3 Types of About Pages Blogs Need

Your “About” page constitutes one of the most important pages on your blog. However, the type of About page your site needs depends upon the blog’s focus. Additionally, your blog might require more than one About page.

No matter what type of blog you create or for what purpose, it needs a general About page. This page gives site visitors information about the site or you. It’s the first stop visitors makes when they arrive. Thus, it serves as your blog’s information center or as a navigation system for newcomers.

For most blogs, one of the following three types of About pages should do the job.

About the Author or Blogger

If your site is an author website, focus your About page on you, the author and blogger. When you do so, it becomes an “About the Author” page.

Write this page informally, as if you are talking to your site visitors or potential book buyers. Tell them who you are, what value you provide, and what they will find on your site. Your About page might include a mission statement or even instructions on how to navigate the site most successfully. You can direct readers to your most popular blog posts or to one or two you feel give them essential information as they start reading your blog. Get creative and tell your story in a personal fashion.

About the Company

If your site focuses on a business, you might more aptly call your About page the “About this Company” page. In much the same way as an About the Author or Blogger page, use this page to tell the story and mission of your business. Tell visitors how and why you created your business, and what benefit it can provide to them.

You can still write the copy for this page informally. However, if you feel your visitors expect something more formal because they are exploring a relationship with a new business, you can write this description with that in mind.

In this description, you might also talk about yourself. After all, you are a big part of the business. You also write the blog; readers want to know the blogger.

Don’t confuse the About this Business page with those that describe your services, though. This one is mean to give visitors an overview of the benefits your company provides, so they know if they want to explore the site further—or hire you. You can provide links to the pages that sell your services or products.

About the Book

If you are an author or are blogging a book on your site, you need an “About the Book” or “About the Books” page. Create this in addition to a general About page, or include information about your book or books on the About page.

• I prefer to have a specific About the Book page. This allows you to provide site visitors with plenty of information related to:
• Why and how you are blogging your book
• How to read the blogged book or follow along as you post new installments
• How to purchase your book
• Any other relevant details about your book
• Your book promotion activities

I also prefer separate pages for each book. Provide links to these on an umbrella-type About the Books page that discusses all your books.

Your About the Book page can include a mission statement related to why you wrote the book, a brief synopsis of the book, a list of benefits, and testimonials or blurbs. It also should include a book cover.

If you don’t have an About page on your site, it’s time to add one! And if you do, review it, and determine if it needs to be updated and improve. Check out the About pages of your favorite bloggers or authors. (You can look at mine here.) Be sure to look at those of well-known or successful bloggers. See what you like and what you don’t. Use what you like as a model.

Can you think of any other types of About pages? If so, describe them in a comment below.