You’ll find one on every Web site, but most people only click through to it in those moments of desperation when they can’t find contact or employment information any other way.

It’s the About Us page.

To say that most of them are dull would be an understatement. And before you tell me that “they-don’t-matter-because-your-web-analytics-indicate-that-nobody-goes-there-anyway,” think again. There’s also this:

Maybe nobody’s reading your About Us page because it just plain SUCKS.

Sadly, this is often the case, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When written properly, your About Us page can actually be one the most effective pre-sales tools you have.

To get your About Us page the love it deserves—and to help it work harder for your bottom line—its marching orders should be:

1. Talk about your customer upfront – Give them a reason to feel that you understand what they need, and that what you have to offer is going to help them.
2. Don’t be boring – Most About Us pages are so dry they’d go up in flames if you held a lit match to them; make sure the copy is conversational, and reflects your company’s personality and unique vibe.
3. Tell a story—but make it short – Nobody really wants get slapped in the face with your organization’s historical timeline; find a crisp, snappy way to talk about how far you’ve come using a single paragraph and engaging language.

You can also shake it up by including a sampling of your recent tweets, information on your current customers, and a link to your blog. And maybe an image or two to spice things up—just like babies, grown-up people love to see pictures of other people doing interesting things.

So in your opinion, which companies are hitting it out of the park with About Us pages, and which are barely making it to first base? Let me know in the comments below.
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