After the homepage, the most visited page on most websites is the About Us page.  The web is a great equalizer for business and your visitors know a shady company can put up a reputable looking website.  In order to gain trust, you have to answer the biggest question a consumer on the web is asking:  Can I trust you?

To answer that question, your visitors will turn to the About Us page.  You need to convey information about your company, demonstrate why you are trustworthy, and develop a personal connection with your visitor, all in 400-600 words.  This information is expected and delivering the goods boosts your online image.

Elements to consider when crafting an About Us page:

• A physical address – An 800 number and contact form are easy, convenient ways for customers to reach you, but a physical address shows a prospective customer that you are a real business.

• What you do – Most of your site will focus on solutions for your customers.  The About Us page is the corner of your site to talk to visitors about your company.

• Why you do what you do – How did the company begin and what is the driving passion behind it?  This is a great way to demonstrate dedication to your customers.

• Your successes – This page is not for the modest!  If you have received any awards or recognition, tapped into a competitive market, or experienced impressive growth mention them.  These are signals to your potential customers that you will do a good job for them.

• What makes you different– Chances are you are not the only business doing what you do.  A look at what sets you apart gives visitors a reason to choose you.

• Personality – If your company is fun to work with or singularly dedicated to helping customers, make sure visitors know that.  Your company’s culture should shine through in the writing.

• Staff bios – Give your visitors a connection with the people behind the business.  The web is cold and impersonal, but humanizing elements add a friendly face and make the experience more personal.

As much as the web has changed the way businesses relate to their customers, the importance of trust has not diminished.  Potential customers want to know they are dealing with a reputable company in addition to getting a great product.  Build credibility on your site and convert visitors into customers.

On so many occasions I’ve heard business owners say that their customers know their business and that they don’t need direction to find what they want.

What do you mean your customers don’t need direction!? Are you insane?

Web development is all about creating websites that are pleasing, influential and usable. If I come to your site I should know where to go to get what I want within in seconds. Here’s something to keep in mind, an average Web user is doing a search for “carpet cleaning austin texas” and your business comes up fifth from the top. The natural instinct of a Web user is to click a result, take a glance, and click back to the search results page if they can’t find what they’re looking for. They click on the link to your site and within seconds they’ve made the decision on whether or not they can trust you.

There are a handful of elements that users are prone to watch out for:

1. Does it look okay? - Often times if a site looks, in anyway, old or unorganized you will lose their business.
2. Are they clearly promoting what I’m looking for? - This could be as simple as a phone number or informative text.
3. Do they have a contact form? - Regardless of your feelings on internet based mail, it is one of the most visited pages on a site.

These are just a few things visitors immediately look for. It’s important that if you’re selling “carpet cleaners” or “carpet cleaning services” that you make that a prominent part of your website because if people are coming to your site that’s what they’re looking for.

Early in your sites planning and development you should include ideas that focus on the users experience.

The key to a successful site is to balance design and content with Web usability.