and Buster’s “About Us” page.
4. Shows your passion and what motivates you. This motivation does not have to restrict itself to just your online store–it could reflect your core philosophies. See Nike’s “About Us” page.
5. Reiterates why this history, passion, and personality helps you serve your customers.

Remember, the “About Us” is valuable real estate, so do not use it to ramble. If you are having a hard time pegging what you are all about, Eisenberg suggests considering the following questions visitors may have:

1. Why do you do what you do?
2. Who are the people behind the company?
3. What kind of people will I be working with/buying from?
4. What does your company stand for?
5. What does your company stand against?

Are you a peddler on the street or a highline retail store? Putting some thought into your “About Us” page can help your audience theoretically shake your hand and understand what makes you tick and more importantly, why they should buy from you.

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