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We are developing a new web application that will be launched within the next 6 months. We have also purchased the domain for the same. Question is how can we usefully or efficiently show the "under construction" page. I have seen a few websites that only shows a few criteria like "No of days to go", "subscribe" etc... A few links here on designing under construction page creatively (EDIT:i do not want these traditional methods)

But, how can we use this page for more constructive purposes. For example, if my app is classified, how can we efficiently communicate what the app actually is about? And how it may be useful to them, and at the same time not lose focus because it's just a under construction page?

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    If there is no 'product' yet that users can actually use the best I could think of is a landing page type of thing that could also be beneficial for some minimalistic SEO. The site could explain what the web app will be about / what problem it's supposed to solve. You could also have users signup by email for more information or to let them know when it's ready to use.
    – greenforest
    Jun 28, 2012 at 8:15
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    I'd avoid being specific about the number of days to go unless you are very confident about your deadline. You don't want to dissapoint users before they are even using the app.
    – benb
    Jun 28, 2012 at 8:44
  • from a user perspective, I like a short animation which is tightly related with the product or the site you built. the central of the animation of design piece would be product & under construction
    – zinking
    Jun 28, 2012 at 8:50
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    Agreed with @benb; when making a "days till launch" the best practice is to actually have the product done and a release schedule clamped down. If there was any uncertainty no big company would ever release in that manner, for good reason
    – Ben Brocka
    Jun 28, 2012 at 12:33
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    @sree Maybe my.betali.st or kickofflabs.com or launchrock.com are useful services for your purpose
    – greenforest
    Jun 29, 2012 at 8:24

5 Answers 5

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What they all generally have in common:

  • A strong sense of tone and branding
  • A simple explanation of what the page will be used for
  • A way to opt into being notified when the site goes live

The other thing I saw there that makes some sense is giving people the option to get early adopter benefits (like a discount or early access to some features). That helps drive word-of-mouth awareness even before the product launches. That's similar to the recent spate of beta invitation services (where services are soft-launched as invite-only).

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  • wow that was some inspiring data... tnx.
    – sree
    Jun 28, 2012 at 16:11
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Personally I'd avoid any mention of "Under construction" - very late 90's, and doesn't help the user! Instead, tell the user as much as you can about your app, what it does and when they can expect more information - if you're unsure, say something like " towards the end of 2012". Let users register for more information, and for updates. But, don't feel pressured to put something there unless you have some real content. Any site needs to link in to your broader communication strategy. If you're not at that stage yet, leave the site as a simple holding page.

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    Also ... you have users visiting your site. Consider using them to get feedback on your product / approach. Early involvement can help to build engagement and passion for the product.
    – Peter
    Jun 28, 2012 at 14:27
  • tnx so much, can you suggest or perhaps have any reference of such UX implemented in any of the sites? or any link or data?
    – sree
    Jun 28, 2012 at 16:06
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Instead of saying under construction and having a little hard hat or something (quite 90's as @peter mentioned), I would have branding, a top-level description, a coming soon (instead of under construction) with a target release date e.g. "Coming Summer 2012" to drive up the hype.

Also adding in links to your twitter/facebook/g+ pages as well as their respective share buttons. Similarly, a newsletter sign up can help build your mailing list / contacts even before the site is live.

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  • i want to break this traditional stuff and would want to be creative. So any suggestion or solid data on the same? tnx ..
    – sree
    Jun 29, 2012 at 9:13
  • @JonW Why do you keep editing my posts haha? I see no changes.
    – dannydev
    Jun 29, 2012 at 14:29
  • @dannydev we edit out anything like "hi, thanks, my name is..., hope this helps..." as they are not necessary to the answers. We like to keep answers focused purely on the answer and adding signatures / salutations are basically just noise that adds nothing to the answers. Don't take it personally, all StackExchange sites have the same process.
    – JonW ♦
    Jun 29, 2012 at 14:35
  • My bad just being friendly, will keep it laser focused from here on out. Thanks for the heads up I agree with you
    – dannydev
    Jun 29, 2012 at 17:24
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I suggest to have a blog and blog about the new upcoming features on your blog rather than creating "under construction" pages on the website. A good blog post can also bring in more traffic to your blog (and in return) to your website + create awareness about your product and its upcoming features.

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  • good idea, but if i do not post under construction page, would that be nice for a visitor? i mean i do not ceratinly want to see blank pages, that would disappoint me and i may not return if site was up or not.. what u think? :)
    – sree
    Jun 29, 2012 at 9:12
  • it's better to wait and launch when your site is ready then.. because having "under construction" pages will definitely discourage users from returning anyway.
    – Ades
    Jun 30, 2012 at 17:50
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Here is best example for under construction/doing update related page example:

I like these content when page is not found. Smashing Magazine looks great. enter image description here

Image source from: Smashing Magazine

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