When you’re checking out a potential business partner, employer, consultant or investment opportunity, what web page do you hit first?
Very likely it’s the About Us or Team page. It’s only natural; we all want to know who we’re dealing with. How a team or individual is presented, both graphically and via text, has powerful influence over our perception of an organization and whether or not we want to engage with them.
Which is why your website’s About Us or Team page is of utmost importance, especially if your it’s your primary marketing platform. Let’s break down what this page and individual bios do:
- It puts a “face” on your organization.
- It opens the door to relationships with specific audiences.
- It demonstrates the talent and relevant experience of your team.
- It supports your organization’s brand.
Team and bio page formats run the gamut. Here are the major categories, observations on each and specific examples.
TRADITIONAL
Traditional team pages have head shots and typically feature lengthy text. This format is most used by organizations that seek to establish a high level of credibility and whose team members have deep industry, academic or personal experience. Universities, investment firms, law and accounting practices, and other professional organizations are more likely to adopt this format.
Pros:
- Imparts a lot of information
- Serves as a one-stop-shot for an individual’s credentials
Cons:
- Imparts a lot of information
- Large blocks of text are daunting for casual readers
Boomering Ventures employs the traditional approach to its Team page with thorough bios detailing the relevant experience of its principals. What makes it work is professional, engaging portraits of the principals, and equally important, an understanding that the target audience, fellow investors or companies looking for investors, want to see the credentials of Boomerang’s leadership and if they’re a potential partner or funding source. Checkout Boomerang Ventures here>
TRADITIONAL NUEVO
Traditional Nuevo Team pages are a hybrid of the previous approach. Instead of lengthy, uninterrupted text, Nuevo has shorter text, more bullets and links, and sometimes a more contemporary approach to photography. This format is also attractive to organizations that have have a lot of relevant information to convey and want their experience and credibility to come through to their audience.
Pros
- Imparts a lot of information but is highly readable
- Recognizes the audience’s’ preference for scan-able information
Cons:
- Tempting to include too much information
- May be visually busy
Bauknight Pietras & Stormer CPAs employs the Nuevo Traditional format for its leadership team pages. Full-length portraits reflect the approachable nature and friendliness of the leadership team. The text block, while long, uses different font styles, colors, highlighted quotes, and bullets to break up the text and enhance readability. Finally, the bio includes key contact information, making it easy to connect with the individual profiled. Checkout Bauknight Pietras & Stormer CPAs here>
MINIMALIST
Minimalist Team pages are just that, minimal. They typically include a portrait, name, title, and in most cases, a link to more information or a LinkedIn profile. This is very much a design-driven approach and appealing to creative organizations.
Pros:
- Design conveys professionalism and sophistication
- Short, to the point information makes bios easy to scan while imparting a positive feeling
Con:
- Reader gets minimal information on the landing page and must click off the Team page to learn more
- If companies rely on LinkedIn profiles to provide their team’s credentials, there’s more pressure on individual team members to maintain their LinkedIn profiles and company has less control over the information provided.
Blockchain startup SIMBA Chain has employed the Minimalist Team page format beautiful. One reason for this is the high quality and consistency of team members’ portraits, which are a cross between an environmental portrait and a traditional photo. Each team member has been photographed in the same visually rich environment, strengthening the visual presentation. In addition to name and title, each person has a short paragraph – two sentences max – of their role. Readers can click through to a LinkedIn profile for more. The overall effect is pleasing and engaging. Checkout SIMBA Chain here>
LIFESTYLE
The Lifestyle approach to Team pages is very popular among tech startups and creative services companies. Photos of people pursuing their personal interests – mountain biking anyone? Skiing? Pets? – replace traditional or even creative portraiture. Text is minimal or nonexistant, relying on the reader to click for more.
Pros:
- Memorable and visually engaging; definitely a conversation starter
- Very appealing to potential employees who want work-life balance
Cons:
- May not appeal to some audiences that then choose not to engage further and receive the information they were seeking.
- May skew too far to lifestyle and miss the mark of the organization’s functional/operational purpose
LifeOmic is a software company that offers disruptive solutions to healthcare providers. Visit their website and it’s very techie and to the point – until you get to the Team page where you find an expansive grid of all 68 team members engaged in their individual passions. (I like the guy holding up a huge flounder. The dude in a hammock with a Corgi was another winner.) How often would you scroll through 68 company bios? Not often! However, I found myself scrolling through the whole team, clicking on a few for the actual bio. As a creative baby boomer, I appreciate the “work hard, play hard” message of LifeOmic’s Team page. I’m sure it’s a hit with millennials working in this demanding industry. I do wonder if it resonates with healthcare industry decision-makers. I’d love to hear your thoughts. As for me, I’ll probably revisit and find new favorites. Checkout LifeOmic here>
There is no right or wrong way of doing Team website pages. The most important considerations tas a brand marketer are to understand your audience, deliver the information they want and need to validate you and your organization, and do so in a visual engaging, readable manner. Lux-Writes has created hundreds of websites for established companies and organizations as well as for startups. We understand branding, messaging, optimizing the user experience, and SEO. Connect with Melanie for a free consultation today here.