How to Write Your About Page: What to Include and What to Leave Out

The About page is where a visitor who is close to getting in touch goes to check who they would be dealing with. It does not need to be long or clever. It needs to be true, specific and easy to scan on a phone. Many small business About pages fail in one of two ways: they say almost nothing ("We are a dynamic company committed to excellence") or they claim more than anyone can check ("Best in Malaysia, trusted by everyone"). It ends with a fill-in template and a checklist. It is general guidance, not legal advice or a promise of any result.

What an About page is actually for

A visitor on your About page usually has four quiet questions: who are you, what exactly do you do and for whom, can I check that you are real, and what do I do next? They often arrive from a product page, a Google Business Profile listing, a WhatsApp link a friend sent or an advertisement, and they want a reason to send a message or a deposit. A page that answers those four questions plainly supports trust and makes the enquiry feel safe.

The About page does not replace the homepage. The homepage says what you offer; the About page backs it up with people and proof. If your homepage is still unclear, start with our guide to a homepage that converts, then come back here. And if you are still deciding which pages a small site needs, see how many pages a small business website needs.

Start with one clear sentence about what you do

Put one plain sentence directly under the headline: what you do, for whom, and where. A simple pattern is "We [do what] for [whom] in [where]". For example: "We service and repair air-conditioners for homes and small offices in the Klang Valley." Or: "I make custom cakes for birthdays and weddings in Ipoh." These are made-up examples; write yours the same way.

Compare that with "We are a leading provider of innovative solutions". It could describe any business in any country, so it tells the visitor nothing. A quick test: read your sentence to someone who does not know your business and ask them to repeat what you do. If they cannot, simplify it. Name the customer you serve best, because a page that tries to speak to everyone persuades no one.

Tell the founder story in a few honest sentences

People like to buy from people. A short founder or owner story gives them a reason to feel that, but it should stay short: three to five sentences, roughly 80 to 120 words. A useful order is who started the business and when, what they did before (one line), what problem they kept seeing, and what the business does about it today.

• Use "I" or "we" honestly. A sole owner should say "I". Saying "our team of experts" when it is you and a part-time helper invites doubt when a customer meets you.
• Include one real detail. The shop you started from, the first customer you served or the problem that annoyed you are memorable. Generic phrases such as "passion for excellence" are not.
• Say how you are different only if it is true. If you genuinely do something others in your area do not, such as quoting in writing, using a particular method or serving after-hours emergencies, name it. If you do not have a difference, do not invent one. Saying what you do reliably is enough.

Proof a visitor can check

Proof beats adjectives. The test is simple: could a sceptical visitor check this claim in two minutes, on a registry, on a Google Business Profile, or on the client's or awarding body's own page? If yes, include it. If you would have to say "trust me", leave it out. The table below sets out the common kinds of proof.

Write time-based claims as a start year ("Serving customers since 2014") rather than a running total ("12 years"), so they do not go stale. Link your Google profile if it is well kept; our Google Business Profile guide explains why it matters. If you are unsure whether a claim or a licence statement is allowed in your trade, ask a qualified adviser, because rules differ by industry.

Your team: names, roles and photos with consent

A visitor who can see names and faces is more willing to pick up the phone. Keep each entry short: name, role, and one line on what that person handles, so a visitor knows whom to ask for. A one-line detail that helps the customer ("handles all quotations") is better than a list of qualifications.

• Small is fine. Show the owner and the three or four people customers actually deal with, not all forty staff.
• One-person business? Say so. "You will always deal with me directly" is a selling point, not an apology.
• Use real photos. Stock photos of smiling strangers are easy to spot and weaken the real claims around them. Our guide to website photos covers shooting a relaxed team photo on a phone and when to hire a photographer.
• Get consent. As good practice, tell each person where the photo and name will appear, let them see it first, respect a no, and agree what happens when they leave. Keep a simple record of who agreed. This is not legal advice.
• Keep private details off. Do not publish home addresses, personal phone numbers, identity card numbers, or details about anyone's family or children.

Values: say what you do, not what you believe

Many About pages list "quality, integrity, customer focus". Visitors skim past them because nothing backs them up. Pick at most three values and attach a practice that a customer could see for themselves. The examples below are made up; use them only if they match what you really do.

Local and community ties

For a Malaysian small business, being rooted in a place is often a real advantage. Say where you are based and which areas you serve. Mention long-standing local suppliers, an association or chamber you genuinely belong to (ideally one that lists you on its own page), or a community activity you actually take part in. Skip charity references that exist only to look good.

Show a street address only if customers can visit you there. If you work from home or serve customers at their premises, give the town or service area instead and say how to reach you. Keep opening hours and contact details current, and review them before festive periods using our festive season website checklist.

What to leave out

• Unverifiable superlatives. "Best in Malaysia", "No. 1", "leading" and "trusted by thousands" cannot be checked, so visitors discount them, and they can raise doubt about your real strengths. Some may also be misleading, so if in doubt ask an adviser.
• Long CVs. A paragraph of every job and course since graduation reads like a job application. Keep the one or two items that matter to the customer.
• Stock team photos. Visitors notice them, and the same picture may appear on other sites.
• Private details. Home addresses, personal numbers, identity card numbers and family details.
• Every award since the beginning. Keep the recent, relevant and verifiable ones.
• Stale news. "Our new office opens in 2019" damages trust.

Structure and length: a page people can scan

Most visitors scan before they read. For a typical small business, 300 to 600 words with clear headings is enough. Use the plain label "About" or "About us" in the menu, since that is what visitors look for. A scannable page follows the order below.

End with one clear next step

A visitor who has just decided they trust you should not have to hunt for how to reach you. End with one main action in plain words, such as "Message us on WhatsApp" or "Ask for a quote", and repeat a smaller link near the top. Offering three equal choices can slow people down, so pick the one that suits how your customers like to start. If you are unsure whether to lead with a form or WhatsApp, our guide to the enquiry form versus WhatsApp compares them.

Reading on a phone, and in more than one language

Many visitors read your About page on a phone, so keep paragraphs short, text comfortably large and buttons easy to tap. A team grid should drop to one column, and photos should not cut off faces when cropped. Test the page on a real phone; our mobile-first guide explains what to look at.

If the site has Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese versions, write them rather than pasting machine translation. A few checks help:

• Names and titles. Keep each person's name as they use it (including Chinese and romanised forms) and translate job titles consistently.
• Official labels. Write the business name and registration labels as they appear in your official documents.
• Tone. The founder story should sound natural in each language, not word for word.
• Numbers and dates. Use each language's usual formats and check them against the original.
• A native reader. Ask someone fluent to read it aloud before it goes live.

Our multilingual website guide covers the wider setup. If you have not translated the page yet, link to the language that exists rather than leaving a half-translated page.

Keep it honest and current: review it twice a year

An About page goes out of date quietly. Set two calendar reminders a year, for example in January and July, and also review whenever something changes. Each review takes about fifteen minutes.

• Remove people who have left and add new ones with their consent.
• Check licences and registrations are still current.
• Confirm award and logo claims are still accurate and permitted.
• Update the start year, hours, address and contact details.
• Check every link and button, and re-read it on a phone.
• Re-read the translated versions against the English.

When you launch or rebuild a site, add the About page to the pre-launch website checklist so it is checked with everything else.

A fill-in template

Copy this outline and replace each bracket with your own true details. Delete any line you cannot fill honestly.

Common mistakes

• Writing about "the company" instead of the customer. Link every point back to what it means for the person reading.
• Claiming what you cannot show, such as awards, logos or "thousands of customers".
• Hiding the people. No names or faces makes a business feel anonymous.
• Leaving the page unfinished, with placeholder text or an old year.
• No next step, so a convinced visitor leaves.
• Copying machine translation into Malay and Chinese without a native check.

Where Gotka Technologies fits

This guide makes no claim about how Gotka writes About pages and gives no turnaround. You can write the page yourself with the template above. If you would like help, the package builder lists, as indicative starting prices confirmed by a written quote, professional copywriting for core pages from a client brief at +RM900 per page, a website trust section (testimonials, FAQ, showcase) at +RM400, and extra language versions in Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese (Simplified) at +RM400 per page. Every web design package includes mobile-responsive design, a contact enquiry form with anti-spam and a WhatsApp click-to-chat button, which suit the next-step button. Optional Website Care plans, from RM250 per month, include up to 1 hour of content edits a month on Care Basic, handy for the twice-yearly review. See Website Care for the plans.

A checklist before you publish

• One clear sentence under the headline says what you do, for whom and where.
• The founder story is under about 120 words and every line is true.
• Every proof item can be checked, and logos have permission.
• No "best in Malaysia" or similar unverifiable claim.
• Each person shown has agreed to their name and photo.
• No private details are published.
• The page has headings, short paragraphs and one clear next step.
• It reads well on a phone, and translations were checked by a native reader.
• Two review dates are in your calendar.

Key terms used in this guide

• About page: the page that tells visitors who is behind a business and why they can trust it.
• Social proof: evidence from other people, such as customer quotes, awards and client names, that supports your claims.
• Superlative: a claim such as "best" or "No. 1" that cannot be verified.
• Registration number: the number a business is listed under with its registrar, which the public can usually look up.
• Call to action: the one button or line that tells a visitor what to do next.