WHAT NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WEBSITE COPYWRITING
Website Copy
Has No
Like… I can say whatever I want right now! I’m in charge! This is my website! I can straight up skip this whole traditional About page thing altogether! How cool is that?
"Real Rules"
I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I didn’t remind you that the purpose of your site is to help people get to know you and encourage them to buy from you by answering all their questions before they even have to ask them, so…
While I firmly stand by my “no rules!” statement (in an effort to inspire you to be your real self on your site, instead of that weird “professional” caricature of yourself you’ve been awkwardly trying to moonlight as) there are, of course, things you do need to tell your readers for your website to work.
Buuuuuuttttt. . . . .
Like why working with you is so worth it.
And how your solution is going to positively impact them.
And why you're the best person for the job.
Actually, you know what? Why don’t I just use my website copywriting powers for good, say to what’s “supposed” to go on this page, and teach you how to write YOUR About Page instead?!
That feels like a wayYYY better use of our time here.
fuck it
First though, a disclaimer: There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all About Page copywriting formula — duh, you just heard me say “no rules!” — but that doesn’t mean I can’t give you a structure to follow, if you so choose.
Sara Noel
2:44 AM Yesterday
Okay! So!
We’ve made it through the engaging headline, we sailed through the intro statement that made you want to keep reading line after line, and now we’re at the part where I need to introduce myself to you in a way that makes you give a fuck.
(And this is where it gets tricky. A lot of people mess this part up.)
They’re nervous about feeling braggy. They’re worried they’ll sound cringe. They’re unsure which details are relevant to share and which ones they should leave out.
So, they settle for a Frankensteined version of their LinkedIn profile, act like their coffee order is the most relatable thing about them, tell a skimpy version of their story (they don’t want to be “annoying” or too self-important, so they leave out the details that would make their readers actually care about it), and throw in a cutesy collection of photos with the typical “when I’m not [insert job], you can find me [insert weekend activity]!”
It’s not authentic, it’s not memorable, and it’s not helping your readers learn about how cool, impressive, funny, awesome, relatable, smart, talented, capable, interesting, or qualified you are.
But, shit, that’s a lot of pressure to put on one About page, so…
And here's the problem with that cookie cutter About Page:
Let’s remove that pressure to be perfect, and simply say what we actually
to say, shall we?
You know, the ones that *actually* make you sound like a living, breathing human behind the screen, not like an emotionless robot.
Someone had to say it, though... No one wants to read a collection of stuffy surface-level paragraphs that say the same vague message everyone else in your industry is also saying, or a boring run-down of your decades-long resume.
They want to know what makes you YOU, so they can determine whether or not you’d be a good match for a potential creative collaboration. People don’t hire people they don’t LIKE.
(IF I WEREN’T FROM NEW ENGLAND, I’D PROBABLY APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SO BLUNT JUST NOW.)
BECAUSE THE BEST ABOUT PAGES ARE ALWAYS THE CONVERSATIONAL ONES.
want
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked a website copy client to explain what they do or sell to me, they proceed to give the best explanation, and then immediately follow it up with “...but I can’t say THAT.”
And then *I* follow up with “biiitch why not?!” and launch into my typical speech about how much your readers need directness, clarity, and REAL personality — not the persona you think you have to present as in order to be taken seriously.
Your About page is where you can truly let your readers in, because it’s where you lay the foundation for the soon-to-be love story between you and your future clients or customers.
Sara Noel
2:47 AM Yesterday
HI, I'M SARA
So, that being said, welcome to the part where I let you in…
And because I'd never draft an About Page that begins with professional credentials (that's like sitting down at the bar and listing out all of your accomplishments on a first date… not the best idea if you want someone to actually like you) we're gonna start with some personal stuff.
I'm a chocolate addict with zero intent on seeking recovery, an extrovert who never learned *not* to talk to strangers, & an absolute
I'm also a Lightning McQueen apologist, an insufferable Cape Cod summer resident who pretends to live inside an Elin Hilderbrand novel, the official Spokesperson of the Squirrels (aka the neurodivergent girlies), social anxiety’s worst nightmare, and the friend who sends multiple 12-minute audio message monologues in a row without ever waiting for a reply.
My journal pages are full of audacious goals, my Notes app is full of half-written newsletters and podcast episode ideas, my TikTok FYP is full of neuroscience education (I’m obsessed), high protein recipes (yes, I’m one of those) and “questions to ask to annoy your man” videos (he has 67 unread messages awaiting him in our DMs right now), & my head is perpetually full of the doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doooo-doo from the Bluey theme song, thanks to my only title I hold in higher regard than my beloved professional title of Website Girl, which is Wesley’s Mom.
I love anything recommended by Reese Witherspoon, I’d take a bullet for Queen Latifah, I have a robot vacuum named Clean Latifah, I’d spontaneously combust if I weren’t held together by my Siri Reminders and my Side Character, I've decided that collecting new friends is not just my hobby but my primary personality trait, and I'm the type of person that will always approach strangers struggling to get the perfect selfie to offer to take the picture for them.
hoe for italics.
Does that feel like enough personal information for now? Do you like me yet? Perfect! Let's move on.
Sara Noel
2:54 AM Yesterday
This is the part where I’d share my professional credentials. (If I had any.)
But I won’t lie to you: I have a degree in basically everything except marketing — scroll to "U" in the Glossary for details — and somehow have managed to work in more industries than most, with experience in the legal field, retail, banking, education, wedding planning, and hospitality.
(And, although this was technically never a professional title I’ve been paid to hold, it does feel relevant to mention that I’ve been World’s Most Convincing Person for almost 31 years. Now that’s the best pre-req I could ever think of for my current role as Copywriter.)
My writing experience dates back to basically forever ago, with my first piece being an exceptional literary creation: the tragic story of how a toaster and a landline phone fell in love, but were destined to a life apart due to the permanence of their places in the kitchen.
(Don't worry - it had a happy ending: an earthquake caused the phone to fall off the wall and romantically skid across the floor over to the toaster.)
If you don't consider the Great Kitchen Appliance Romance to be a testament to my vast writing talents, well... I guess I don't blame you…
But my mom thought it was a good story, and my boyfriend eagerly read about it on this very About Page before we started dating and told me the concept captivated him, so that's all I need. Allow me the chance to give you a bit more supporting information, though, would ya?
Now, it’s finally time for me to tell you why you need me.
This is the part where, now that you’ve opted into me as a vibe, I need to make sure you understand what I can do to help YOU, so you can feel confident about working with me, learning from me, or buying something from me.
Sara Noel
2:59 AM Yesterday
You have a wicked awesome offering that you're so excited to tell the world about. Buuuut you have no idea where to start. Like, at all.
You're pretty sure you know who your target audience is, but you don't really know how to get their attention. And you've just remembered that you hate writing about yourself as much as you hate folding the laundry.
...which is why "write website copy" and "fix About page" and "finish sales page" and "launch online course" and “start weekly newsletter” have all been sitting on your to-do list for as long as your clean laundry has been sitting in your dryer.
(Confession: as I'm writing this, my own clean laundry has been sitting in my dryer for three days. It will continue to sit there for at least one more. Maybe two, depending on how long it takes me to finish writing this 70-page website.)
Now, while I can't motivate you to cross your chores off of that list, I CAN ensure you that handing over those other tasks to me is the best possible plan if you want them to actually a) get DONE, and b) get done RIGHT. And, to be clear, by "right" I mean backed by strategy, research, and extensive knowledge of copywriting, marketing, and, ultimately, how to inspire your audience to take your desired action & click, buy, subscribe, or sign up.
"Working with Sara was a no-brainer. So much so, that I worked with her not once, not twice, but three times!"
— Stepfanie
“She just gets it. When you work with Sara, you get more than a copywriter - you get a marketing mentor, a business coach, and a friend. She becomes an extension of your business and treats your project like her very own, going above and beyond every step of the way. Sara truly listened to the vision I had and blew me away with the final product every single time.”
We’ve officially made it to the section of the About Page where most people’s eyes start to twitch:
You can say whatever you want in this section. This is strictly to help your reader get to know you on a more personal level, so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they vibe with you. I recommend including information you think they might relate to!
For example, if you’re a Sleep Consultant (like my client Rachael), this section of your About Page might have your night routine. If you’re a Dietitian known for your lifestyle content (like my client Claire), this section might have your “day in my life” agenda. If you’re an editor for fiction authors (like my client Samantha), you might share what belongs on your own dust-jacket bio.
But remember, there are no rules.
about page checkpoint!
the "fun facts" of it all!
known around the Internet for
I debated doing something simple, like sharing what I’m
because, as Website Girl, that would be very on-brand to share how people have gotten to know and remember me through my website copy…
Throwing my phone in a ditch during the work day
Taking the scenic route to get to the point
Dropping wild dating lore in my weekly newsletter
Having a blog so in-depth you could start your entire business using just my blog alone
Talking at 2x speed
Using "fuck ass" as an adjective in every possible situation
Being the creator of the "tiny tasks till ten" method
because, as Spokesperson of the Squirrels, it would be very on-brand to share my personality through the eyes of my time tracker…
But then I thought, MEH, that’s a bit too generic, so I considered sharing
a day in
my life according
to Toggl
GLOSSARY!
But because I’m going for the whole “relatable long-story-long yapper” angle — and I’m hoping you’ll get the impression that I can make any narrative interesting — I’m instead choosing a nontraditional, on-theme format for sharing my own “fun facts” with a cute little...
index
a
Audio messages. My preferred method of communication. They’re usually as long as a podcast episode, because I somehow always have a lot to say. See “L” for details.
b
Bean water. Some people may refer to this beverage as “coffee.” Either way, I don’t drink it, and I don't think I ever will. I don't even like coffee-flavored ice cream.
c
Coastal Grandmother. How I describe my wardrobe, my home decor style, my idea of how to spend a peaceful afternoon, and my dreams for my future.
d
Dream client. Anyone who is nice to me, values great copywriting, and can afford it. Or, at least, that's what I jokingly say when asked who my favorite people to work with are. ;)
e
Excessive. The size of my vintage ad collection, the amount of knowledge I have about useless topics, and the amount of words that come out of my mouth each day.
F
Fuck ass. The term I use to describe pretty much everything. Fuck ass man. Fuck ass job. Fuck ass pants. Fuck ass About Page headline.
G
Go away, Scrooge. My response to "you can't listen to Christmas music, it's November 1."
H
High school. The stage of life where I began to dream about being an important person with a home office who spent hours on hours typing at their glamorous desktop computer. (It's slightly less glamorous than I imagined, but a whole lot cooler. And they make blue computers now.)
I
I'll literally fight you. My response to anyone who thinks they could ever possibly love Noah Kahan more than me. Like... don't you know that I'm New England personified? Hello? You're gonna tell me that you love the song "Paul Revere" when you're from Idaho? No.
J
Just one more minute. The lie I tell myself while scrolling on TikTok as I click 'ignore time limit' for probably the third time in a row.
k
Kick in the ass. That thing I give my students when they're "should"ing themselves to death, getting lost in their negative self talk, and blocking their blessings with a moody mindset.
l
Long-winded. Some people are “long story short” people, some people are “long story long” people. I know you already know which one I am. (Don’t worry, though—when it comes to copywriting, I specialize in the direct and the succinct. Professional Me is great at that. Personal Me? Yeah…both her friends & her own mother secretly will her to shut up and get to the point whenever she tells a story.)
m
My pleasure. What I say when someone asks me to turn on my pop punk playlist.
n
No way. What I say when someone asks me to turn off my pop punk playlist.
o
Open Book. A nicer, less problematic synonym for "Over Sharer," which is what I actually am, to a fault.
p
Personality tests. I try to be into them, but often forget they exist until someone asks me my results. So, if you’re the type of person who asks: I’m an Enneagram 3w2, a Manifesting Generator, and an ENTJ-T on the Myers Briggs.
q
Questions. The best way to get what you want. If you don’t ask, the answer is always ‘no.’ I’m a very shoot-your-shot type of person. That’s how I ended up here, writing for you. (BTL started with a couple successful cold emails, because #extrovert.)
r
Rats’ nest. What my hair looks like most of the time. Especially when I talk on my Instagram stories. (Several people have told me that they literally hired me because of my bad hair days. Something about authenticity I suppose. Honestly, not mad about it.)
s
Stick Season. The name of my favorite album, which consistently plays straight through Spotify and into my soul at least 48,796 times per week.
t
Twenty-four. The number of characters in my computer password, because I'm dramatic.
U
University of Hartford. Where I graduated magna cum laude with 3 Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science, Sociology, and Criminal Justice and 2 minors in Philosophy and Paralegal Studies, officially making me the biggest nerd ever.
V
Very disappointing. My dad's response to "how do you feel about Sara having so many tattoos?" (Sorry, Dad. 31 and counting.)
W
Woo. The nickname of my son, who often makes appearances on my social media, because I’m not above using my child for cuteness-related engagement.
X
X out. What people will do when your website sucks. Luckily for you, I specialize in websites that don’t. (Click here to inquire about collaborating on your next copy project!)
Y
Your inbox. The place we can (virtually) hang out every Tuesday, if you subscribe to my weekly newsletter. If you like marketing tips and lore drops, you'll love the Tuesday Table of Contents.
z
Zero. The amount of times I regretted putting this much personal information on the Internet.
Okay, awesome! You officially know everything you need to know about me, what I do, and how I can help you, so we’ve made it to the ~secondary offerings~ part of this page, where I tell you about all the other cool shit I sell and do.
Sara Noel
3:04 AM Yesterday
Naturally, I’ll need to make sure you know that I have a podcast, because that falls under the “things someone newly learning about me should know” category.
business
self-improvement
adhd
mindset
The Point of the Story podcast is the only show you won't have to listen to on 2x speed.
With episodes about everything from marketing to motherhood to my journey to my Millionaire Moment, it'll be impossible for you to ever get bored of listening.
I also make a really good podcast guest…
the only podcast you don't need to listen to on 2x speed
for the yappers
calling all squirrels!
business & marketing!
lifestyle
copywriting
BLOG POSTS
Now, we’re finally nearing the end of the About Page — and THIS is where I need to make sure you don’t leave my website. So, I’m gonna share some relevant featured
in hopes that one of them intrigues you.
I strategically choose a range of featured posts — one that explains why you might want to hire me, one that helps you learn more about my personality, one that makes me look really smart and good at copywriting… you get it — in an effort to seem like a well-rounded business owner who can definitely help you with whatever you need.
Sara Noel
3:10 AM Yesterday
And that, my friend, is an About page that converts.
I’ve written *hundreds* of About Pages in my day, and I’ve taught *thousands* of students how to write their own About Pages, so I’d like to think I know a thing or two about how to write one that WORKS, but… I guess you’ll have to be the one to confirm whether or not this one did its job by clicking one of the buttons below.
OR, AT LEAST, I HOPE IT IS.
