Are you making this major website mistake?

An About Us page is arguably the most important page on a company’s website, and is often the first one that people visit. Your web analytics will confirm this. Unfortunately, many companies miss the mark when it comes to the content they choose to fill this page with – giving people information that is of little or no value to them as a potential customer.

Below is a list of tips to ensure your About Us page is giving people the information they want.

• Keep it simple. Your About Us page is not the place to do a deep dive on everything you do as a company. Save that information for product/service specific pages on your website. You want to give your readers a quick, general snapshot of who you are, and the value your company delivers to its customers.

• Do not give a history lesson. This is the most common mistake companies make on their About Us page. They use this precious real estate to tell people what year they were founded, why they were founded, who started the company, and other information that has no value to website visitors. Make sure you are telling people who you are today, and not who you were when you first opened.
  
  If you feel your history is an important part of your identity as a company, create a separate page specifically dedicated to history.
  
  

• Explain your values. It’s important to give readers a sense of your values as a company, and how you conduct business. Don’t just give them laundry list of your services.
  
  For example, instead of a dairy company listing out the different products they produce, they could explain their commitment to customer service and new product development to adapt to changing consumer demands. These features differentiate their company from the competition, and offer value to potential customers.   

Review your About Us page content. Next, ask yourself, if this was the only page a major prospective customer viewed, would they get the full picture of the value you can deliver? If the content doesn’t position your value, it’s time for a refresh.

Know Your Supply Chain Terms

When it comes to warehousing and logistics, it can seem like those in the business are speaking another language. However, familiarizing yourself with a few of the basic terms will help increase your understanding of supply chain operations.

Below are a number of phrases to build your supply chain knowledge base.

• KPI. Key Performance Indicator. This is a pre-established standard or standards used to gauge the performance of a supply chain.

• WMS. Warehouse Management System. A program that manages inventory and tracks inbound and outbound transactions, effectively managing and recording day-to-day operations.

• EDI. Electronic Data Interchange. This is a communication method that allows companies to exchange data through a standardized format. EDI helps streamline logistics by allowing computers, utilizing different systems, to talk to each other.

• TMS. Transportation Management System. This system pulls together all elements of shipping loads, helping automate processes and make cost effective decisions in planning transportation.

• BOL. Bill Of Lading. A BOL is the declaration of content within a shipment provided by a shipper to the carrier.

• MHE. Material Handling Equipment. MHE refers to lift trucks, reach trucks, etc. used in a warehouse for unloading stock or picking items for delivery.

• FTE. Full Time Equivalent. A unit of measurement for an operation that denotes one full-time employee.

• OTIF. On-Time, In Full. This is a type of KPI that looks at shipping performance.

• OS&D. Over, Short, & Damaged. A report, normally filed by the receiver of a shipment, that details product quantity or damage issues.

• LMS. Labor Management System. A system the tracks and reports on the productivity of a workforce.

• RF. Radio Frequency. RF barcode scanning is used for warehouse location signs to increase accuracy and speed in inventory management, including put away and picking functions.

• 3PL. Third Party Logistics. A 3PL provides logistics management services to shippers (vs. companies taking on these tasks in-house), which enables companies to focus more on their core competencies.