What to put on your coming soon page (and what to skip)

A coming soon page lives or dies on one question: does a stranger who's never heard of your product understand why they should give you their email address?

Most coming soon pages answer that question poorly. They put up a logo, a vague tagline, an email field, and a countdown timer. They look polished. They convert at 5%.

The pages that convert at 25–40% make specific promises to specific people. Here's how to build one.

What to include

A headline that names who it's for

Your headline should do the work of filtering your audience. "The invoicing tool for independent consultants" is a headline. "Reimagining how you work" is not.

The more specific you are, the better your conversion rate among the right people — and the less time you waste on signups who don't fit your ICP.

A formula that works: "[Product] is [the thing] for [the person] who [has the specific problem]."

This doesn't need to be clever. It needs to be accurate.

A sub-headline that names the problem

One sentence. Name the thing your target customer is frustrated by right now. Not the solution — the friction. "Most freelancers spend 3–4 hours a month chasing invoices. It doesn't have to work that way." is a sub-headline that earns attention.

A concrete, minimal feature list or proof of concept

Not a roadmap, not 12 bullet points. Two or three specific things your product does that nothing else does quite the same way.

If you have a screenshot, a demo gif, or even a wireframe sketch, include it. Visual evidence of the product is more convincing than any amount of copywriting.

A form with an email field and one custom question

The email address is the goal. The custom question is data collection. Keep it to one question — "What are you using today to handle [problem]?" gives you competitive intelligence and conversation starters.

Social proof (even if it's small)

"47 people already on the list" converts better than an empty page. If you have no signups yet, get 10 friends to sign up before you publish. That number is real — and it signals that other people have evaluated the idea and thought it was worth their email address.

Testimonials work too, if they're real. A single sentence from a potential early user — "I've been waiting for something like this for years" — is more convincing than three paragraphs of marketing copy.

A referral mechanism

After someone signs up, show them their unique referral link and explain what happens when they share it. "Move up the queue" is simple and effective. Priority access, an extended trial, or a discount all work depending on your model.

The referral loop is what turns a coming soon page into a self-amplifying acquisition channel. Don't skip it.

What to skip

Element	Why to skip it
Countdown timer	Arbitrary deadlines erode trust when you miss them
Long feature list	Visitors don't read it; it delays the CTA
Auto-playing video	Slows load time, annoys visitors on mobile
Social media links	Takes people off your page before they sign up
"Be the first to know" CTA	Too vague — what will they know first?
Roadmap / planned features	Creates commitments you can't keep
Generic stock photography	Signals a product that doesn't exist yet in a bad way

The page structure that converts

A high-converting coming soon page typically has this layout, in order:

1. Navigation — just your logo, nothing else (no links out)
2. Headline — specific, audience-focused
3. Sub-headline — names the problem
4. Email form + custom question — above the fold
5. Screenshot or demo — visual proof
6. Two or three specific differentiators — what makes this different
7. Social proof — signup count or quotes
8. Footer — your name and a way to contact you

That's it. The whole thing should load in under two seconds on mobile.

Testing your page before launch

Before you share your coming soon page, run through this checklist:

• Does the headline make sense to someone who has never heard of your product?
• Is the form above the fold on a 375px mobile screen?
• Does the confirmation email go out immediately after signup?
• Is the custom question actually asking something you want to know?
• Is the referral link working correctly?
• Does the page load in under 2 seconds on a 4G connection?

Show the page to three people who fit your target customer profile and ask them, "What does this product do? Who is it for?" If they can't answer accurately from a 10-second look, your headline needs work.

After the page is live

A coming soon page is not a set-and-forget artefact. Update it as you learn:

• Read every custom field response. When you notice language patterns in what people say, incorporate that language into your headline and sub-headline.
• Update your signup count every couple of weeks. A growing number signals momentum.
• If conversion rate is below 10% after 200 visitors, the headline is probably wrong. Try a more specific version.
• If you're getting signups but no referrals, the post-signup experience isn't compelling. Try a stronger incentive or a clearer explanation of the queue mechanic.

Summary

A good coming soon page includes a specific, audience-named headline; a problem-focused sub-headline; the email form above the fold; one custom field question; visual proof of the product; a small amount of social proof; and a referral loop. Skip countdown timers, long feature lists, and anything that takes visitors off the page before they sign up. Build it quickly with the right tool — LaunchSuite's free plan includes every element listed here — then iterate based on your analytics.