What is a holding page?
A holding page is a single temporary website page that a website visitor can see whilst you are building your full website behind the scenes. Its main purpose is to let the visitor know that a. you have a website, b. you have a way of being contacted and, c. your website is under construction
Why do I need a holding page?
You don’t need one, but you should have one for the reasons below.
Why should I have a holding page?
You should have a holding page so that:
1. website visitors can see who you are, the basics of what you do, and how to get in touch with you for the period between registering your domain name and the launch of your new website.
2. Google and the other search engines have something to list you for. Search engines will never index a blank page. So having some content, no matter how little, helps as the search engines know about you long before the website goes live. You are off to a running rather than a standing start on the day you make your full website go live.
3. Your business will look more professional. How many times have you searched for a company only to find a notice saying ‘this domain has been registered for a domain name company client’… this is a very poor user experience.
So, here’s how to create a simple website holding page
You will need…
1. A Logo or business name
If you have a logo, great, use this so that people can easily see that they are in the right place, if not, every business has a name so just use this as a header/title.
2. Some text about the business
Write the basics of what you do, maybe a little bit of history, just enough but not too much. The search engines will read this and understand a little bit about you.
3. Maybe some images
If the business has products or services that can be illustrated visually, these can’t hurt but are not essential.
4. Your contact details
Obviously, if people have made an effort to find you before your real website is live, the least you can offer them is a way to get in touch with you. Phone numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, whatever you have. The more options you can give the visitor, the better.
5. Your social media account links
Whilst your website is being created, you may be interacting with clients and customers via a social media platform. Give the holding page visitor a way to know what’s happening. You may announce the completion of your new website across your social media pages. If the visitor is following you, then they will be informed that the new website is live.
6. A subscription form
If you have a product or service that people are waiting desperately for, then encouraging them to submit their name and email address will allow you to contact them later. Not every holding page needs this, and remember to have a privacy policy page and let people know what you will be doing with their details.
7. A WordPress website with a coming soon page plugin
I use this one…
https://wordpress.org/plugins/cmp-coming-soon-maintenance/
It’s free and user-friendly. It allows me to build a nice basic holding page for my clients.
In conclusion…
Don’t be lazy, do the work, it may help. You may get a job from your holding page. If the job is substantial, it might just end up paying for the build of your whole website!
I still need help with this.
No Problem, I can do it all for you. Just get in touch.
