How To: An "About Me" Page - A Website Must!
Having trouble thinking about the content you should be adding to your website? Well a good way to start curing your writer’s block is by creating an “About Me” page – a.k.a. a biography page. Unique content is the name of the game when trying to develop an online presence that stands out from local competitors, and there is no easier way to start developing your website’s content than by introducing yourself and detailing your expertise in the industry. Add a few highlights about your interests outside of real estate, even a section about your personal life can go a long way in personalizing your biography. Don’t be afraid to share – but don’t go overboard. Not many people will care to discover what your favourite dish to cook is, or that you are a ‘Lost’ fanatic. But they will be interested in your knowledge of farm areas, degree of education, or any awards you might’ve earned during your tenure as a Realtor.
Looking for ways to improve your biography? I’ve included some tips below that will prove useful for drafting your biography.
Keep it short. People tend to skim over large bodies of text, and for your resume, you want a reader’s eyes to observe every word, allowing them to fully digest who you are. Don’t overload it with needless details. Be concise, straight-to-the-point, yet word it in a way that is inviting to your readers. Don’t shy away from the task at hand, even if you’re not the world’s best writer and it takes you a couple hours to pen out a captivating depiction of yourself and skills – it is important to make the extra effort! It will pay off by making a positive and lasting impression with your words.
Decide on a style that suits you. Want to up the level of interaction? Try a video biography; grab a friend to hold the camera and record away! Upload it to YouTube and then embed it using a content-widget within the Website Editor.
Prefer to publish your good-ol’-fashioned curriculum vitae? Not a problem. Simply copy and paste it into a Rich Text Box and format the text as you see fit.
For a quick and convenient method you could edit the View My Presentation module. Update each slide’s points to highlight aspects of your work experience and why people prefer to use you as their Realtor.
Now I know what you’re thinking… Thanks for the advice – but where are the examples? Give me something to view not just read! You’re in luck – we have several variations of sample resumes available for your viewing pleasure. Check below.
For this example, I took a different approach to the content of the page. The biography reads more like a story. I tried to bring across my personality by describing my philosophy about my work. This type of biography is conversational – not formal at all – because the goal is to have the user relate to me and my personality. Even though I did not go into specifics about my work experience or education, it is still effective because of the way I put it together. The photo on the page matches (but is not exactly the same) as my profile photo on the left hand side. This provides a cohesive and professional look. The text and photo have a proportional size for the page. The photo is large enough that the text does not run past the length of it, but it still small enough to look appropriate (you don’t want the photo to totally overtake the content area).
Differentiating my contact information from the biography helps show the user right away that these are different sections of the site. The contact info is also convenient and clear for the user, and reinforces my online presence. The social media icons give the impression that I am open and want to share more of my interests and personality with others, which can be very effective in itself. Click Here to Learn How I Did It...
Biography slideshows are essentially both a resume, and a summary of your skills and qualifications. It is a simple, yet appealing and effective presentation of yourself and your unique assets that you bring to the table. The point form descriptions are easy on the eyes, and allow for the reader to easily read through the information while absorbing all of it; versus lengthy paragraph descriptions which some readers skip just at the mere sight of. Best of all, it allows you to showcase that you’re technologically savvy! Click Here to Learn How I Did It...
For a time-saver, try re-working your resume or CV to highlight your experience and background. First paste your resume/CV into a Rich Text Box on an About Me page. Then you should go through the document and remove any information that’s irrelevant or too clunky. When writing for the web you always want to be straight to the point. The reality is most people just want to know who you are, where you're from and what you've done. You don’t need fancy graphics - simply adding a photo of yourself on the page will help break up blocks of text and provide some visual interest. Just remember that it’s ultimately the facts about who you are that will generate a person's interest enough to send an e-mail or call. Lastly, adding a quick line at the end of the page with your e-mail address and phone number can really help the user. If they're interested, they're looking for how to contact you. Before you loose their attention, get that number in there. Click Here to Learn How I Did It...
Authored By: Bryan, Tara & Sevi