You can often tell when a radio station’s website gets regular attention, and you can tell just as quickly when it does not. One of the clearest clues is the About Us page. A listener, advertiser or community partner clicks past the homepage and, consciously or not, asks a simple question: Can I trust this station?
A good About page should answer that question quickly. It should explain who the station serves, what it does, who is behind it, and how deeply it is connected to the community. It should also help potential advertisers understand the station’s reach and local presence before anyone picks up the phone. Too often, though, this page is an afterthought filled with a few slogans, generic history, and perhaps a staff photo that should have been retired several formats ago.
Listeners and advertisers arrive with different goals, but both are looking for credibility. Listeners want a reason to feel connected to the station. Advertisers want to know whether the station has a real relationship with the people they hope to reach. A useful About page gives both groups specific answers without forcing them to search the rest of the website.
Start by clearly stating who the station serves. Name the community, market or region. Explain the programming focus and what listeners can expect. Include enough history to establish roots, but do not turn the page into a museum exhibit. A founding date, meaningful milestone or short explanation of how the station has evolved is usually enough.
This clarity also helps beyond the human audience. Search engines and AI answer tools increasingly summarize organizations from information they can clearly identify online. A station that plainly describes its market, programming, history, staff and community involvement gives those systems a reliable source. Vague slogans may sound good in a sales meeting, but they do little to explain what the station actually is.
The station’s mission should read like a promise rather than a slogan. Instead of relying on phrases about being “the voice of the community” or “your home for the best variety,” explain what the station actually does each week. Identify the people being served, the programming or information being delivered and why that work matters locally. Describe the work, not the marketing claim.
The page should also explain where and how the station can be heard. Include the broadcast signal, online stream and mobile app, along with the communities that make up the primary service area. Write for ordinary visitors rather than engineers. Most people do not need a lesson in contour maps. They need to know whether the station serves their town and how they can listen.
Local involvement carries more weight when it is specific. Your station likely supports schools, nonprofit organizations, festivals, food drives, fundraisers and public service initiatives, yet much of that work disappears from the website after the promotion ends. Rather than simply claiming to be “committed to the community,” include several real examples and link to related stories, campaigns or event pages when possible. Proof will always carry more weight than a slogan.
The people behind the station matter, too. Visitors are not looking for lengthy resumes, but they should see that real people are responsible for the programming, news, promotions and sales. Short, consistent biographies should explain each person’s role, what they contribute and one relevant local detail. Photos should feel like the station and its community, not a corporate directory.
Several common mistakes undermine an otherwise good About page. Some stations write almost entirely in slogans. Others never explain their coverage area or provide an obvious way to listen. Many claim to care deeply about the community without linking to a single example. Staff biographies vary wildly in length and style, and advertisers are often forgotten entirely.
An Advertise With Us link should be easy to find, and the page should connect the station’s programming, audience and local role to the value it offers businesses. The About page does not need to become a media kit, but the next step should be obvious for someone interested in reaching the station’s audience.
The strongest About pages are not necessarily the longest. They simply answer the right questions. Who do you serve? What do you provide? Where can people hear you? Who is doing the work? How are you involved locally? Why should an advertiser want to be associated with the station?
Every station already has the raw material for a strong About page. Its history, personalities, coverage, community work and relationships exist whether the website explains them or not. The opportunity is to bring those pieces together in one place and give listeners, advertisers, search engines and AI tools a clear picture of the station. When visitors arrive asking whether they can trust you, the page should not leave them guessing.
Pic generated by ChatGPT.
Jim Sherwood is a radio veteran turned digital strategist dedicated to helping radio stations thrive online through engaging websites and mobile apps. As the founder of Skyrocket Radio and host of the Better Radio Websites podcast, he shares best practices to help stations grow audiences and revenue in the digital space. With decades of experience in radio and a passion for connecting content with listeners, Jim ensures that every station—no matter its size—can make a lasting impact online.