10 Tips for Designing an About Us Page That Builds Trust

By Michael AustinOwner and Editor

Updated Sep 30, 2026Published Nov 10, 201310 min read

Note (September 2026): An earlier version of this article advised giving false details, using photos of people who do not work for the company and hiding real names on an About Us page. That advice has been corrected, because misleading claims damage trust and fake testimonials are banned under the US Federal Trade Commission’s 2024 rule.

An effective About Us page explains who runs the business, what it does, who it serves and why it can be trusted. Show real people with real names and photos, give a physical address and several ways to make contact, back every claim with evidence, keep the text short and scannable, and update the page when details change.

Tips for Designing About Us Page

It is obvious to see people design an attractive website, but pay no attention whatsoever to making the ‘About Us‘ page look impressive. Many site owners underestimate this page, yet it is one of the main places visitors go to decide whether a business is real and trustworthy. It is not easy to persuade someone to buy from you online – they need to trust you first, and that is often when they visit your ‘About Us’ page to learn who you are and how your business works.  If your real credentials, people and track record answer their questions, they will feel more comfortable using your site and making a purchase.

Here is what you should keep in mind at the time of designing the ‘About Us’ page on your website.

• Never give false details on your About Us page. Visitors want something interesting and impressive, but exaggerated capabilities are easy to check against reviews and can mislead customers; in the US, the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule on fake reviews and testimonials (announced August 14, 2024) bans fake or false consumer and celebrity testimonials. Describe the resources you really have for fulfilling orders, and explain honestly why customers choose your business.

• Make use of photographs to improve credibility. For this, you have to find professional pictures of people working in your company. Use real photos of your real team and workplace rather than stock images of people who do not work for you. Nielsen Norman Group’s usability research found that users are skeptical of stock photography and liked seeing photos of real employees and products. Well-lit, natural photos of the actual people customers will deal with do more for credibility than models or staged office shots. Just consider the nature of your business first and then pick photographs accordingly.

• Use real names for the people you feature, and never invent staff. The Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility advise showing that real, honest and trustworthy people stand behind a site, for example through staff bios. Privacy still matters: ask each person’s permission, share only work-related details, and use a shared role address such as a support email rather than personal contact details if you are worried about unwanted messages.

• Make sure to design a page that is friendly, pleasant, and light. It doesn’t matter if you’re a faceless company or what, you should always make your About Us page tell others that they are dealing with a friendly team of professionals. At the time of designing, use such design elements that make it look professional but at the same time, make it informative enough for the ones who like to skim read.

• It’s not a bad idea to put a few of your contact details on this page. Even if you have designed a separate ‘Contact Us’ page, it is still a good thing to have form installed on the About Us page for your users to submit a question online. This is also a good place to mention your phone number, email address and physical address, which the Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility name as simple ways to make your contact information clear.

• Don’t add a lot of text on this page. If you check some professionally designed websites, you will notice that they have free spaces with small paragraphs on the About Us page of their website. You can do the same, as it makes it easier for your visitors to read about you.

• Make a claim, but try to prove it as well. If you say you have a big warehouse, it will leave a good impression on your visitors only if you can share a picture of it. What it means is that you should avoid bragging about something that you cannot back up on this page. If you cannot show a photo, a figure, a certification or another piece of evidence, don’t make the claim.

• Make sure to use this space to sell your brand principles. Remember, your About Us page is not all about what you sell, but it’s a lot about how you sell it. In other words, you need to explain your brand principles. Don’t forget to add a photograph to make people believe in what you say.

• Try to design your About Us page in a way that it provides your visitors with a snapshot of your business and services. It should tell your visitors about the type of a company you have or the way you run your business. At the same time, you should try to make everything look simple and friendly, as it will help convey your branding message in a more effective way.

• If your business has a physical presence, use this page to show it. The Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility found that showing a real organization behind a site boosts credibility, and that the easiest way is to list a physical address; a photo of your offices or a chamber of commerce membership also helps. Only show what is true: an online-only business should say so plainly and prove it is real in other ways, such as a registered company name, named founders and verifiable reviews.

Conclusion :-

The About Us page is often a visitor’s first real impression of the business behind a website. Design it with care, keep every claim honest and verifiable, and update it when your team, address or services change. A clear, truthful About Us page earns visitors’ trust; if you have a question about this post, leave a comment below.

What Should an About Us Page Include?

An About Us page should answer the questions a skeptical visitor asks before buying: who is behind this site, what does the business do, where is it, and how can I reach a real person. Nielsen Norman Group’s 2019 study of About Us content found that users try to learn an organization’s purpose, location, mission, values, history and how to contact it.

What Does the Research Say About About Us Pages?

The Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility

The Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility are 10 guidelines published by B.J. Fogg of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab in May 2002, based on three years of research that included more than 4,500 people. Several apply directly to an About Us page:

• Show that there is a real organization behind your site, for example with a physical address, a photo of your offices or a chamber of commerce membership.
• Highlight the expertise in your organization and give credentials.
• Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site, for example with employee bios.
• Make it easy to contact you with a phone number, physical address and email address.
• Design the site so it looks professional or appropriate for its purpose, since people quickly judge a site by visual design alone.
• Avoid errors of all types: typos and broken links hurt credibility more than most people expect.

Nielsen Norman Group’s About Us usability research

Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) published its findings on About Us content in May 2019, after three rounds of research in which it observed more than 70 users, tested 100 websites and reviewed 65 more, producing 85 design guidelines. Users in the latest round were more skeptical than in earlier studies. The organizations that stood out used four tactics: storytelling, realistic photography, showcasing unbiased reviews and offering multiple channels to reach a real person at the company.

NN/g also found that users do not rely on the About Us page alone. They check social media and review sites such as Google Reviews, Yelp and Glassdoor, and they suspect curated testimonials, so NN/g recommends honest, balanced testimonials. Any claim on an About Us page that contradicts what customers say elsewhere will cost trust.

Google and E-E-A-T

Google’s guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content says its systems look for signals of experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and that trust is the most important of these. Google notes that E-E-A-T is not itself a specific ranking factor. Its guidance asks whether it is self-evident to visitors who created the content, and encourages accurate authorship information such as bylines. An About Us page and linked author pages are a natural place to provide that information; for online stores, see also why trust badges matter for ecommerce.

How to Write an About Us Page Step by Step

1. Start with a one-sentence summary. State what the business does and for whom, in plain language.
2. Tell the real story. Explain when and why the business started and what problem it solves; storytelling was one of the tactics NN/g saw work best.
3. Introduce the people. Add names, roles, real photos and short bios for founders and key staff, with their permission.
4. Prove your claims. Support each claim with a photo, figure, certification, case study or independent review.
5. Add contact details. List a phone number, email address and physical address, or explain clearly how to reach you if you work online only.
6. Keep it scannable. Use short paragraphs, clear headings and white space; a free word counter helps keep sections short.
7. Proofread and check links. Typos and broken links reduce credibility, according to the Stanford guidelines.
8. Review it regularly. Update the page when staff, addresses, services or results change.

For developers, Schema.org defines an AboutPage type (a subtype of WebPage) that can be used in structured data to label the page as an About page.

Common About Us Page Mistakes to Avoid

• Inventing facts or testimonials. The FTC’s final rule on fake reviews and testimonials, announced on August 14, 2024, prohibits reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist or who had no actual experience with the business, and allows the agency to seek civil penalties against knowing violators.
• Buying fake social proof. The same rule prohibits knowingly buying fake indicators of social media influence, such as bot-generated followers or views, for a commercial purpose.
• Stock photos in place of real people. NN/g found users see through stock photography and jargon.
• Hiding contact details. Missing contact information undermines one of the simplest credibility signals.
• Walls of text. Long, dense copy is hard to skim; see how web designers create minimalist experiences online.
• Letting the page go stale. Former staff, old addresses and outdated services signal an abandoned business.

If you are building the page yourself, a free no-code page builder can handle the layout, and video testimonials from real customers can add authentic proof.

Written byMichael AustinOwner and Editor

Michael Austin is the current owner of Justwebworld and manages the platform’s editorial direction, content strategy, and digital publishing operations. With a strong interest in online media and modern publishing, he focuses on creating informative, engaging, and easy-to-understand content across multiple categories. Under his leadership, Justwebworld continues to grow as a trusted multi-niche digital publication covering technology, business, lifestyle, automotive, sports, travel, and trending internet topics for readers worldwide.

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