Wanna know the problem with an “under construction” page? Well, there are several. First, your content (or lack thereof) gets indexed and the cashed version of your page may not be updated for a while. Second, nobody knows how long you’ve been under construction, nor how long you’ll be that way. Third, it leaves a deflated feeling in your visitors when they click a link on your main page.

I recommend using these “coming soon” pages very sparingly. Don’t create a large graphical link to some awesome feature that you’re going to release soon and allow people to click through to an “under construction” note. Just leave the graphic link-free for now. Nonetheless, sometimes an under construction or coming soon (my preferred syntax) page is necessary. When it is, make the most of it.

1. Resist the temptation to reveal too much.

A well-designed page is great, but don’t offer a nice, graphically-intensive header, a full sidebar, and one little line of text announcing that the site will be online soon. Keep your site’s design behind the scenes and use an alternative design that is small and simple so that it doesn’t look empty. Empty buildings are awkward for public speakers as well as the tiny audiences they serve. The same is true on a full page with one tiny little line of text.

2. Make your contact information available.

Often a coming soon page creates questions as to the legitimacy of a site. Is there really anybody working on the construction crew at all? A simple contact form or email address would be a nice addition, just to let someone know you’re truly going to return their call later.

3. Don’t lose the visitor forever – keep in touch.

One of the biggest mistakes is hoping that someone will actually check in again. Do you ever think to go back to the page you visited once for no apparent reason to see if construction is complete? Neither do your site’s visitors. So if you’re using blogging software or a feed service, put the RSS link there so they’ll be notified of your first post. You can also allow the visitors to sign up for an email update, but they probably won’t do it.

4. Be a little bit creative.

Don’t use the lines “This page is under construction” or “our site will be online soon.” Why? because those are not things people say – they are things that signs say, and nobody can relate to a sign. What about, “Wow, you’re here early! We’re flattered but also a bit embarrassed that we’re not quite dressed yet, so let us notify you when we’re ready… just fill out this form…” Doesn’t that feel a bit more human?

5. Provide some simple resource links.

Whatever your niche is, go ahead and capitalize on all the free junk online by offering some helpful links. This is kind of like living on a dead end, and welcoming people to turn around in your driveway. You obviously want to avoid sending people to your competitors, but you could at least suggest some nice options. If nothing else, people may remember you for providing them a good link.

Maybe the whole “under construction” topic doesn’t seem necessary, but I wrote this article after visiting two sites consecutively that offered me the classic lines mentioned above. So I thought I’d throw this “pre-marketing” help your way. More help is coming soon…

I’m normally not a fan of sticky. Seeing the juice of an apple run down gives me the heebie-jeebies, and one of the most frustrating things to do is get a little bit of sugary soda on the outside of the cup. Remember that scene in Christmas Vacation when Clark Grizwald can’t get the sap off his hands? That scene haunts me to this day – can’t stand sticky!

But in the online world, sticky is good. In fact, it’s crucial. There are three basic layers of the web. There’s the stuff that happens under the surface on the server, in the database, and in the programming. Then there’s the content – the text, video, photos, etc. that appear on the site. Finally there’s the user interface – the design that makes it all look good.

I spend most of my time on the design, but all three layers are important. You see, you can get a first slot in Google’s search results for your particular keyword, but if someone visits your site and the programming stalls everything, the content is shabby, or the design causes emotional pain and anguish, people leave. So it’s really imperative that your site become “sticky.” For the beginners among us in the world of web marketing, here are some secrets to having a truly sticky site…

1. Make sure it works. Sounds like a no-brainer, but there’s more to it than you might think. Host with a reputable company on as fast a server as possible or you’ll wind up losing customers in the middle of a site visit when the site crashes. When that happens, the browse elsewhere. Also, make sure your programming is as sleek and lightweight as possible. Bloated code will bring your site to a screeching halt. Re-querying already queried query results will result in a redundant, infinite loop of queried queries that run on and on, even longer than this sentence. They’ll kill your server’s response time and your visitors won’t stick.