- Marketplace Minute
- Posts
- Why your About Us page matters
Why your About Us page matters
Plus, how to design an About Us page that builds trust with your visitors
Fiona Burns
December 05, 2024
Hey - it’s Fiona
Welcome to issue 4 of Marketplace Minute. It’s great to have you here.
In today’s issue I cover:
Why your About Us page matters
How to design an About Us page that builds trust with your visitors
Design inspiration from my favourite About Us pages
How to configure your About Us page in Sharetribe
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Do we really need an About Us page?
Last week, a client asked me, "Do we really need an About Us page?". They’re a pre-launch marketplace eager to get their website live and start building traction.
It’s a common question. And a valid one.
As an early-stage startup, keeping costs low and ruthlessly prioritising features is crucial. Your goal is to launch quickly, gather feedback from your early users, and refine your marketplace based on real insights. Many features can wait until later stages.
But here’s my advice: Don’t skip the About Us page.
What is an About Us page?
An About Us page is tells visitors about you, as an individual (the founder), or as a company (if you have a team). It might include:
Why you founded the company
Your vision, mission, and values
Who you serve and why
It’s your opportunity to tell your story and build trust with potential customers, providers, or partners.
Why is an About Us page worth the effort?
The About Us page is often one of the most visited pages for early-stage businesses. This is because people who are unfamiliar with your brand naturally want to learn more before committing to anything. After visiting your homepage, the About Us page becomes a natural next step in their journey.
Secondly, it builds connection and trust. Customers increasingly want to know more about the humans behind the brand. They’re curious about what you stand for, how you operate, and whether your values align with theirs.
Your About Us page can make the difference between a visitor engaging with your marketplace or moving on.
What should you include?
A great About Us page is easy to scan and communicates your story clearly. Structure it into sections, each focusing on a specific aspect of your business. Here are the sections I often use when designing About Us pages for clients:
Founding story
Everyone has a story to tell. Share why you started your company including, what inspired you, what problem you’re solving, and the journey that brought you to this point. Keep it personal, memorable, and concise. For added visual impact, you could include a visual timeline if your story spans a few years.
Vision or Mission
What’s your “why”? Share your vision for the company and what you hope to achieve, as well as how you’re making an impact. This is your chance to inspire and align with visitors’ values.
Who your serve
Clearly describe your target audience or community and what’s in it for them. What problem are you solving? This is also a great place to highlight your unique value proposition - what sets you apart from there competition.
Brand values
Show visitors what your company stands for. Highlight your core values and share insights into your culture. If you’re not hiring yet, keep it general; otherwise, this section can also attract potential team members who share your values.
Team
If you’re a solo founder, include a short bio and a photo that reflects your personality or the company to personalise your page. If you have a team, showcase a few key members with their names, roles, bios and images. It’s a great way to humanise your brand and build trust.
Call to action
End your About Us page with a clear next step for your visitors. For example, you might want to encourage users to start browsing listings or signing up. Make it easy for them to take action.
Every About Us page should be as unique as the identity of the company it represents. Use these ideas as a starting point, but tailor them to your own marketplace and its story.
—> ✉️ Reply with your questions and I’ll answer them in a future issue.
DESIGN SPOTLIGHT
My favourite About Us pages that you can draw inspiration from
I wanted to shine a light on some of my favourite About Us pages that you can get inspired by.
1. Priya Living
Priya Living - Founding Story
What they do well
The founder of Priya Living uses the About page to share his personal story behind the creation of his marketplace for inclusive senior living communities in the U.S. The story is rich with detail and emotive language, making it both memorable and relatable. This helps visitors develop a deeper connection with the marketplace and the founder’s mission. This increases the chance of them engaging with the marketplace further.
2. Hipcamp
Hipcamp - Our Mission
What they do well
Hipcamp have done a fantastic job at succinctly communicating their mission. It’s clear, short, and resonates with their target audience. The mission statement feels uniquely tailored to Hipcamp, with every word purposefully chosen. This strengthens their connection with visitors, drawing them into the brand’s ethos.
3. By Rotation
By Rotation - Founder’s note
What they do well
Eshita, the founder of By Rotation, adds a personal touch by including a founder’s note on the About page. Unlike a typical bio, it’s written like a letter addressed to the reader, making it feel authentic and personal. A clear photo of Eshita surrounded by a rack of bright clothes (mirroring the items listed for rent) adds visual appeal. Signing off the note with her signature in the brand’s primary green colour ties it all together.
4. Unicorn Factory
Unicorn Factor - Core Values
What they do well
Unicorn Factory’s About page includes of four key values. These values showcase the company’s culture, what matters to them, and what makes them different. This section gives potential suppliers and customers a clear insight into what it’s like to be part of Unicorn Factory, encouraging further engagement.
5. GrowthMentor
GrowthMentor - Team
What they do well
The team section on GrowthMentor’s About page is excellent. It’s one of the best examples I’ve seen. The photos are full of personality and steer away from boring, corporate headshots. The bios about each person are engaging and insightful. This humanises the company and builds trust by showing the real people behind the platform.
6. Rent the Runway
Rent the Runway - Timeline
What they do well
I wanted to show you a good example of an About page with a timeline. Starting with their “Aha” moment in 2006 and spanning 8 key milestones up to the present, the Rent the Runway timeline includes relatable stories with relevant photos. It’s an excellent way to share the brand’s evolution and makes the story tangible for visitors.
—> ✉️ Send me your design inspiration and I will shine a light on them here.
TOOL TIPS
How to configure your About Us page in Sharetribe
If you’re using custom code to design and build your About Us page, you have the creative freedom to design a page that perfectly reflects your brand. Take inspiration from the ideas above and create something unique and memorable.
If you’re using no-code tools, you will have slightly more restrictions but you can easily configure your About Us page in the Static Pages section of the Sharetribe Console.
To get you started, Sharetribe provides:
A helpful video tutorial on creating content pages
A detailed step-by-step guide that explains how to set up page sections, content blocks, and more
If you’re not comfortable handling this yourself (or simply don’t have the time) I’d be happy to help. I’ve worked with many marketplace founders to customise and configure their marketplaces using the no-code tools in the Console. You can learn more about my Sharetribe Configuration Service on my website, or feel free to reach out directly.
—> ✉️ Send me your favourite tips and tools and I’ll feature them here.
Fiona Burns
Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:
Sharetribe configuration - Feeling bamboozled by the Console, or simply lacking time? Leave it to me. I can set up, configure and customise your Sharetribe marketplace in no time.
UX/UI design - Whether you want to design some additional features, or redesign your entire marketplace with your own unique style, I'm here to help.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, why not forward it to a friend.
Did someone forward you this email? You can subscribe to Marketplace Minute here!
Reply