How necessary are "About Me" pages?

[photoguy6405]

Disclaimer: I have one, and will continue to have one. It's just a lazy day and I'm curious.

How necessary are "About Me" pages?

I usually check them out if I have a few moments, but for the most part they aren't "make or break" in my decision to buy anything. And to be honest, I doubt I'd even notice if it were missing from someone else's website.

Thoughts?

[mathogre]

I go to them often. I want to know if the person/business is real and where they're located. If it's not there, I take my money elsewhere.

[propav8r]

I check them fairly often. It can give you an idea if the seller is legit or not, and if he/she really knows what they are talking about if you ask them to answer a question for you.

[rojethee]

When it comes to photography people want to know the person they will be dealing with. I think they are extremely important for clients who are considering you for a job.

[dugcross]

For me being a graphic designer I look at it as a cover letter to go along with your resume. As for mine it give's the viewer a sense of my experience and graphic design knowledge. I also have a link to my resume on the same page. I got laid off 2 1/2 months ago so right now I'm REALLY looking at as my cover letter, so it's very important to me.

[Milla]

I think pretty necessary. As a bride, I'd like to know who the heck is going to be spending most of the day with me. Is it a man? A woman? Do they have any experience? Are they from my town? Have they lived here long?

Even if it's a short paragraph, I still think it's necessary.

[photoguy6405]

Based on most of the responses here I'd have to agree that they're most definitely worthy and "needed" with wedding/portrait photographers, and anybody else who is usually "hired". I can see that.

I think my original question popped in my mind because that's not me. I have more of a passive business and website that deals with what I have already on-hand, and what I take that I like, hoping that others will like it as well. Though I can see how me "being real" would be a benefit in that area, also.

Great responses. I feel like I understand the usefulness of the "about me" page better. Thanks.

[Mark1]

I am on the fence about them. I know a lot of people read them to think they are getting to know somebody. But as mentioned, they are like a cover letter..... nothing but hot air about them selves that they have blown out of proportion to look like some grand... whatever. So while they are a necessity, I think they all must be taken with a grain of salt. I go back and forth about including my own. But I do not have many retail customers. I try to stay in the B2B world where I have found them not as necessary.

[Keith R]

They're your introduction to the world, I'd say - I'd call them pretty important.

[TeeJay]

..and you all BELIEVE them? Nobody is going to write -"I failed my photography exams at college and I've been taking c**p photos ever since" ;-)

Surely THE most important thing is meeting the person who will be taking your photo's and seeing their work first-hand?

TJ

[Karl Johnston]

I like psychoanalyzing the person from the way they write.

I thought that's what everyone does.

...

[nphsbuckeye]

I like psychoanalyzing the person from the way they write.

I thought that's what everyone does.

...
Yes, I like to see how they excel, or not, at English. :lol:

[Brikwall]

I like psychoanalyzing the person from the way they write.

I thought that's what everyone does.

...

I use Rorschach tests for that... ;)

[cdifoto]

..and you all BELIEVE them? Nobody is going to write -"I failed my photography exams at college and I've been taking c**p photos ever since" ;-)

Surely THE most important thing is meeting the person who will be taking your photo's and seeing their work first-hand?

TJ
Consider me nobody then. Sortof. ;) :)

[JAy Egan]

I think they are part of allowing your clients to get to know you better and make the appropriate association. I read them most all thetime

[SwitchBlade]

Personally I don't see the point. If you can't present enough information about yourself on the rest of a site about you then you aren't doing a very good job. I don't think I've really bothered looking at an about me section on a site.

[nphsbuckeye]

I think they're a high-risk, high-reward kind of deal. I read quite a few poorly composed "About Mes" which make me not want to look onward (at least on professionals' websites). I guess I'll leave it as that.

[cdifoto]

Personally I don't see the point. If you can't present enough information about yourself on the rest of a site about you then you aren't doing a very good job. I don't think I've really bothered looking at an about me section on a site.

I would agree if we're talking about personal websites. The entire thing is about the person who publishes it.

For business websites I disagree. People can learn about my products and services all over my website but they won't get much about me personally. That's where the About Me page comes in.

[HappySnapper90]

Disclaimer: I have one, and will continue to have one. It's just a lazy day and I'm curious.

How necessary are "About Me" pages?


Very important. I track which pages are viewed of my websites and the "about" page gets viewed often. People are more likely to buy when they know about the artist and the artist's "creative statement" aka Artist's Statement. You can however make yourself look or sound bad by having a poor "about" page.

My about page on www.photographybyhoy.com (http://www.photographybyhoy.com) will soon match what I list on my zenfolio account.

[Mike R]

It's a way to give potential customers a feeling that they know you. I would think that the majority of the time, they would read it before the inital phone call to you. BUT... do you use "I" or write it in the third party?

[powerslave]

I check out about me's on almost all the sites I visit.