How to Write an About Page That Builds Trust

Most visitors do not land on your About page by accident. They arrive there because something on your homepage caught their interest, and now they want to know one thing: can I trust this business?

A visitor who trusts you is far more likely to send an enquiry, place an order, or pick up the phone. A visitor who does not trust you leaves quietly, and you never find out why. Yet many About pages are an afterthought: a few vague sentences, a stock photo, and a list of empty claims.

Start with the visitor, not with yourself

The most common mistake on an About page is treating it like a biography. Long paragraphs about the founder, a list of awards, and a company history that reads like a school essay all make the same error: they talk about the business while ignoring the visitor.

Your visitor is reading to answer one question: is this the right business for me? Every sentence should help them answer that. Start with the problem you solve and the people you solve it for, before you say anything about yourself.

A good opening might sound like this: "We help small businesses in Lagos get customers online, through websites, branding, and advertising built for the Nigerian market." In one sentence, the visitor knows what you do, who you do it for, and where you work. Write as if you are speaking to one customer sitting across from you, in plain language. Avoid words every business uses and nobody believes, such as world-class and best-in-class. Specific words build trust. Vague words destroy it.

Tell your story honestly

People trust businesses with a real story. They do not need a dramatic founding tale. They need to know why you started, what you care about, and what you have learned along the way.

Tell it in a few short paragraphs: when did the business begin, what problem made you start it, and what kind of work do you enjoy most? Keep it honest and specific. Real details, such as the neighbourhood you started in, are far more believable than a story with none.

Do not invent a history you do not have. If your business is two years old, say so with pride and explain what you have built in those two years. Customers respect honesty far more than a made-up heritage. If your business grew out of a personal experience, say so briefly: a baker who started selling from home after friends kept ordering her cakes has a story customers remember.

Show the people behind the business

A business without faces feels distant. A business with real people feels approachable. Your About page should show who is behind the work, even if the team is small.

Include a real photo of yourself or your team, taken in your actual workplace, rather than a stock photo of strangers in an office that is not yours. A business that hides its people raises questions, while one that shows them invites confidence.

Add a short line about each key person: their name, their role, and one sentence about what they do. "Adaeze handles customer orders and makes sure every delivery goes out on time" tells a visitor more than a paragraph of job titles. If you work alone, say so plainly: many customers prefer it, because they know exactly who they are dealing with. What damages trust is pretending to be a large team when you are not.

Answer the questions customers actually ask

A trustworthy About page answers the practical questions a visitor has before they contact you. Think about what your customers ask most often, and answer those questions on the page.

• Where are you located, and do you serve my area?
• How long have you been in business?
• What exactly do you offer, and what do you not offer?
• How does the process work, from first contact to delivery?
• How can I reach you, and how quickly will you reply?

Your location matters a great deal in Nigeria. Customers want to know whether you are in Lekki, Ikeja, Abuja, or Port Harcourt, because it affects delivery, meetings, and trust. State your location clearly and say which areas you serve.

Your process matters as well. A short description of how working with you goes removes the fear of the unknown: "Send us a message, we discuss what you need and send a quote, you confirm, and we deliver within the agreed time." Include your contact details on the page itself: a phone number, a WhatsApp link, and an email address, placed where they are easy to find.

Prove it with specifics, not superlatives

Trust is built on evidence, not adjectives. Replace every grand claim with something specific a visitor can check or picture. Instead of "we have many happy customers", describe the kinds of businesses you have worked with and what you did for them. Instead of "we deliver quality", explain what quality means in your work: the materials you use or the checks you run before delivery.

If you have genuine feedback from customers, mention it briefly, but only with their permission and only in their real words. A single honest sentence from a real customer carries more weight than a page of self-praise. Never invent praise: customers can tell, and the damage is far worse than the benefit.

Numbers can help, but only if they are real and modest: the years you have been trading, the towns you deliver to, or the products you offer. Do not round a small number up into a big claim. Accuracy is part of trust. For more on turning that trust into action, read our guide on how to convert website visitors into customers.

Keep the page simple and easy to read

An About page should be easy to scan, so structure matters as much as the writing. Use short paragraphs and clear headings: who you are, what you do, why you started, and how to reach you.

Add one good photo of your team or your workspace. Two or three genuine photos are enough; a page crowded with images looks like a gallery. End the page with a clear next step: send a message, call, or look at your services. A simple line such as "Tell us what you need, and we will reply with honest advice and a clear quote" gives them permission to take that step.

Finally, review the page regularly. A page that still describes a business you ran two years ago tells visitors you are not paying attention. Update it whenever your services, your team, or your location changes.

An About page checklist

Before you publish or update your About page, check it against this list:

• Does the first paragraph say what you do and who you serve?
• Is your story honest, specific, and free of invented claims?
• Are there real photos of real people, not stock images?
• Does the page state your location and the areas you serve?
• Are your phone number, WhatsApp, and email easy to find?
• Does the page answer the questions customers ask most often?
• Is there a clear next step at the end of the page?
• Would a stranger reading it believe every word?

If any answer is no, fix that section before you publish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an About page be?

Long enough to answer a visitor's real questions, and no longer. For most small businesses, a few hundred words across several short sections is plenty. Aim for clear sections a visitor can scan in a minute.

Should I include my personal story on a business About page?

Yes, briefly. Customers connect with people, not companies. A short, honest account of why you started the business makes it memorable. Keep it focused on what matters to the customer.

What if I work alone? Should I pretend to be a bigger team?

No. Say plainly that you are a one-person business or a small team. Many customers prefer dealing directly with the owner. Honesty about your size builds far more trust than pretending to be something you are not.

Should my About page list all my services?

No, that is what your services pages are for. The About page should explain who you are, why you do this work, and how to reach you. Mention your main services briefly, then link to the services pages.

Trust is the product

Your About page does not sell your product or your service. It sells you: a real person, in a real place, doing real work. Write it honestly, show your people, answer real questions, and make it easy to reach you. That is how a simple page turns a stranger into a customer.

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