Some activities aren't ready to book yet — but the demand is already there.
Maybe you've got a new dive site coming online, a Cozumel trip in the planning stages, a new course launching next quarter, or a major event (like a wreck deployment) on the horizon. Instead of leaving your customers to guess, a well-structured "Coming Soon" page captures interest, builds your email list, and gives you a warm audience the moment bookings open.
This guide walks through the recommended structure for a Coming Soon / Waitlist page on your Squarespace site, with a Google-friendly layout that ranks for searches like "[event/dive site/trip name] booking" before bookings even exist.
Time: ~2 hours.
What this kind of page does well
A good Coming Soon page should:
Capture emails of interested customers so you can announce launch
Build SEO authority for the topic before bookings open (so you outrank competitors when search interest peaks)
Tell the story of why the activity is worth waiting for
Set expectations about timing and what's coming
Pre-segment your audience so you can market to them based on interest
The goal: when bookings open, you have a list of warm leads ready to convert — not strangers you have to find from scratch.
Recommended page structure
We've seen the strongest results from this 7-section structure. You can shorten or expand depending on the topic, but this is a solid starting framework.
Section 1 — Hero Banner
A high-impact full-width banner with:
Eyebrow text: the timeframe (e.g., "Coming Spring 2026")
H1 headline: what the activity is — clear and specific
Tagline: one sentence on why it matters
Primary CTA: "Join the Waitlist" → links to the signup form below
Secondary CTA (optional): "Read the Story" → links to the story section
💡 Use an evocative background image — the dive site, the boat, an underwater shot. Avoid stock photography; use your own where possible.
Section 2 — The Story
A 2-paragraph narrative section explaining:
The history or backstory of the activity/site
What makes it special
Why divers will want to be among the first
Pair it with an image — historical photo, rendering, or an evocative shot.
💡 This section is where most of your SEO value comes from. Write naturally, but make sure the activity name, location, and key search terms appear at least once each.
Section 3 — Stats Row (optional but powerful)
A 4-column row of big-number facts about the activity. Examples:
For a wreck deployment: Length · Tons · Deployment year · Largest reef ranking
For a new trip: Days · # of dives · Group max · Cost from
For a new course: Days · # of dives · Group max · Tuition
Big numbers grab attention, signal credibility, and make the page scannable.
Section 4 — Why This Matters
A reversed image+text section answering "why should I care?" Use a bulleted list to make 4–5 specific reasons concrete.
Section 5 — Project Timeline
A vertical timeline showing the major milestones leading up to launch. Examples:
2024 — Project announced
2025 — Preparation phase
Spring 2026 — Launch
Mid-March 2026 — Bookings open with [your business]
Summer 2026 — First dives
Timelines build excitement and signal that the project is real, planned, and on track.
Section 6 — Waitlist Form ⭐
This is the most important section on the page. The other sections exist to drive customers here.
Setup:
Section anchor:
waitlist(so the hero CTA scrolls here)Form storage: Connect to Mailchimp or Squarespace Email Campaigns
Tag the audience: Use a specific tag like
SSUS_Waitlist,Cozumel_2026, or[ActivityName]_Waitlist— this is your goldmine when bookings open
Form fields:
First Name (required)
Email (required)
Phone (optional, for SMS alerts)
Multi-select: "I'm interested in" — list the variants of the activity (recreational vs advanced, group vs private, photography, etc.) so you can segment your follow-up
Submit button text: Make it specific — "Reserve My Spot" or "Add Me to the List" works better than generic "Submit."
💡 Add the activity-specific tag to every signup. When bookings open, you can email exactly the right segment with exactly the right offer — instead of blasting your whole list.
Section 7 — FAQ
A 6–8 question accordion answering the questions every interested customer will have. Common questions:
When will the activity be available?
What certification / experience level is required?
How deep / how far / how long?
What's the cost?
When do bookings open?
Can I bring my own equipment?
Is there a deposit required?
What's the cancellation policy?
Set the first FAQ item to default open so visitors immediately see at least one answer when they scroll.
When to switch from "Coming Soon" to "Live"
Once the activity is bookable on Buddy, swap the page:
Update the hero copy — change the headline from "Coming Soon" to the live name (e.g., "Travel with Us" or "Dive the SS United States")
Add a Trip Card / Activity Card section below the story — link to the actual Buddy booking flow
Keep the waitlist form — even after launch, it captures interest in future versions of the activity (next year's trip, the next deployment, etc.)
Email your waitlist first — they signed up specifically for this announcement; let them book before going public
💡 You don't need to delete the Coming Soon page. Just edit it in place, swap a few sections, and re-publish. Keeping the same URL preserves the SEO value you built up while it was a Coming Soon page.
✅ Final checklist
Before publishing:
H1 used exactly once (the page title)
Page is set to public so search engines can index it
Page-level SEO Title and Description filled in (Pages → ⚙️ → SEO tab)
Hero CTA scrolls to the waitlist form
Form connected to your email list with a specific audience tag
Form submission tested (real email comes through)
Mobile preview looks clean
Social share preview tested at opengraph.xyz
Want help with this?
Email [email protected] and let us know what you're launching — we'll walk you through how to add us as contributors on your Squarespace site so we can build the page for you to review.
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