Who Are You? Writing an Author/About Box
By Katy M.
Recently, I attended a workshop that discussed among other things how to connect better with your local audience. For so many of us, the local audience is very important. One suggestion was to show WHO YOU ARE on the front page of your web site/blog. Do not make people click on an “About” or “Who We Are” or “History” tab to find out who you are and why you matter. This is also a great opportunity to put a face on your brand (a photograph does wonders).
Here are two great examples that really help me connect with the people writing for the web site:
This author has a link for the reader to click for more information but her basic bio and photograph are right on the front page and one of the first things I see when I visit her site.
The author of Summer Tomato says something about herself, her location and then shares some information about her web site so that you know what it’s all about in a nutshell as well as why SHE is an authority and worth listening to. Also, notice that both of these writers include a photograph.
What you say in your author box or welcome box is very important. It should not be too wordy or take up too much room but it should say just enough to tell people about you or your company and/or site. Think of it as a storefront window -- the job of the window is to bring people inside but not distract them or look all cluttered and junky.
Important items for your author box:
Your Name/Your Company Name
The Name of Your Web Site/Blog
1 Sentence About You or Your Company
1 Sentence About Your Site/Why Should We Stay?
Here’s what I came up with:
Some WordPress themes already have an author box built in but if you aren’t interested in switching to a new theme there are other options. The easiest option is to create a text/html widget that can be located at the highest point on your sidebar. In my next post, I’ll show you step by step, how to do that in most WordPress themes.
