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how to create a waitlist landing page in WordPress

How to Create a Waitlist Landing Page in WordPress 

Written By: author image Stacey Corrin
author image Stacey Corrin
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.
     Reviewed By: Turner John
reviewer image Turner John
John Turner is the co-founder of SeedProd. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to create a waitlist landing page for your business?

While helping a client recently, I explained how a waitlist page is a powerful way to collect leads for your:

  • upcoming product launch
  • service launches
  • website launch

Once you’re ready to go live, you can notify those on your waitlist and encourage them to be among the first to purchase.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a waitlist page in WordPress to increase conversion rates.

How to Create a Waitlist Landing Page:

Step 1. Install and Activate SeedProd

You may have heard that setting up a waitlist landing page is hard in WordPress. But with the right tools, it’s easier than you might think.

For instance, landing page plugins like SeedProd can help you spin up professional pages in under 30 minutes.

SeedProd best WordPress Page Builder

In fact, SeedProd is one of the best WordPress page builders, with over 1+ million users. With hundreds of pre-made landing page templates, it’s easier than ever to get started with a new page fast.

Moreover, SeedProd’s visual drag-and-drop builder lets you customize any page to meet your business goals. And because it doesn’t require any coding or help from a developer, even non-techy users can create a high-converting landing page.

Note: You can also use SeedProd to create a custom WordPress theme, but for today, I’ll focus on the landing page builder.

First, you need to download the SeedProd plugin.

You then need to upload the plugin to your WordPress website and activate it. If you need help, check out this guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

After installing SeedProd, you’ll see a welcome message asking for your SeedProd license key. So paste your key into the license key field and click Verify Key.

Activate the seedprod license key

Note: you can find your SeedProd license key in your account area on SeedProd’s website. Just log in to SeedProd and head to the Downloads section.

Once you verify your key, scroll down and click the Create Your First Landing Page button. That will take you to the landing page dashboard, where you can start creating a new page.

Create your first SeedProd landing page

Step 2. Create a Pre Launch Landing Page

SeedProd’s landing page dashboard has 2 sections. At the top are page modes that allow you to:

SeedProd landing page modes

Plus, you can turn each page on and off with a single button click. The great thing about that is you won’t need lots of extra WordPress plugins to add those features to your website, saving you both time and precious web space.

Then under that section, you can find any standalone landing pages that you make. For this guide, I’ll keep things simple and use the standalone feature to create a waitlist page. So click the Add New Landing Page button to get started.

Add a new landing page in WordPress

On the next screen is SeedProd’s landing page template library. It offers various designs that you can filter by page type, including:

  • Coming soon
  • Maintenance mode
  • 404 page
  • Sales
  • Webinar
  • Lead squeeze
  • Thank you
  • Login

So browse the templates until you find a design close to how you want your waitlist page to look. From there, hover your mouse over the template and click the checkmark icon.

For instance, I like the look of the City Coming Soon Page template, so I’ll pick that one.

Choose a waitlist landing page template

After choosing your template, you can enter your landing page details in the following popup, like its name and URL. From there, click the Save and Start Editing the Page button to launch your template in the drag-and-drop editor.

Enter your landing page details

Step 3. Customize Your Waitlist Landing Page

For the best waitlist landing pages, focus on customization to meet your specific business goals. But before I do that, let’s have a quick look at the visual editor so you can find your way around.

As you can see, SeedProd’s visual editor has 2 primary columns.

SeedProd WordPress landing page builder

You can find blocks and sections for adding content on the left. And on the right, you can preview how your customizations will look.

To customize any element on the page, simply click it, and you’ll see its settings in the left-hand panel. For example, you can change your primary headline by clicking it, deleting the default text, and adding your own.

Customize your waitlist page headline

You can do the same thing for your subheading and change it to something more enticing for your visitors.

Then, you can click the Advanced tab for that block and customize it further. In my case, I gave the subheading a new color to stand out.

Waitlist landing page subheading

Changing the background image is just as easy. To do that, click the cog icon in the bottom-left corner and select the background tab.

SeedProd global settings

From there, you can delete the existing background image and upload a new photo from your computer or WordPress media library. Or, if you have a SeedProd Plus license or higher, you can choose from thousands of royalty-free stock images right inside the plugin.

Change your waitlist landing page background image

How Do I Get People to Join My Waitlist?

Now that you’ve customized your template, you can add more content to your page with SeedProd’s powerful content blocks. The Advanced blocks, in particular, are an excellent way to build anticipation for your big launch.

SeedProd’s lead generation blocks include:

There are even WooCommerce blocks that allow you to add-to-cart buttons and product grids on your page or create completely custom WooCommerce checkout pages.

To make your offer irresistible, consider adding a ‘Join the Waitlist’ call-to-action on your landing page. You can also add some urgency to compel visitors to sign up.

For this, you can use the countdown timer block. Simply drag the Countdown block from the left panel and drop it onto your page.

Add a countdown timer to your waiting list page

Once the timer is in place, you can change its type, choose a different timer template, and adjust the colors. You can also change how the timer behaves when it finishes counting down.

For instance, you can show a message or send users to another page or URL, as I’ve done by choosing the Redirect option.

Countdown trimer redirect options

Now let’s look at the signup form, which our template includes by default. The signup or opt-in form is where you can collect email addresses from visitors who want to join your waiting list.

With SeedProd, you can edit any part of your waiting list form, such as the form fields, size, alignment, and buttons. Additionally, you can select different form field templates and adjust the colors and spacing.

Waitlist landing page optin form

Keep customizing your design until you’re happy with the results. Then, move on to the next step, where I’ll show you how to connect to your email marketing provider.

Step 4. Connect Your Email List

Connecting your opt-in form to your email marketing provider in SeedProd is pretty straightforward. Simply click the Connect tab at the top of your screen.

seedprod email integrations

From there, you can browse popular email marketing services, and when you find yours, follow the instructions to connect your list. If SeedProd doesn’t have direct integration with your email provider, you can always use its Zapier integration.

And on the same page, you also find direct integrations for Google Analytics and Recaptcha.

seedprod zapier integration

Step 5. Configure Your Page Settings

The next step is to ensure that your landing page settings are correct. To do so, click the Page Settings tab and browse each section.

landing page settings

Here’s a quick overview of what each section does:

  • General: In this section, you can change your page title, URL, and publishing status and add your SeedProd affiliate link.
  • SEO: If an SEO plugin is live on your site, you can configure your landing page SEO settings.
  • Analytics: If you already have Google Analytics set up on your website, you can use a Google Analytics plugin to track your landing page performance.
  • Scripts: You can paste header, body, and footer scripts, such as cookies and tracking pixels, from here.
  • Custom Domain: If you have a SeedProd Elite plan, you can use this section to point your landing page to a custom domain name.

After configuring your waitlist landing page settings, click the Save button in the top-right corner.

Step 6. Publish Your Waitlist Landing Page

The final step in this guide on how to create a waitlist landing page is to make it live. To do that, click the dropdown arrow on the save button and select Publish.

Publish waitlist landing page in WordPress

Now, you can preview your page to see how it looks. Here’s a final look at the page I created on my test website:

Example of how to create a waitlist landing page in WordPress

Congratulations!

More Questions About Waitlist Landing Pages

What Is a Waitlist Landing Page?

A waitlist landing page is a standalone page on your website where your target audience can enter their email address and other contact information to join your waiting list. After signing up, you can send users email notifications telling them when they can see your offer.

For example, you might create a waitlist page for:

  • New products or services
  • Launching a website
  • Early access to eCommerce discounts
  • Software beta testing & new features
  • Events and conferences
  • Physical store openings

In this waitlist landing page example that I’ve found, Tapster offers a pre-launch waitlist to promote its new mobile app.

waitlist landing page example
Waitlist landing page example from Tapster

And what makes this pre-launch landing page so compelling is the incentive Tapster offers to encourage users to sign up. As you can see, signing up enters users into a prize draw for VIP access worth $100, making them more likely to take action.

In the end, leading your audience to a waitlist landing page allows you to continue the conversation with them and convert them into customers.

What Are the Essentials of a Waitlist Landing Page?

When creating a waitlist landing page that turns visitors into eager subscribers, certain key elements are crucial.

Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what you need:

1. Clear Value Proposition

Focus your landing page design on explaining your product or service. Use good copywriting techniques to clearly articulate the what, how, and why of your offer.

Waitlist value proposition example
Waitlist landing page example with a clear value proposition

Include a heading, a subheading, and a few bullet points that highlight unique features or user experience benefits. Pair this with a supporting visual to make it more engaging.

2. Compelling Waitlist Offer

Explain the benefits of joining your waitlist. This could be early access, special pricing, or exclusive referral perks. The goal is to make joining feel like a special opportunity, not just a step in the process.

According to HubSpot’s state of marketing report, 94% of marketers agree that personalization boosts sales. This suggests personalized offers for waitlist members can enhance sales and conversion rates.

3. Strong Visuals

Use high-quality images or videos that relate to your product or service. They should capture attention and help convey the value of your offer.

Remember, an image can often speak louder than words in content marketing.

4. Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Your CTA is the gateway to conversions. It should stand out and clearly tell visitors what to do next, such as “Join the Waitlist” or “Get Early Access.”

Ensure your CTA button is easy to see and encourages action.

Waitlist landing page cta example
Waitlist landing page example with bold CTA

Source

5. Social Proof and Sharing

Boost your credibility by including testimonials or user reviews. This social proof shows potential customers that others have benefited from what you offer. Also, include social sharing buttons to encourage visitors to spread the word with the power of social media.

6. Urgency Element

Adding a countdown timer or a note about limited spots can create a sense of urgency. It encourages quicker sign-ups as people generally don’t want to miss out.

Waitlist landing page with countdown timer
Waitlist landing page example with a countdown timer

7. Simple Signup Form

Your form should be easy to fill out, asking only for essential information like an email address. The simpler and more straightforward your form, the higher the likelihood of visitors signing up.

Waitlist landing page form example
Waitlist landing page example with a simple sign up form

I’ve seen firsthand how simplifying your signup form can boost results. In a Klaviyo Community case study, a basic form and a micro-commitment step increased new visitor sign-up rates by a significant 60%.

8. Thank You Page

After signup, direct users to a thank you page. This page should confirm their signup and set expectations about what comes next, like when they will hear from you.

Thank you page example
Example of a thank you landing page

The key to a high-converting waitlist landing page is clarity, simplicity, and a focus on value for the user. By using these elements, your landing page can effectively turn interest into action.

Next, Discover More WordPress Guides

I hope this tutorial helped you learn how to create a waitlist landing page in WordPress. While you’re here, you might also like the following guides to make your landing page more effective:

Thanks for reading! We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment with any questions and feedback.

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author avatar
Stacey Corrin Writer
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.

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