Effective Landing Pages
Landing pages… something that is almost never thought of whether your website is gettign a facelift or it's brand spankin' new. We're not talking about splash pages… when you're about to launch a website you need somewhere for your visitors to go intitially. Usually a landing page gives some information on when the site will be live, and an option to opt in for a newsletter and of course some social media links to “stay in touch”. A properly designed landing page generates excitement and can build a following of visitors even before your site goes live; the effects can be tenfold. Immediate effects can be as simple as building a membership base before your site can even take memberships. 
Don't let your landing page grow static. KEEP IT FRESH! Every so often it's great to add some information — maybe even the current status of the buildout of the website. I can remember when this water park here in PHX was being built. They did an outstanding job of tweeting how the buildout process was going. They even went as far as to include pictures of the construction. When the water park opened, people were extremely excited because of the build up to that moment. In addition to building excitement this is a great way to introduce your brand… your logo. Get people familiar with your look and feel and branding! One special thing we do here at Fox Designs is to add a countdown timer. This ensures that people know this landing page hasn't been up for years… it gives a definite countdown to the release date — like a movie release.
Remember, no one knows about your landing page yet. GET THE WORD OUT! We can help you accomplish this by using all the faucets of social media to spread the word. Market your landing page like crazy; the more people that know about it, the more your site will have instant followers when it's released.
Finally, don't bombard your visitors with a landing page that is more of a micro-site. Hold back some information… reserve some of that information for the release. Do, however, give details that are vital to your company. For instance, let's say your an online school. You may want to include some important dates, maybe a downloadable school calendar/class schedule. You may also want to offer the ability to download and try out a beta of your product.
We encourage you to push the boundries and built a lasting memorable web experience with your landing page.