The About page is consistently one of the most visited pages on any small business website. Analytics data across industries shows it typically ranks second or third in traffic, right behind the homepage.[1] Despite this, it's also one of the most neglected. Many Ontario small businesses treat their About page as an afterthought — a placeholder filled with corporate jargon, a vague mission statement, and maybe a stock photo of people shaking hands.
This is a missed opportunity. Visitors who click on your About page are actively trying to decide whether to trust you. They've seen your services, they're interested, and now they want to know who they'd actually be working with. The About page is your chance to answer that question in a way that builds confidence and moves them closer to picking up the phone.
It's About Them, Not Just About You
The most common mistake on About pages is making them entirely self-focused. "We were founded in 2015. We pride ourselves on excellence. We are passionate about delivering results." These statements are about you and, frankly, they're meaningless because every business says the same thing.
An effective About page reframes the story around the customer. Why does your business exist? What problem does it solve for the people you serve? How does your background and experience specifically benefit your customers? The difference is subtle but powerful. "We've been serving Ontario homeowners since 2015" is fine. "We started this company because we saw too many Ontario homeowners getting overcharged for mediocre renovation work — and we knew we could do better" is a story that resonates.
Start your About page by acknowledging what your customers are looking for and what challenges they face. Then explain how your business addresses those needs. This structure puts the visitor at the centre of the narrative and answers their real question: "What's in it for me?"
Show Your Face
A professional photo of you — the business owner — is one of the most trust-building elements you can add to your About page. It sounds simple, and it is. But the impact is significant. When visitors can see the person behind the business, the entire website feels more trustworthy and personal.
This doesn't need to be a formal studio portrait. A well-lit, natural photo of you in your work environment — your shop, your office, your workshop, your kitchen — is often more effective because it feels authentic. If you have a team, include them too. Group photos and individual team member photos with brief descriptions help visitors feel like they're meeting real people rather than reading a corporate brochure.
Avoid stock photos on your About page at all costs. Visitors can spot a stock photo immediately, and using one on the page that's supposed to be the most personal and authentic part of your website undermines your credibility. If the rest of your website uses stock images for general illustration, that's understandable — but your About page needs to be genuinely you. For more on the value of authentic photography, see our guide on website photography for small businesses.
Tell a Specific Story
Every business has an origin story, and most of them are more interesting than business owners realize. How did you get into this line of work? What experience led you to start your own business? What's the connection between your background and what you do today?
Specific details make stories credible and memorable. "After spending twelve years as an electrician working for large construction firms in the GTA, I started my own company in 2018 because I wanted to give homeowners the kind of careful, respectful service that big firms don't prioritize" tells a real story. It reveals experience, motivation, and values in two sentences.
You don't need to share your entire life history. Two or three paragraphs that cover why you do what you do, what experience you bring, and what matters to you professionally are enough. The goal is to give visitors a sense of the real person behind the business — their expertise, their motivation, and their values.
Include Credentials and Social Proof
Your About page is a natural location for credentials, certifications, and professional memberships. These trust signals carry more weight here than on a homepage because visitors are actively evaluating you when they read this page.
Include relevant licences and certifications for your industry. Years of experience in the field. Professional association memberships. Awards or recognition. The number of customers served or projects completed. These concrete details transform vague claims of quality into verifiable evidence.
A few carefully chosen customer testimonials on the About page can be very effective, particularly ones that speak to the character and reliability of you or your team rather than just the quality of the work. A quote like "Sarah took the time to explain every step of the process and always returned our calls within the hour" speaks directly to the trust question that About page visitors are trying to answer. For more on using social proof, read our post on social proof in website design.
State Your Values — But Make Them Specific
There's nothing wrong with including your business values on your About page, but vague values are worse than no values at all. "Quality," "integrity," and "customer service" appear on thousands of About pages and have been emptied of meaning through overuse.
Instead, state your values in specific, concrete terms that a visitor can actually evaluate. "We return every phone call within two hours during business days" is a specific commitment. "We provide written quotes before starting any work — no surprises on the invoice" is a verifiable promise. "Every website we build is hosted on Canadian servers because we believe your data should stay in Canada" is a clear stance.
These specific statements do what vague values can't: they give visitors a reason to believe you'll actually follow through. They're also more memorable and more likely to differentiate you from competitors who rely on the same generic language.
Don't Forget the Call to Action
Many About pages end with a period and nothing else. The visitor finishes reading, feels positive about your business, and then has to figure out what to do next. Some will navigate to your contact page on their own. Many won't — they'll simply leave, intending to come back later, and never do.
End your About page with a clear, warm call to action. "Like what you see? We'd love to hear about your project — get in touch" with a link to your contact page or a simple form. This isn't pushy; it's helpful. You're making it easy for someone who's already interested to take the next step. For more on effective calls to action, see our post on website call-to-action tips.
Common About Page Mistakes to Avoid
Beyond the issues already discussed, a few other mistakes frequently undermine About pages. Writing in the third person ("The company was founded by John Smith, who brings twenty years of experience...") creates unnecessary distance between you and the reader. If you're a small business, write in first person — it's warmer and more direct.
Avoid walls of text without any visual breaks. Even a well-written About page becomes daunting if it's a single unbroken column of text. Use subheadings, photos, and reasonable paragraph lengths to make the page scannable for visitors who skim before deciding whether to read in detail.
Don't copy your competitors' About pages. It happens more often than you'd think, and visitors who are comparing multiple businesses in the same industry will notice. Your story is unique — that's the whole point. Tell yours, not a version of someone else's.
A Page Worth Getting Right
Your About page isn't a formality — it's one of the most important conversion tools on your website. It's where curious visitors become confident prospects, where your story becomes the reason someone picks up the phone, and where the trust gap between a stranger's website and a business worth calling finally closes.
Take an honest look at your current About page. If it reads like a template, if it has a stock photo, or if it could belong to any business in your industry, it's time for a rewrite. Your story is worth telling well — and your potential customers are looking for it.
Need a website with an About page that actually converts? Heartwood Digital designs custom websites for Ontario small businesses — complete with compelling content, professional structure, and Canadian hosting. Starting at $750. Book a free consultation.