While it seems like most websites post biographies of key executives and staff, including them isn’t a necessity for all businesses. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you need to. It all depends on your business and goals.
You have to think about how you want to position your company. Large, corporate, aggressive, impressive? Or small, agile, client-focused, caring?
How do you want your clients and potential clients to perceive you? Here are some aspects to consider:
- Bios — especially when photos are included — can make a company seem more personal. They can set the tone for what it is like to conduct business with your firm.
- Bios can help sell the fact that your employees are knowledgeable and experienced. Someone looking for a lawyer will probably want to know that lawyer’s background and successes.
- Including bios of everyone on your team, from the CEO to the office manager, can make you look bigger if people tend to think of you as a one-person firm.
- On the other hand, if you list only senior management, your company can look even larger. Qualcomm, for example, only lists its leadership.
- If someone leaves your company, always try to remove their bio from the website immediately. As much as possible, try to add new employees promptly.
- Keep all bios a consistent length. If your CFO’s bio is longer than your chief engineer, your visitors may start to wonder why one seems to be emphasized over the other.
- If you use photos, give them a consistent look. An easy way to do that is to make all of them black and white.
- Include phone numbers and email addresses only if you’re prepared to respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner. If they don’t, it can raise questions about your firm’s attentiveness to its clients.
Before deciding whether to include bios, check the websites of competitors, sites you admire and sites you don’t. If you like what you see and would consider doing business with those firms, try to imagine your site with a similar design. If not, get your ego check and leave the bios off.
