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Keepsake Project Management, Freelancers, DesignersLanding page ideas for an app launch: 12 structures with copy templates
A landing page for an app launch needs one goal, one audience and one clear action. The best structures are problem-first, waitlist, demo-first, before-and-after, three-step, founder story, price-first, alternative-to, use-case, progress page, download page and single-screen. Pick the one that fits what you can show today, then fill in the copy template and test it with real visitors.
What does an app landing page need?
A landing page is one page with one job: get a visitor to take one action, such as joining a waitlist, trying the app or buying. Everything on it should serve that action. If you have three goals, you have three pages.
Visitors scan before they read. Nielsen Norman Group’s research on how users read on the web found that 79 percent of its test users always scanned a new page and only 16 percent read word by word. The same research found that concise, scannable text scored far better for usability than long blocks. So write short lines, use headings that say something, and put the point first.
| Part | Its job | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Say what the app does for whom, in one line | Could a stranger repeat it after five seconds? |
| Subheadline | Add the how or the proof in one more sentence | Does it answer “so what?” |
| Visual | Show the product or the result, not a stock photo | Does it show a real screen or outcome? |
| Proof | Evidence the app works: a real quote, a number you can source, a demo | Can you show where each claim came from? |
| Call to action | One button with one verb | Is it the only thing asking for a click? |
| Questions | Answer the two or three doubts that stop sign-ups | Is price, privacy or data covered? |
Proof deserves a warning. Do not invent testimonials, user counts or logos. In the United States the Federal Trade Commission has a rule on fake or false consumer reviews and testimonials, and a made-up quote is a bad foundation for a launch anyway. If you have no proof yet, use a demo, a clear explanation and your own story.
Which landing page ideas work before the app is built?
Before launch you are selling an expectation. The page has to make the problem feel real and give people a reason to leave an email. These five structures need nothing but words and one image.
01 The problem-first page
Open with the situation your visitor knows, then show your app as the answer.
- Best for
- Ideas with a sharp, relatable pain
- Structure
- Pain, cost of the pain, your answer, how it works, action
- Risk
- A vague pain makes the page sound like every other page
Name the moment, not the category. “Every Sunday evening you open six tabs to work out what is due this week” is stronger than “Struggling with planning?”. The reader should recognise themselves in the first line.
Headline: [The specific moment] shouldn’t take [the time or effort it takes now]. Subheadline: [Product name] [does one thing] for [specific person]. Pain (3 lines): [What it looks like today] / [What it costs them] / [Why the usual fixes fail] Answer: [Product name] [does X] so you [get Y]. Button: Join the waitlist
First version: one headline, three lines of pain, one email field. Extension: a short clip showing the moment, then the fix.
02 The one-field waitlist page
A single sentence, one screenshot or sketch, and an email box.
- Best for
- Testing demand in a weekend
- Structure
- Headline, one visual, email field, one line about what happens next
- Risk
- An email alone does not prove people will pay
The fewer elements, the cleaner the signal. Tell people what happens after they sign up (“I will email you once, when it opens”) so the form does not feel like a trap. A board idea such as Was this actually on sale? fits this format: one sentence is enough to tell whether shoppers care.
Headline: [Outcome] for [specific person]. Line under it: I’m building [product name]. Leave your email and I’ll write once, when it’s ready to try. Field: Email address Button: Tell me when it’s ready Footer line: One email at launch. No list sharing.
First version: the text and a form that stores addresses. Extension: a follow-up question after sign-up asking what they would use it for.
03 The before-and-after page
Two columns: how the task goes now and how it goes with your app.
- Best for
- Apps that save steps or time
- Structure
- Old way, new way, proof of the difference, action
- Risk
- Exaggerating the old way, which readers see through
Count real steps. “Before: open the bank site, download a CSV, paste it into a sheet, fix the dates. After: forward the email.” A comparison readers can check line by line is more believable than adjectives.
Headline: Stop [painful old way]. Start [new way]. Before (list 3–4 real steps): 1. [Step] 2. [Step] 3. [Step] After (list 1–2 steps): 1. [Step] 2. [Step] Line: [Number] steps become [number]. Button: Try it
First version: the two lists as text. Extension: a side-by-side screen recording.
04 The three-step page
Explain the whole app as three short steps with one image each.
- Best for
- Apps with a clear input, process and output
- Structure
- Headline, three steps, what you get, action
- Risk
- Steps that are really features in disguise
Each step is a user action and a result. Avoid steps like “Powerful insights”. Write what the person does: “Photograph the bill. Check the numbers. See what to ask for.”
Headline: [Outcome] in three steps. 1. [Verb] [thing the user provides] 2. [Verb] [what they check or choose] 3. [Verb] [what they receive] Line: No account needed. [Or: Free while we test.] Button: Start
First version: text steps with simple icons. Extension: a two-minute walkthrough clip.
05 The founder-story page
A short, honest account of why you are building this, written in the first person.
- Best for
- Solo builders with a real personal reason
- Structure
- The day it happened, what you tried, what you are building, how to follow
- Risk
- A made-up story; use only the true one
People back people when there is no brand yet. Keep it to four short paragraphs, include one concrete detail, and say what stage the app is at. If the build is open, link to updates, and see how to build in public for what to share.
Headline: Why I’m building [product name]. P1: [The specific day or event that caused it, with one detail.] P2: [What you tried first and why it fell short.] P3: [What you’re building and the one thing it does.] P4: [Where you are now, and how people can follow or try it.] Button: Follow along
First version: the four paragraphs and a sign-up field. Extension: a weekly progress note linked from the page.
Which landing page structures work once the app is live?
With a working app you can show instead of tell. These seven structures put the product or the buyer’s decision at the centre of the page.
01 The demo-first page
Let the visitor use a small version of the app before they sign up.
- Best for
- Tools with a quick result, such as a checker or a calculator
- Structure
- Headline, live try-it box, result, sign-up for the full version
- Risk
- A demo that needs explaining defeats its purpose
The strongest proof is the visitor’s own result. A board idea such as Photograph any bill and see if you’re overpaying suits this structure: show one sample bill result right on the page. No account is needed to see value.
Headline: [Try the result now]. No sign-up. Box: [Input field or upload] -> Button: [Verb the thing] Result area: [What they get, shown instantly] Below it: Want to save this or do more? [Create a free account / join the paid plan]
First version: one input and one output. Extension: save the result behind a sign-up.
02 The price-first page
Show the price on the first screen and sell the product to people who are ready to buy.
- Best for
- Tools with a clear paid offer and a narrow buyer
- Structure
- Headline, price, what is included, refund or trial terms, buy button
- Risk
- Overpromising in the included list
Putting the price up front filters out people who will never pay, and it saves you time on feedback from the wrong audience. State what is and is not included. If you are not sure what to charge, the guide to pricing a micro SaaS helps you choose.
Headline: [Outcome] for [specific person]. Price: USD [amount] [a month / once / a year]. [One line on what is included.] Included: [Item] / [Item] / [Item] Not included: [One honest limit] Terms: [Trial length or refund policy in one line] Button: Get [product name]
First version: a payment link and the text. Extension: a comparison of two plans.
03 The alternative-to page
A page for people already searching for a product you replace.
- Best for
- Apps with a clear existing rival and a clear difference
- Structure
- Who this is for, what is different, a fair comparison table, action
- Risk
- Unfair claims about the rival; keep every row factual and checkable
Be fair. State what the other product does well and where yours differs. Check each row against the rival’s own site and say the date. Readers trust honest comparisons and leave dishonest ones.
Headline: A simpler alternative to [rival] for [specific person]. Line: [Rival] is good at [real strength]. [Product name] is built for people who [specific difference]. Table: Feature | [Rival] | [Product name] (3–5 rows, each verifiable) Checked on: [date] Button: Try [product name]
First version: the table and a short intro. Extension: a migration guide from the rival.
04 The use-case page
One page per audience, each with its own headline and example.
- Best for
- Apps that different groups use differently
- Structure
- Audience headline, their scenario, how the app fits, action
- Risk
- Copying one page ten times with only the nouns changed
A tutor, a driving instructor and a physio all need bookings, but they say different things when they describe the problem. Write each page from an actual conversation with that group so the words are theirs.
Headline: [Product name] for [audience]. Scenario: [One real situation this audience faces, in their words.] Fit: [Three things the app does for this audience, each one line.] Example: [A sample of their data or a screenshot using their terms.] Button: Start your [audience] setup
First version: two audience pages. Extension: a page for each audience that converts well.
05 The progress page
A page built around a public roadmap, changelog and recent updates.
- Best for
- Builders who ship in the open
- Structure
- Headline, latest update, roadmap, how to follow, sign-up
- Risk
- A page that goes quiet looks abandoned
Your freshness is the pitch. Show three recent dated updates and a short list of what is next. Only promise what you plan, and mark each item as planned, building or shipped.
Headline: [Product name], built in the open. Latest: [Date] — [What shipped, one line] Building now: [Item] Next: [Item] / [Item] How to follow: [Email / link to updates] Button: Get updates
First version: a dated list you edit by hand. Extension: a changelog generated from your commits.
06 The download page
A mobile-app page that leads with a screenshot and the store badges.
- Best for
- Apps that are live in the App Store or on Google Play
- Structure
- Headline, screenshot, store badges, three benefits, FAQ
- Risk
- Using the badges wrongly; follow each store’s rules
Apple publishes marketing guidelines for its App Store badges: use its badge artwork unmodified, prefer the black badge, and place it in a subordinate position to the main message. Google has its own badge page, so read both before you design the page.
Headline: [Outcome] on your phone. Screenshot: [The main screen with real, non-private data] Badges: [App Store badge] [Google Play badge] Three benefits: [Short line] / [Short line] / [Short line] Questions: Is it free? What data do you store? Which devices?
First version: one screenshot and badges. Extension: a QR code for people viewing on a laptop.
07 The single-screen page
Everything fits in one screen on a phone: line, picture, button.
- Best for
- Tiny tools and weekend projects
- Structure
- Name, one line, one image, one button
- Risk
- Too little context for a paid product
Not every project needs a long page. If the tool is free and does one thing, a short page keeps the focus on use. Add a paragraph only when a visitor's likely question needs answering.
[Product name] [One line: what it does for whom.] [One image of the result.] [Button: Open the tool] Small print: [Who made it, contact, privacy in one line.]
First version: the five lines. Extension: add a short FAQ if the same questions arrive by email.
How do you know if your landing page works?
Conversion rate is visitors who took the action divided by all visitors. Measure it from your own analytics and be wary of small numbers. Ten visitors and two sign-ups is 20%, but it tells you almost nothing. Wait for a few hundred visitors from one source before you compare versions, and change one thing at a time.
| Source | Visitors | Sign-ups | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch directory post | 320 | 19 | 5.9% |
| Community thread | 140 | 21 | 15.0% |
| Search engine | 60 | 2 | 3.3% |
These figures are an illustration. They show why you compare by source: the community thread brought fewer visitors but more sign-ups, so that audience matches your page. The free launch directory traffic calculator does this arithmetic for your own numbers.
- Check the button, not the page. If people scroll to the button and do not click, the offer is unclear.
- Ask five visitors to describe the page. If they cannot say what it does, rewrite the headline.
- Test on a phone. Many visitors arrive on one.
- Add privacy and data lines. People ask what you do with their email.
How do you build the page quickly?
A static page is enough for most launches. An AI coding tool can generate one from a clear brief. Paste your copy in, state the structure, and ask for a plain, fast page with no extras.
Build a single static landing page in plain HTML and CSS. No framework, no tracking scripts. Structure: [name the structure above, e.g. problem-first]. Copy: use exactly the text below, do not rewrite it: [paste headline, subheadline, sections, button label] Behaviour: the button opens a mailto link / submits the email field to [endpoint]. Requirements: readable at 375 px width, one column on phones, contrast of text on background passes WCAG AA, page weight under 200 KB, a visible focus style on every button. After building, list any requirement you did not check.
The AI coding prompt builder can structure a longer brief. If you do not yet have an app to put behind the page, look through the ideas on the board, each of which has a ready build prompt, and pick one worth a test page.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a good landing page for an app?
A good app landing page has one goal, a headline that says what the app does for whom, a real visual of the product or result, honest proof, and a single call to action. Keep text short and scannable, and answer price and privacy questions on the page.
What should go above the fold on a landing page?
Put the headline, a one-sentence subheadline, a visual of the product and the main button above the fold. A visitor should understand what the app does and what to click without scrolling. Support details like questions and extra benefits can sit lower on the page.
How long should a landing page be?
As long as it takes to answer the visitor’s questions and no longer. A free one-job tool can work on a single screen. A paid product with an unfamiliar idea usually needs more: how it works, price, and answers to doubts. Test a shorter version if people don’t finish reading.
Do you need a landing page before you build the app?
No, but a simple page can show whether anyone cares before you spend weeks building. A headline, one visual and an email field is enough to learn something. Remember that an email address is a weaker signal than a payment or a pre-order.
Can you use fake testimonials on a landing page?
No. Invented testimonials mislead visitors, and in the United States the FTC has a rule against fake or false consumer reviews and testimonials. Use real quotes with permission, a live demo, or your own story instead. If you have no proof yet, say so by showing the product.
What is a good landing page conversion rate?
No single number applies to every app, because it depends on traffic source and what you ask people to do. Compare your own pages by source and change one thing at a time. Be careful with small samples, since a few visitors can swing the percentage.
Created with AI assistance and edited for this site. Examples are illustrative and do not represent customer research. About the publisher.