Where a visitor decides whether to trust you
The best about us page examples have one thing in common: they start with the visitor, not with the company history. A visitor wants to know what you do, for whom, who is behind the business and whether they can trust you. A strong about us page answers in the first sentence, shows real people, gives proof, lists your company details and ends with a next step.
For a business selling into a new country, the about page carries extra weight: it is where a buyer checks whether a foreign supplier is real. Below: a five-part structure, examples per type of business, what EU rules ask a website to show, what Google looks for, and the mistakes we see most.
About us page examples: the five parts
| Part | The visitor's question | What you write |
|---|---|---|
| The opening | What do you do, for whom? | One sentence: "We build and renovate homes in Ghent and the surrounding area." |
| The story | Why do you exist, what do you do differently? | Two or three paragraphs on how you work, not on your founding year |
| The people | Who is behind it? | Names, roles and photos of real people |
| The proof | Can I believe you? | Projects, figures, clients you may name, links to your work |
| Details and next step | Where are you, what now? | Address, company number, VAT number, and a button to contact |
The opening matters most. Visitors often land on your about page just before they get in touch, to check you exist and suit them. "We are a dynamic team passionate about quality" says nothing; any company could write it. "An accounting firm in Ghent for freelancers and small companies, in four languages" says everything.
What Google looks for
Google advises making clear who is behind a site and its content: who wrote it, what their background is, and why they can be trusted. An about page with real names, roles and experience is the base for that, and every author on your blog can link to it. Google also warns explicitly against fabricated profiles, such as an AI headshot or a name that does not exist. So no stock photo labelled "our team".
- The openingWeakWe are a dynamic team with passionStrongWhat you do, for whom, where, in one sentence
- The teamWeakStock photo of hands on a tableStrongReal people with name and role, with their consent
- The proofWeakNoneStrongA project, a figure or a client you may name
- The detailsWeakOnly a contact formStrongAddress, company number, VAT number, email
- The next stepWeakNoneStrongA button to your services or a call
Google advises making clear who is behind a site, and never using invented profiles.
Your page in one afternoon
- Write the first sentenceWhat you do, for whom and where. Read it aloud to a stranger.
- Collect your proofTwo projects, one figure, a client you may name.
- Plan the photosThe team and the workplace, with consent from everyone in them.
- Add details and a buttonAddress, company number, VAT number, email, and a link to contact.
Examples by type of business
A company from abroad selling into Belgium or the EU
A buyer in Belgium deciding on a foreign supplier checks the about page for three things: where you are based, whether there is a local contact, and in which languages you work. Say it plainly: "Based in Rotterdam, with a Dutch- and French-speaking team for Belgian clients, delivery in two working days." Write the page in the buyer's language, not only in English. In Belgium that means Dutch and French; see a website in French and Dutch and our multilingual website development.
A service firm
A law firm, accountant or builder sells trust in people. Show the founder with a name and photo, say in two sentences why they do this, and show for whom: sectors, region, languages. For K&A Law we built a site in four languages with twelve sector files and a fees page, so a business owner sees straight away whether the firm knows their sector and what it costs.
A holiday rental or hospitality business
Here the story is the product. People who book want to know who the host is and what makes the place special. For Villa Lidia, a holiday villa in Umbria, we built a site in English and Dutch with a booking request form and an availability calendar; for No.4 Lange Ast, a village house for eight in Flanders, a site in four languages with bookings without commission.
An online store
A buyer wants to know the shop is real: who runs it, where it ships from, what happens if something goes wrong. A photo of your workshop or warehouse and a short note on returns do more than a mission statement. If you are still choosing a platform, compare Wix vs Shopify.
Questions about the about page
What should an about us page include?
What you do and for whom, who is behind the business, what you do differently, proof from your work, your company details and a next step.
How long should an about us page be?
Long enough to answer those six questions. For most small businesses that is 300 to 600 words with photos. Longer is fine if every part adds something.
Can I show photos of my employees?
Yes, with their consent. Belgium's data protection authority explains you need consent to photograph someone recognisably and to use the photo outside a private circle.
Does my company number have to be on my website?
For businesses established in the EU, yes: the e-Commerce Directive requires name, address, email, register number and VAT number to be easy to find.
What EU rules ask your website to show
The EU e-Commerce Directive requires businesses established in the EU to make these details easily, directly and permanently accessible on their website. In Belgium the rule sits in the Code of Economic Law. A company based outside the EU is not bound by this article, but Belgian buyers look for the same details and get wary when they are missing.
| Detail | Example | Where you put it |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | The legal name, not just the brand | About, contact, footer |
| Geographic address | Street, number, town, country | About, contact |
| Email address | One that gets read | Contact, footer |
| Register number | In Belgium the company number (KBO/BCE) | Footer, about |
| VAT number | If you are VAT-registered | Footer, invoices |
Regulated professions such as lawyers or accountants add their professional body and rules. If you process personal data, a privacy policy belongs on the site too; see do I need a privacy policy.
A service business against an online store
- What the visitor wants to know
- Service businessCan I trust these people with my project?
- Online storeIs this shop real, and is it safe to buy here?
- What you show
- Service businessThe team, the founder, projects
- Online storeWho runs it, where you ship from, your workshop or warehouse
- The proof
- Service businessProjects and clients you may name
- Online storeReviews, delivery times, returns policy
- The next step
- Service businessA call or a quote
- Online storeBack to your best sellers or collection
The same five parts, a different emphasis: trust in people against trust in a shop.
Photos that work
Real photos of your team and work are the strongest part of an about page. Ask every employee for consent to the photo and to its use on your site; Belgium's data protection authority treats those as two separate consents. How to prepare a shoot is in corporate photoshoot ideas. Give every photo a descriptive alt text so people who cannot see it, and Google, know who is on it.
Mistakes we see most
- Starting with the founding yearA visitor first wants to know what you do for them.
- Stock photos as the teamVisitors recognise them, and Google warns against invented profiles.
- No detailsNo address and no company number breeds distrust.
- A dead endNo link to your services or contact, just when the visitor is ready to decide.
- The same text as on LinkedIn, but olderKeep the page and your LinkedIn company page in line.
About us for AI assistants
Someone asking ChatGPT or Gemini "which Belgian agency builds websites in French and Dutch" gets an answer based on what sites say about themselves. An about page that states your services, region, languages and sectors in plain sentences reads better there than one full of slogans. How to approach it is in our found in ChatGPT service.
How VBS writes your about page
From Ghent, Belgium, we design websites for businesses across Europe, with an about page written from a conversation with you rather than a template. We write the text, shoot the photos, get your details right and link it all to your services. Start with our website brief template, or see how we work as a web development agency in Europe. Book a call.