Website Copy Series: Writing About Pages that Connect

Last week, we talked about what should be on the Home Page of your website — today, let’s talk about your About Page. If you could take away one thing from this blog post, it’s this:

Your About Page isn’t really about you. We know this might sound counterintuitive, but it’s really about your ideal client. You have many, many talents as an interior designer, but there’s no point listing them all or writing an essay about your life. You should really only share what’s important to your ideal client.

What do they actually find intriguing or helpful in making the decision to work with you? Keep reading to see the 7 key features of a successful About Page.

P.S. More from this series: HomePage and Portfolio Descriptions

1. Share Which Problems You Solve

Your About Page has to share what you do and who you do it for. The best way to express this effortlessly is to frame your services within the context of the problems you solve. Remember the external, internal, and philosophical struggles we talked about here? Those are the ones you need to address. 

For many interior designers, some internal and external needs could look like: 

• Desire for a home that feels beautiful, fulfilling, elevated or special
• Need for functional spaces where the everyday becomes easier
• Desire for spaces that contribute to relaxation and restoration amidst a busy life
• Eagerness for professional project management that saves time and stress
• Etc.

Problems like these are the ones you should make sure they know you help solve. You can commiserate with their struggles via bullet points or in a short paragraph or two.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, many designers solve similar problems, but there is always a way to frame your services through the lens of what makes your design firm unique (more on that further down).

2. Show the Transformation Possible

Part of sharing what you do includes illustrating the transformation your future clients will be experiencing with you. In our overview of what should be on your Home Page, we mentioned that your copy should position your client as the main character and hero of the story. The same applies to your About Page.

Your client is the one taking the journey to their destination. You are the guide who will get them there. So, verbally illustrate the transformation they will experience. For example…

If your clients need functional spaces that bring ease into their everyday lives, you can relate to their need to have a space that works for them, not against them, and describe how life might be different in a home that feels effortless before or after a busy day.

3. Express Your Unique Value 

There are a lot of interior designers out there, but you can always express a unique value you provide to your clients. How? Well, we think about it like this… the only aspect of your business that someone else couldn’t replicate is YOU. 

No one can be you better than you. And honestly, your clients want to work with a real person they feel a connection to, not a faceless company. We’ll get to “connecting” with your potential clients next, but when it comes to identifying your unique value, we often suggest looking at your Why. 

Your Why is the mission that guides your life and your work. For example, we are driven by the desire to have freedom in business and life, and we’ve discovered that the pursuit (and realization) of freedom is something we help our clients work toward as well.

We’re willing to bet that your Why also guides how you work with clients, whether you realize it or not. Once you discover your Why, look for a connection to the philosophical needs you fulfill for your clients. Then, in your website copy, be sure to express this connection — it is GOLD.

4. Connect and Relate to Your Dream Client

Another box your About Page copy needs to check is creating a connection between you and your dream clients. In addition to their needs (which you can probably relate to), they also have hobbies and interests.

Not surprising, most of the designers we work with have very similar interests or routines to their clients. Things like traveling, reading, wine and dining, raising kids, collecting art, etc. Once you pinpoint what you have in common, you can slip these things into your copy to create connection.

5. Increase Your Credibility

If you’re speaking directly to your dream client’s unique needs, trust us, they will find you credible. The fact that you understand them so well indicates that you’ve done this before and can certainly solve their problems like an expert.

That said, there are other ways you can raise your credibility in your copy, and surprisingly, these usually aren’t accreditations. Most potential clients would rather see your long history of successful projects than see “ASID” next to your name. So if you’ve been an interior designer for 20 years, let them know.

Credibility can also be shared with a well-timed testimonial somewhere visible on the page. We like to put one about mid-way down the page in large, visible text.

6. Include Keywords for SEO

When it comes to adding SEO keywords, there are 4 categories you will want to make sure you’re addressing: your industry, your service/clients, your location, and potentially your design style (if you stick to one or two). 

Here are some words that would be good for SEO, assuming they apply to your design firm:

• Full-service interior design
• Interior design firm
• Interiors
• Renovation / remodeling
• Kitchen / bathroom / living room / bedroom (specific spaces in the home)
• Specializing in open concept spaces
• Interior designer in [insert your location]
• Modern designer
• Transitional interiors for families
• Rustic interior design
• Traditional style
• Or any combination or variation of the above — it depends on your firm.

Pro Tip: We suggest writing down the 4 categories we mentioned above. Under each, list some words that fit your design firm and target client. Then, type these words into Google. Take note of what gets auto-filled in the search bar, as well as the “related topics” at the bottom of the page. These will give you an idea for the search terminology used in your area.

Add the new terminology to your list. Then, you can decide which words you want to weave into your website copy for SEO. We suggest using several, not just your favorite one or two.

7. Include a Call to Action

Lastly, you need a Call to Action on your About Page. On this page, you want potential clients to book a discovery call with you. Include buttons that link directly to your Contact Page or scheduling widget (if you use Calendly or Acuity).

You could include a friendly, engaging statement just before the button, as well. For example, “Are you ready for a home that changes the way you live? Let’s chat.” or “Ready to feel proud of your home again? Let’s get to know each other.” You shouldn’t copy these exactly, but you essentially want to appeal to what your dream client really wants and inspire them to take action on it.

The Structure of Your About Page

Now, it’s worth mentioning that your About Page copy should be doing all of these things — but the copy itself should not be very long. (This is precisely why we charge a flat fee for website copy — never, ever by word count. Copy that is shorter and more powerful takes far longer to write.)

We usually recommend having a top section about the design firm itself (a few short paragraphs with headers emphasizing the main points), followed by another section introducing the principal designer from 1st person or 3rd person (depends on your brand). Or, if the design firm has a team, sharing a little bio about each team member to help potential clients get to know the people they may work with.

And that’s it. Sounds like one heck of a balancing act, right? You bet it is, but done right, it really does attract the clients you love to work with.

If you’re thinking about investing in professional copywriting, you should that it isn’t cheap, but if your new website copy gets you even ONE of your dream clients, you’ve already paid for those services. In other words… it’s worth investing to do it right.

Until next time…

Xoxo,
Jaquilyn