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TOPIC: blog, tutorial, WordPress

How To Collect Email Addresses Before You Launch A Blog

Preparing to launch a new blog or business is super exciting. Luckily, it's easy to set up a Coming Soon page to collect email addresses before you launch!

Preparing to launch a new blog or business is super exciting. There are so many things to consider and the possibility for what the future holds is enough to bring anyone jumping out of bed in the morning with excitement to get started.

But that preparation can also be overwhelming. You’ve got to worry about your:

  • Domain
  • Hosting account
  • Website design or theme
  • Blog posts to launch with
  • Social media accounts
  • Email list
  • And a whole lot more…

Well luckily, there’s one thing that’s easy to set up that will check one thing off your to-do list. And an added bonus is that it can start benefiting you right away, before you’ve even launched!

That is setting up a Coming Soon page to collect email addresses before you launch! I’m sure if you’ve done research on getting your new blog off to a good start, that you’ve read about the importance of email lists. Your list gives you direct access to the people who most enjoy what you do. It’s a place to build community. And it’s a place to build your following into something more.

We started building our list before our the of Coded Creative and had over 100 people to email directly on launch day! As you’d imagine, we got a much warmer welcome than we would have if we’d had a list of 0.

So today we’re going to help you set up a Coming Soon page to collect email addresses, similar to the one we had when we launched. Our final product will look like the image below, but don’t worry, you’ll be able to customize it to fit your brand.

Final coming soon page

If you need some instruction on how to get all setup on WordPress before diving into creating your Coming Soon page, we have some simple instructions for you here.

Plugin Setup

Your simple Coming Soon page will be created with one of our favorite plugins, Coming Soon Page & Maintenance Mode.

Start by going to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress Dashboard.

Add plugin

In the search box on the top-right, search for coming soon. The first option is the one we’re looking for – click Install Now.

Coming soon search

After the installation is complete, click Activate.

Activate plugin

You’ll then be brought directly to the plugin’s main page. If you’re not, go to Settings > Coming Soon Page & Maintenance Mode and make sure you’re on the Content tab.

Plugin settings

From there you can upload your Logo in the Page Settings section

logo

and enter your Headline.

headline

This part is optional, but the default maximum width was a little small for our liking. If you don’t want to be restricted, enter something like 900 in the Max Width field.

Coming soon page max width

In the Message section, add the text you’d like to appear above your sign-up form.

Coming soon page message

 

Create your sign-up form

In this section, we’ll be creating our signup form and adding it to our Coming Soon page. We’re assuming that you’ve already got an account with MailChimp. If you’re using a different platform, the MailChimp-specific portions will not be relevant to you, but you can skip down a few steps until we’re back to the Coming Soon page settings. If you still have to get an account created with MailChimp, you can go here to setup your free account and a List.

To start, go into the Text editor in the Message field.

Coming soon message text view

Now, log into MailChimp and go to Lists in the menu bar.

MailChimp signup forms

Select the Embedded forms option.

MailChimp embedded forms

Deselect Include form title and Show required field indicators. Then set the Form width to 500.

MailChimp form options

Copy the embed code and paste it into the Text field in the Message section back in WordPress.

MailChimp embed code

Delete the blank line between the First Name label and input field. Repeat for the Email Address label and input field.

Before:

field formatting before

After:

field formatting after

 

Customize Display Settings

Now, let’s move on to the Design tab to update some display settings.

Coming soon page display settings

To customize the background of your landing page, upload your background image. Make sure it’s nice and big so you don’t end up with a pixelated background.

Coming soon page background image

Now we’re going to add some custom styles. Scroll down to the Custom CSS section.

Custom CSS

Copy and paste the following CSS into the textbox.

.seed-csp4 body, .seed-csp4 h1,
.seed-csp4 h2, .seed-csp4 h3,
.seed-csp4 h4, .seed-csp4 h5,
.seed-csp4 h6, #mc_embed_signup {
     color: #333 !important;
     font-family: 'YOUR FONT HERE’' !important;
}

#seed-csp4-headline {
     font-weight: bold !important;
     margin-top: 60px !important;
     font-size: 24px;
     margin-bottom: 40px;
}

#mc_embed_signup {
     background: none !important;
     margin-left: auto;
     margin-right: auto;
     margin-top: 40px !important;
}

#mc_embed_signup input {
     border: 2px solid #333 !important;
     border-radius: 0 !important;
}

#mc_embed_signup .button {
     background-color: #YOURCOLORHERE !important;
     border: none !important;
     border-radius: 0 !important;
     height: auto !important;
     font-weight: bold !important;
     padding: 3px 22px !important;
     text-transform: uppercase;
     width: 96% !important;
}

#mc_embed_signup .mc-field-group label {
     text-transform: uppercase;
}

#seed-csp4-description {
     font-size: 16px;
}

Be sure to customize the font-family setting to use your own font and set the background-color (which corresponds to the button color) to your own brand color.

Final coming soon page

Now you can click Live Preview at the top of the page and take a look at your gorgeous new landing page!

To activate your page, go back to the Content tab, select Enable Coming Soon Mode, and then click Save All Changes.

Note: If your Message section editor switched back to Visual, you will have to go back and grab your MailChimp embed code and add it back in and then delete those extra lines for the Email Address and First Name labels. Sometimes WordPress can be a pain  🙂

That’s it!

Now you’ve got a beautiful Coming Soon page that will allow you to gain email subscribers while preparing for your launch!

If you’re still looking for the perfect theme for your WordPress blog, check out or themes in the Shop or join our 3-day mini series all about helping you choose the perfect theme!

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I'm Kory, the color and design loving gal behind Coded Creative. I'm ready and excited to help you create a beautiful and strategic design for your blog and business.

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It’s been pretty quiet around here for a while, It’s been pretty quiet around here for a while, huh? Things have been pretty busy behind the scenes but at the same time it’s been slow, and I’ve been so grateful for that. We were supposed to move last month, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Delays in construction mean that we’re not moving until this month.

I’ll admit it’s derailed some of the ideas I had for the beginning of the year, but it’s also given me time to think about marketing and what I enjoy and where I want to spend my time. I’m excited to explore what feels good and show up more in this space but mostly more for my email list in the coming months.

In the meantime, how’s the year been going for you so far?
Did I ever tell you about the time when I was work Did I ever tell you about the time when I was working on 3 theme designs simultaneously? No? Well, now I am.
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Last summer as I was in the final trimester of pregnancy and getting ready for my maternity leave I was flooded with inspiration.
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It was the first time all year I felt excited about creating and had so many ideas I wanted to bring to life.
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So I started working on one theme, and then I got a hit of inspiration for another (which came to be June and launched in October), and then another.

This is the inspiration images from the last one that I was working on. We have so much going on in our personal life here, but I hope to bring it to life soon!

#wearethecreativeeconomy #createyourpurpose #creativecultivate #fempreneur #womenwithaplan #businessownerlife #herestothecreatives #sayyestosuccess #hustleandheart #findyourflock #thegramgang
You sit down to start working on your brand new ho You sit down to start working on your brand new homepage for your website and you... 
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a. Get it all done easily on the first try,
b. Click around to check out other sites for inspiration before diving in with confidence, or
c. Give up and turn on your favorite show.
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The homepage of your site can be one of the most fun but also most overwhelming to put together because it's the first thing people see on your site - it sets the impression of you and your business, so you don't want to get it wrong.
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Here are a few tips to help you create a strategic homepage:
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✨ Set expectations right away. Consider using the above-the-fold section to tell people what you do and who you do it for.
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✨ Include a clear call-to-action based on what you want viewers to do + why they likely landed on your site somewhere on the page (and make it easy to find).
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✨ Show off your expertise by including some client testimonials or customer reviews for your services or products.
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✨ Tell people a little about yourself. Include a headshot and a concise paragraph with info on what you do and why in a relevant way.
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👉🏽 Bonus tip!! Remember that whitespace is your friend! You don't have to overload your homepage (or any page on your site for that matter) with ALL THE THINGS. Keep it simple.
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#herestothecreatives #sayyestosuccess #hustleandheart #findyourflock #thegramgang #hersuccess #dreamersanddoers #createalifeyoulove #calledtocreate #creativeentrepeneur #creativebiz #creativepreneurs #createlounge #thecreativegrid #savvybusinesswomen #intentionalbusiness #yayforbusiness #hustlewithease #makersandthinkers #smallbizsquad
Raise your hand if you've tried other WordPress th Raise your hand if you've tried other WordPress themes and felt frustrated when it came time to try to set it up on your site? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Yep, I've been there, and I know so many of you have as well.

So many people get turned off of WordPress the first time they try it because they bought that ~beautiful~ theme, and when they started trying to use it they had no clue what they were doing.

When I started working on the June theme last summer, I knew that I wanted to make the theme as easy as possible to setup so my customers would be able to get started easier.

I'm so thrilled that when @julirayebednorz grabbed the theme she had the easiest experience setting it up on her blog, and her blog looks beautiful with it installed!

Swipe ➡️ to take a look!

If you're a blogger looking for a new theme, I hope you'll head to my shop and check out the June theme! I know you'll love it as much as Raye!

#wearethecreativeeconomy #createyourpurpose #creativecultivate #fempreneur #womenwithaplan #makersandthinkers #girlbosshustle #smallbizsquad #bossbabetribe #womenpreneur #workfromwherever #beingboss #therisingtidesociety #standwithsmall #smallandmightybusiness #bloomyellow #intentionalbusiness
Hellooooo February! This is a big month for my fam Hellooooo February! This is a big month for my family, and I can tell you with confidence it will be fueled by all the caffeine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This month we're officially packing up and moving back to South Carolina, and I've been a bundle of anxious nerves over it for the past month already. Moving is one thing, but moving with a 3yo + a 6mo = 🙃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But here's to staying positive, hoping things go smoothly, and feeling grateful for all of the upsides of this big move (including no more deployments for my husband!!). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#alifeofintention #authenticliving #wholeheartedliving #pursuewhatislovely #createyourhappy #thatmomlife #workfromhomemama #lifeonpurpose #mompreneurs #theimperfectwoman
I mean, seriously - can I get an amen? 🙏🏼👏🏽 The number of times I've said this in the past 3 years is well.. you get it 😅🤣 Tag a fellow mompreneur who you know will get it! 
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#shemeansbusiness #savvybusinessowner #smallbizlife #supportsmallbusiness #supportsmallbusinesses #theimperfectboss #babeswhohustle #communityovercompetition #whereiwork #workfromhomelife #workfromanywhere #laptoplifestyle #lessworkmorelife #businessbydesign #femaleentrepreneurassociation #staybossyladies #herbusiness #mompreneurlife #mompreneurs #wahmlife #momsinbiz #sayyestosuccess #thisgirlmeansbusiness #womenwithaplan #femaleceo #creativeentrepreneurs #creativeentrepeneur #creativewomen
STORY TIME // As the new year rolled over, I sat d STORY TIME // As the new year rolled over, I sat down a couple of weeks ago to tie up my bookkeeping for 2020, and I was anxious getting ready to find out what my final numbers were for the year. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You see, if you're new around here 2020 was a year just like everyone else's, but it also wasn't. I spent the first several months of the year coping with morning sickness while taking card of a toddler while my husband was deployed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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During summer I was hit with idea after idea for this business, and I worked as hard as I could to get things launched and updated before my second kiddo was born. Then I took time away from both this business and a separate business I have working 1:1 with clients. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And I knew that it was possible that my income was going to take a decent hit from the rollercoaster of all of that paired with what was going on in the world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But you know what I saw? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I made more money last year than I ever had in business. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That means I made more money while…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉🏽 Focusing on taking care of myself and my family⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏽 Pouring my energy solely into projects that lit me up⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏽 Working hard when I wanted and taking time off when I needed to⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I made more money while posting less on social media, publishing less than a dozen blog posts, and heck, not even sending emails super consistently throughout the year. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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My point in sharing this is that you can succeed doing things your way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sure, you can't just spend all day watching Netflix waiting for clients or customers to show up on their own. But you don't have to drive yourself into the ground to make it happen either. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you're still setting your goals for the year or feeling bad about how last year went, I hope you'll take this message to heart as you move forward throughout 2021!
Do you have a goal this year to work on your websi Do you have a goal this year to work on your website? Or maybe you want to finally start that blog you've been daydreaming about?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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WordPress is one of the leading website platforms for business owners and bloggers, and frankly, it's no surprise why! I recommend it to almost everyone because⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1️⃣ You have complete freedom⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
With WordPress you can accomplish virtually anything on your website - function, design, you name it!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2️⃣ It's easy to get started⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Purchase your domain and hosting, install WordPress, choose and install your theme, and boom! You're already on your way!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3️⃣ Incredibly affordable⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Other platforms charge an arm and a leg, but with WordPress all you pay for is your domain and hosting. Any extra costs come from your theme or getting custom features added!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4️⃣ Versatile⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There are hundreds of different niches of businesses and blogs using WordPress. If you can dream it up, WordPress can work for you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Why do YOU love WordPress? Tell me in the comments 👇🏽 below!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#herestothecreatives #sayyestosuccess #hustleandheart #findyourflock #thegramgang #hersuccess #dreamersanddoers #createalifeyoulove #calledtocreate #creativeentrepeneur #creativebiz #creativepreneurs #createlounge #thecreativegrid #savvybusinesswomen #intentionalbusiness #yayforbusiness #hustlewithease #makersandthinkers #smallbizsquad

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