Presenting Company Information on Corporate Websites and in About Us Sections

Users expect About Us content to be clear, authentic, and transparent. People often visit the About Us section of a website to understand an organization’s purpose and values.

When designed effectively, About Us content can drive people to initiate new business partnerships and encourage prospective employees to apply for jobs. Our studies show that companies are still missing critical opportunities to connect with visitors in their About Us sections.

This 252-page report offers 85 design guidelines based on our usability research. Discussions and 195 screenshot illustrations supplement our findings.

Topics Covered

• User expectations for authenticity and transparency
• Why and how users seek About Us content
• Factors that impact user satisfaction
• Empathizing with user skepticism
• How to structure and label About Us content
• Checklist of 85 design recommendations for improving About Us content:
  • Making a good first impression
  • About Us structuring and labeling
  • Company information and news
  • Communicating your business philosophy
  • History and timelines
  • Executive leadership and management
  • Careers and company culture
  • Social, environmental, and charitable impacts
  • Awards, recognition, and reviews
  • Contact and customer support
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Image, video, and mobile considerations
  • Usability basics for corporate websites
• Detailed methodology section that shows how you can conduct your own usability studies with About Us content.

What’s New in the Third Edition?

The 3rd edition contains additional recommendations, increasing from 70 to 85 guidelines. It includes new mobile insights, detailed structuring and labeling direction, and guidelines for showcasing your company’s culture, social impacts, and customer reviews.

Research Method

The information in this report is based on three rounds of usability research. We used two different research methods:

• One-on-one usability testing
• Expert design reviews

In total, we observed over 70 users, including business professionals, as they completed common tasks with About Us content on a variety of corporate websites. Across the three studies, we tested 100 websites and reviewed an additional 65 sites.