Creating a “Coming Soon” Page
A coming soon page (also called a maintenance or pre-launch page) is shown to visitors while a new website or product is still under development.
While it might be tempting to just throw up a simple page with a message like "Coming Soon", you can do much better. A well-designed coming soon page can be a powerful marketing tool that helps you build anticipation and capture leads before you even launch.
Done right, a coming soon page can serve a dual purpose. First, it tells visitors that something exciting is on the way. Second, it gives you an early opportunity to capture their email address before you even launch.
Key Elements
An effective coming soon page is simple by design and should contain:
- A Brand Logo or Name: So visitors know immediately whose page this is.
- A Teaser Headline: Should build curiosity and excitement without giving too much away.
- A Countdown Timer: Creates a sense of urgency and signals there is a real, defined launch date.
- An Email Capture Form: The most important conversion element. Offer early access or a discount in exchange for an email address.
- A Social Proof Element: Even something like "Join 2,000 others on the waitlist" makes the page feel credible.
The Live Countdown Timer
A countdown timer is built using a small amount of JavaScript. The technique involves calculating the difference between a future target date (your launch date) and the current time. This difference is expressed in days, hours, minutes, and seconds, and the numbers are updated every second using setInterval():
Full Working Example
Below is a complete coming soon page with a dark gradient background, a live ticking countdown, and a functional email signup form. Watch the seconds count down in real-time!