"About Us" on Web sites: Research Shows its Importance

The Study

The importance of the About Us section of a website was the subject of a recent study by Jakob Nielsen, a Danish web usability consultant. The study compiled 48 websites from large, medium and small companies to determine how users find and interpret profile information. 

Websites from companies and organizations studied included:

• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Pier 1 Imports
• ImmunoGen
• U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

Subjects in the study were asked to evaluate the organization and accomplish three tasks when they visited a site:

• Determine who runs the organization
• Find out what community or social programs the organization contributes
• Identify when the organization was founded

Results

Results from the study indicate an increase in the success rate of accomplishing the three tasks referenced above and also found:

• A 29% increase in the ability to find contact information
• A 9% decrease in finding out what the company or organization does
• A decrease from 5.2 to 4.6 for user satisfaction with About Us sections

A successful About Us section of a site can be built around the foundational questions used in Nielsen's study.

WeDOwebContent can assist you in further developing this section and ensuring that visitors are engaged and compelled to purchase your services or products.