For most site owners, the words “maintenance mode” still mean one thing: a boring placeholder that says We’ll be back soon. For digital marketing agencies, that kind of page is a wasted opportunity.
Modern tools like the WP Maintenance plugin make it possible to design beautiful, branded coming soon and maintenance pages in minutes, complete with built-in SEO options, email capture, and client access controls. When an agency looks at that, they don’t see downtime. They see a temporary but powerful funnel.
Here’s how a smart digital marketing agency turns a simple “site under construction” screen into something that actually grows the business.
Why agencies love maintenance pages
Agencies live and die by results. If the site is down for a redesign, migration, or rebrand, traffic doesn’t stop. People still click on ads. Links in old newsletters still get opened. Organic visitors still land on pages from Google.
A raw 503 error or a generic blank screen means all of those visits are wasted. A well-designed maintenance page, on the other hand, can:
- Collect email subscribers
- Announce the upcoming launch or new features
- Redirect people to social channels or a temporary landing page
- Reassure existing customers that nothing is “broken”
Plugins like WP Maintenance make this easy with a drag-and-drop builder, ready-made themes, premium images, and access controls that let clients preview the new site while the public sees the branded maintenance page.
For agencies, it’s the perfect low-effort, high-impact piece of every project.
Step 1: Treat the maintenance page as a mini landing page
The biggest mindset shift is simple: a maintenance page should follow the same logic as any good landing page.
That means you still need:
- A clear promise: what’s coming, what’s changing, or why the site is temporarily unavailable.
- One key call to action: usually “Join the waitlist”, “Get launch updates”, or “Follow us here”.
- Basic brand elements: logo, colors, tone of voice, maybe a hero image that fits the brand.
With WP Maintenance, agencies can start from one of 20+ pre-designed themes and tweak the copy, visuals, and layout to match the client’s style, instead of building from scratch. This keeps the dev team focused on the real rebuild while marketing still gets a conversion-ready page.
Step 2: Use “downtime” to grow owned audiences
Every good agency wants clients to rely less on rented audiences (ads, social algorithms) and more on owned ones (email lists, CRM contacts).
A maintenance or coming soon page is an ideal excuse to ask for an email address:
- “Be first to see the new shop”
- “Get an early-bird discount when we launch”
- “Receive migration updates and new feature announcements”
Since WP Maintenance integrates with popular email and CRM platforms, new subscribers can automatically be pushed into the client’s existing marketing stack, ready for launch campaigns.
This means that by the time the new site goes live, there’s already a warm audience waiting.
Step 3: Build SEO momentum before the relaunch
Good agencies don’t pause SEO just because the site is being redesigned. In fact, with the right setup, they can start building momentum before the first new page is published.
Because WP Maintenance includes built-in SEO settings, agencies can:
- Control titles and meta descriptions for the maintenance page
- Set index/noindex rules depending on strategy
- Keep consistent branding while signaling search engines that the outage is temporary
For long projects, agencies sometimes swap the generic “under maintenance” copy with a short SEO-optimized teaser that includes the brand name and core keyword themes. That way, the site keeps signaling relevance, instead of disappearing from search results during development.
Step 4: Give clients controlled sneak peeks
Client communication is a big part of agency work. Stakeholders want to see progress without exposing half-finished designs to the world.
Here, WP Maintenance’s secret access links and flexible access rules are a lifesaver. Agencies can let specific IPs or users bypass the maintenance page, or share a secret URL that shows the live build only to the client team.
That keeps feedback loops short and private, while every regular visitor still lands on the polished maintenance or coming soon page.
Step 5: Tie campaigns and analytics to the page
If a brand is running ads, social campaigns, or email pushes during a rebuild, traffic should never hit a dead end.
Agencies can send all that traffic to the maintenance page, making sure it includes:
- UTM-tagged links to social profiles or temporary landing pages
- An opt-in form tied to the right segment or list
- An analytics setup that tracks views, sign-ups, and clicks
Because WP Maintenance works with Google Analytics and common marketing stacks, agencies can still report meaningful KPIs even while the main site is in flux.
Where a digital marketing agency fits into all this
Not every business has the time or expertise to turn a simple maintenance page into a full mini-funnel. That’s where a digital marketing agency comes in.
A specialist team like Fortis Media can help define the message, build the funnel, configure tracking, and align everything with ongoing SEO and paid media strategies, so the “under construction” period actually supports growth instead of pausing it.
From choosing the right WP Maintenance theme and crafting persuasive microcopy, to integrating email tools and setting up analytics, an agency makes sure downtime is never truly “down” time.
Final thought
Maintenance and coming soon pages used to be an afterthought. With the right WordPress plugin and the right digital marketing partner, they’re another touchpoint in your funnel.
If you’re already investing into a redesign, migration, or launch, don’t hide behind a generic “We’ll be back soon” banner. Treat your WP Maintenance page like a campaign, and let your digital marketing agency turn every visit into a chance to connect, convert, or at least stay in touch until the big reveal.
