So I got this idea in my head after seeing an empty storefront downtown last Tuesday. Felt kinda dead, you know? Made me think about this little online store I’m setting up for my homemade woodwork – coasters, cutting boards, that kinda thing. The website was ready, kinda, but figuring out the payment stuff was taking forever. Didn’t want folks to hit the page and just see nothing, or worse, an error message.
Why Bother Putting Up a Sign?
I remembered those “Coming Soon” pages people use for websites. Decided to try it out for my shop. Figured it was better than radio silence while I battled with tech demons.
First thing, I slapped together a super simple page. Just a picture of my workshop, maybe my favorite cutting board piece, and one big clear line: “Handcrafted Woodwork – Opening Very Soon!” Wanted it dead simple, no clutter.
Next step? I popped in a little box asking people to leave their email if they wanted to know the exact minute the shop went live. Easy, right? Nothing fancy.
Finally, I pointed my shop’s web address to this new Coming Soon page instead of the messy, unfinished site. Took maybe an hour total, honestly.
What Actually Happened Next? Way More Than Expected!
Now, I wasn’t expecting miracles. Just wanted something better than a blank screen. But man, stuff started happening!
- People Actually Signed Up! Emails started trickling in. Friends, folks from Instagram, even some randoms! Suddenly I had a list of people waiting before I even sold a single thing.
- Folks Started Asking Questions! Got DMs asking about specific items, like cutting board sizes or wood types. People were curious! The sign wasn’t just a placeholder, it was making people interested.
- Felt Way Less Pressure! Knowing people were seeing the page and signing up? Took the edge off. I wasn’t rushing like a madman anymore to fix the checkout. Could breathe and get it done right.
- Buzz… Real Buzz! By launch day, we had like 50 emails waiting. Shared the opening news, and boom – we had a proper launch! People came clicking, ready to shop. No awkward starting-from-zero feeling.
Bottom line? That little “Coming Soon” sign did heavy lifting I totally underestimated. It wasn’t just a “We’re working on it” note. It started building actual interest and gave me breathing room. Simple idea, huge payoff. Definitely sticking with this tactic next time!
