People know big brands. They see the ads, they hear the message, they trust the reputation. When it comes time to buy from a big brand, they know whom they are dealing with, and rarely will they look for the CEO’s bio. They may look at your website biography though if you are a small business. Do you know how to write your website biography to inspire others to stay on your site?
You are not a big brand. They don’t know you. They don’t trust you. They don’t know if they want to do business with you. That’s why you need your biography on your website. When it comes to small business, it’s not about the company – it’s about the person behind the company.
Before you start writing, remember that this is not a resume; it is part of your marketing. It is worth taking the time to plan it out. Here are seven steps to creating a website bio that sells.
How to Write Your Website Biography -Decide How Much Detail to Include
Your website bio doesn’t have to be very long, but you might want it to be. My bio page is quite long, and that is for two very good reasons:
- It is a reflection of who I am and how I do business. I love to work with people one-on-one, and getting to know each other is a huge part of that.
- My “product” is me. It’s my knowledge, my attitude, my experience, and my approach to life and business. Potential clients want to get a sense of who I am, more so than if I was selling gardening tools, for example.
Here is a really good rule of thumb: the higher the price of what you are selling, the more customers will be interested in reading about you. And here’s another great rule of thumb: the more intricately linked you are to what you are selling, the more they will want to get to know you before connecting with you.
As a general rule, people want to know more about you if you are selling a service than if you are selling a product.
Know Your Business
Not everything you’ve ever done is relevant to your business. Start by identifying what is most relevant – anything related to the topic of your business. That might include hobbies and it might include all or some of your previous careers.
It might also include anything that helps people understand your values, your attention to detail, your commitment to quality, or any other trait that is important for your business relationship.
Know Your Audience
I know, I know. Your audience is all your clients. But some might be more important than others. You might tell your story one way if you run a tattoo parlor that caters primarily to the under-30 set. And you might tell your story very differently if you are selling landscaping to businesses.
I was recently told a story about an elite security company founder in California. Biography writer David Leonhardt asked this security client who his most important audience was.
“His clients and potential clients were not even top of mind. His most important audience at that early stage of his company was investors and partners,” David told me. The founder needed them to build his business capacity. After that came, job seekers. He needed to attract top security talent to offer elite security services. Clients and potential clients came third. Here is what David did, in his own words.
“I created a section that established this founder as one of the top experts in security in the USA. You read these paragraphs, and – Wow! That appealed to all three audiences.
“Then, I built on that by focusing the next section on how he led his trusting team safely into and back from dangerous military missions. This was clearly a leader that any new hire would follow into battle, if necessary. And it showed investors that he could handle the risks inherent in this business.
“Finally, I added a section on the founder’s sense of business. Only one of his audiences would read all the way to that section. And by ‘section’, I mean there were three sub-headings that made the pitches.”
You might tell your story one way if you run a tattoo parlor that caters primarily to the under-30 set. #biographypage #websites
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Know Your Market
If you sell typesetting, there are hundreds of people just like you around the world who can do the job. What makes you so special?
Even in many local niches, you are not alone. There is a real estate agent hanging out on almost every corner in your town. What makes you so special?
This is important because a buyer might not be making a binary decision, such as “Do I trust this person with my business, yes or no?” They might be making a more complex decision, such as “Is this the best person to hire, or should I keep looking for someone else?”
It is important to find something – preferably more than one thing – that makes you more qualified than others in your niche. It might be a stretch, such as a landscaper mentioning how she began mowing lawns at six years of age and never looked back. But stretching is better than nothing.
If you are the only game in town (or close to it) this becomes less important. Nobody else empties septic tanks for miles around? Your run one of only three pest control services in the city? You might not have to be as creative…but, then again, why not?
Tell a story in Your Website Biography
Back to my comment earlier about this not being a resume. Nobody likes reading a resume unless they are having a hard time falling asleep at night. Resumes are right up there with dictionaries and telephone directories (remember them?) in entertainment value.
People love to read a story.
Tell your story. That’s what I did. If you can use devices of fiction, such as foreshadowing and building suspense, even better. Just make sure to focus the story on your professional exploits, rather than on family or unrelated hobbies.
How to Write Your Website Biography by Stating Your Credentials
Just because you are telling a story, doesn’t mean you should forget about your credentials: certifications, awards, etc. Ideally, fit them into the story. But if that doesn’t work, find another way to get them on that page.
On my page, you will see a number of those listed under “More About Me”. They are important to mention, but not important enough to interrupt the story I am telling. I follow those up with testimonials for a well-rounded pitch on why you should work with me.
Get Personal in Your Website Biography
I have a big caveat to offer, just to make sure I did not miss communicate above when I wrote: “…focus the story on your professional exploits, rather than on family or unrelated hobbies.”
You should give people some glimpse into you, the person. If it is relevant to the niche, that’s great. But even if it’s not, people want to see your human side. Mention family, but don’t focus on it. Mention other interests, but don’t focus on them.
Your Turn
Do I enjoy taking nature pictures? Well, you might find out by reading my bio. Do you know how to write your website biography better now? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section!