Coming soon to a computer near you

We build a lot of new websites, start-ups and the like. In the rush to get to market there is of course the required amount of time to plan, design, build, test etc before a fully functional site is launched.

Standard procedure is to buy the domain and put up a ‘Coming Soon’ page. Some kind of lame graphic like the one below is a common occurrence...

A good Coming Soon page can be done at hardly any expense and can in fact be a very powerful way to build momentum for when your brilliant new website does go live. After doing some research I found a great little article with some good tips for making a Coming Soon page effective (a link to the article is below)

A good Coming soon page builds awareness, familiarising your audience with what your site or product offers before they can access it builds anticipation and excitement.  Add to this an effective ‘send us your email’ message and you have an audience willing and ready for when you press the button.

The author (Sacha Greif) explains there are four elements that will help launch your site with an explosive response.

Memorability

A strong brand, attractive design, clear layout and good copy all make for something people will remember even if they have to wait another 3 months to see the final product.

Virality
Try to get people talking about the product or site before it goes live. You can do this with a clever idea on your Coming Soon page.  Use a great animation, or as the author puts it “a Gimmick”.
 Use some social media links – even a simple ‘Tweet this’ will get a lot of traction. Couple this with some kind of offer (Tweet and get a free something) and it will go nuts.

Desirability
Make sure people will want to come back to your site by making sure they understand what your product or site will do for them. Offer screenshots, benefits and a clear explanation as to how it is different.

Data collection
Make sure you ask for an email address – people will give it to you if your site is worth it.

If you can create a great coming soon page it will set your site up for success before the first line of code is even written!

You can read the Smashing Magazine article here

A similar blog by Wiliam about Launching Soon pages can be seen here