Create an Engaging Coming Soon Page on Shopify
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why Customize Your Coming Soon Page
- Benefits of a Customized Coming Soon Page
- Building anticipation
- Collecting email addresses
- Enhancing brand identity
- Choosing a Theme
- Customizing Your Logo and Color Scheme
- Adding Social Media Links
- Editing the Email Sign-Up Banner
- Uploading a custom background image
- Adding a strong headline
- Incentivizing sign-ups
- Additional Sections and Customizations
- Adding product photos
- Including a countdown timer
- Showcasing upcoming products or services
- Optimizing for Mobile Devices
- Testing and Launching Your Store
- Conclusion
How to Customize Your Coming Soon Page on Shopify
Are you in the process of building your online store on Shopify? While you're still working on perfecting your store, it's essential to have a well-designed and professional coming soon page to display to visitors. In this article, we will guide you step by step on how to customize your coming soon page on Shopify, turning it from a plain default page to a visually appealing and branded landing page.
1. Introduction
When setting up an online store on Shopify, one of the first things you'll encounter is the default coming soon page. This page is displayed to visitors whenever your store is password protected and not yet ready to go live. While the default page serves its purpose, it lacks personalization and branding. By customizing your coming soon page, you can create a more engaging experience for potential customers and start building anticipation for your store's launch.
2. Why Customize Your Coming Soon Page
Customizing your coming soon page offers numerous benefits beyond simply making it look more visually appealing. Let's explore some reasons why you should take the time to tailor this page to your brand.
a) Building anticipation
A well-designed and customized coming soon page can generate excitement and anticipation among your target audience. By sharing a sneak peek of what your store will offer and creating a sense of mystery, you can pique the curiosity of potential customers and keep them eagerly waiting for your store's launch.
b) Collecting email addresses
Utilizing your coming soon page as an opportunity to collect email addresses is a smart marketing move. By including an email sign-up form and offering an incentive for signing up, such as exclusive discounts or early access to products, you can start building your email list before your store goes live. This enables you to establish a direct line of communication with potential customers and nurture them into loyal buyers.
c) Enhancing brand identity
Your coming soon page is an excellent opportunity to showcase your brand's identity and personality. By customizing the logo, color scheme, and overall design to align with your brand, you can leave a lasting impression on visitors and begin cultivating brand recognition even before your store is officially launched.
3. Benefits of a Customized Coming Soon Page
Let's dive deeper into the benefits of having a customized coming soon page for your Shopify store.
a) Building anticipation
A personalized coming soon page builds anticipation for your store's launch and creates buzz among your target audience. By sharing sneak peeks or hints about your products or services, you can generate excitement and curiosity, encouraging potential customers to bookmark your website and eagerly await its opening.
b) Collecting email addresses
Adding an email sign-up form to your coming soon page allows you to collect valuable email addresses from interested visitors. By offering an incentive, such as a discount code or access to exclusive content, you can entice visitors to provide their email addresses and join your mailing list. This enables you to build a database of potential customers whom you can nurture and convert into buyers once your store is live.
c) Enhancing brand identity
Customizing your coming soon page to reflect your brand's visual identity helps establish brand recognition and authenticity. By incorporating your logo, using consistent colors, and maintaining a cohesive design, you create a memorable impression on visitors. This familiarity can lead to higher brand recall and customer loyalty down the line.
4. Choosing a Theme
Before customizing your coming soon page, it's essential to choose a theme that aligns with your brand and showcases your products effectively. Shopify offers a wide range of themes, both free and premium, to suit various industries and aesthetics. Take the time to browse through the available options, considering factors such as layout, typography, and overall design. Once you've found a theme that resonates with your brand, you can proceed with customization.
5. Customizing Your Logo and Color Scheme
The first step in customizing your coming soon page is adding your logo and selecting a color scheme that aligns with your branding. To do this, navigate to your Shopify dashboard and go to "Online Store" > "Themes." From there, open the theme customizer and locate the theme settings. Here, you can upload your logo and adjust its size. Additionally, you can choose your primary and secondary colors, ensuring consistency with your brand's visual identity. Experiment with different combinations until you find the perfect match.
6. Adding Social Media Links
Including links to your social media profiles on your coming soon page is an effective way to build your online presence and connect with potential customers. In the theme customizer, find the section dedicated to social media links and add the URLs of your social media accounts. This allows visitors to easily access and follow your brand's social media pages, increasing engagement and expanding your reach.
7. Editing the Email Sign-Up Banner
The email sign-up banner is a crucial element of your coming soon page as it encourages visitors to join your mailing list. By customizing the content and design of this section, you can maximize its effectiveness in capturing email addresses. In the theme customizer, locate the email sign-up banner and begin editing its various components.
a) Uploading a custom background image
To make your coming soon page visually appealing, you can upload a custom background image for the email sign-up banner. Choose an image that aligns with your brand's aesthetics and represents your products or services effectively. Ensure that the image quality is high and that it doesn't distract from the main content.
b) Adding a strong headline
Craft a compelling headline that grabs the attention of visitors and clearly communicates the value proposition of your brand. Highlight the benefits customers can expect and offer an enticing reason to sign up for your email list. For example, you can emphasize exclusive early access to products, special discounts, or insider content.
c) Incentivizing sign-ups
To encourage visitors to provide their email addresses, consider offering them an incentive. This could be a discount code for their first purchase, a freebie, or access to exclusive content. Clearly communicate the incentive and its terms in the email sign-up banner, reinforcing the value visitors will receive in exchange for signing up.
8. Additional Sections and Customizations
While the basics mentioned above are enough to create an appealing coming soon page, you can further enhance it by adding additional sections and customizations. Consider incorporating the following elements based on your brand and target audience:
a) Adding product photos
If you already have product photos ready, you can showcase them on your coming soon page. This can create anticipation and generate interest among potential customers. Be selective in choosing the most visually appealing and representative product images to feature.
b) Including a countdown timer
Adding a countdown timer to your coming soon page creates a sense of urgency and excitement. It visually communicates how much time is left until your store's launch, pushing visitors to take action and sign up for updates. Make sure the countdown timer is prominently displayed and easily visible.
c) Showcasing upcoming products or services
If you're planning to launch specific products or services, you can provide a sneak peek or teaser on your coming soon page. This gives visitors a taste of what's to come and increases their anticipation. Teasing upcoming offerings can be an effective way to generate buzz and ensure a successful launch.
9. Optimizing for Mobile Devices
With the increasing use of smartphones, it's crucial to ensure your coming soon page is optimized for mobile devices. Shopify themes are designed to be responsive, meaning they automatically adapt to different screen sizes. However, it's a good practice to preview and test your coming soon page on various devices to ensure it displays properly and offers a seamless user experience across all platforms.
10. Testing and Launching Your Store
Once you've customized your coming soon page to your satisfaction, it's time to thoroughly test its functionality and appearance. Preview your coming soon page on different browsers and devices to ensure everything displays correctly. Test the email sign-up form to ensure visitors can successfully submit their information. Additionally, consider gathering feedback from trusted friends or colleagues to get a fresh perspective.
Once you're confident in your coming soon page, it's time to remove the password protection and officially launch your store. Make sure all necessary details, such as product descriptions, pricing, and shipping information, are finalized before opening your virtual doors to the public.
11. Conclusion
Customizing your coming soon page on Shopify is a valuable step in building anticipation, collecting email addresses, and enhancing your brand identity. By following the steps outlined in this article and leveraging Shopify's customizable features, you can create a visually appealing and engaging coming soon page that sets the stage for the successful launch of your online store. Remember to consider your brand's aesthetics, use persuasive copy, and offer incentives to maximize the effectiveness of your coming soon page. Start building excitement and anticipation for your store's launch today!