As a species, we humans are a pretty nosy bunch. It’s one of the reasons why social media continues to reign supreme and dominate everything about modern life as we know it: we are interested in the lives of others and compelled to share our own. From pictures of lunches to relationship statuses, the truth is that we can’t get enough of the finer details.
And it’s not something that’s limited to the people we know well, or even those we call acquaintances. We search the Wikipedia pages of celebrities and public figures until we’re down a wild rabbit hole of tenuous links. We snoop on the LinkedIn profiles of names heard in passing (anonymously, if you’re a wimp like me). And when we deal with a business, big or small, we head straight to the Meet the Team page to find out just who is behind the brand.
How much is too much?
On a recent call with one of the financial planners I’m working with, he asked me how much detail I thought he should go into for his bio page on a new website. It’s something a lot of people in the financial services industry toy over. There’s a want to break away from the stigma often attached to the profession – that finance people are ‘dry’ or ‘boring’ – but hesitancy to share too much for fear of sounding unprofessional.
My answer? The more you’re comfortable with, the better. Your team pages are the perfect place to inject a bit of personality (even if you don’t want to elsewhere on the site). It’s a chance for people to get to know more about you and other team members, and an opportunity to have a bit of fun.
And evidence certainly suggests it works. We find that for the majority websites we build (which feature fully fleshed-out, personal profiles), the team member pages are beaten only by the homepage when it comes to the number of views. They’re also the pages where many visitors spend the majority of their session time – so they’re not to be left as an afterthought!
Tips for your team page
It’s not the easiest thing trying to talk about yourself, so if you need a guiding hand, that’s ok! Here are my three top tips for the best possible team page:
- Tell your story
Nine times out of ten, people do business with people. We’re more likely to engage with those we feel a connection to, and the best way to try and build that connection is by telling your story.
Many of the financial planners I work with started out on their journey because they had a real passion for what they do, and they cared about making a difference. Some had quite unique journeys, having been spurred on by something very personal to them. By opening up and telling that story, you open yourself up to empathy and trust – which as you’ll know, are invaluable when it comes to business
- Show what you love
No one wants to come across as a cold, corporate entity. So give a little bit of an insight into your personal life and you the human, not just you the financial expert. Our popular ‘spotlight questions’ are a brilliant way to do just that; a selection of one-liner questions and answers that help build a picture of your passions and hobbies.
You could easily do this by showing, not telling, too. Why not opt for a ‘fun’, casual photo alongside your more professional headshot? Sometimes a glimpse of the person beyond the office is just what a potential client needs to feel more at ease.
- Reflect how you do business
If your website’s homepage is effectively your digital shop front, your team pages are what people are greeted with when they step inside! Your profile should be a reflection of how you conduct yourself when you do business. You might be smiles and jokes from the get-go or more of a straight-talker. Whatever your style, your team profile is there to act as an extension of that – so that when prospective clients continue to the next stage of your journey together, it’s something that feels familiar.
Helping to add the personal touch
You have the power to share as much or as little information as you want with the people who visit your website. There are no hard and fast rules, and different things work for different people. The single most important thing you can do on your team page is to be yourself – and authenticity attracts business.
If you’d like help building a website that makes all the right connections, get in touch with a member of our team at 0115 8965 300 or send us an email at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk.
