Anyone here launch with just a landing page and email capture before the product was built? How did you use those signups?
I'm building a SaaS product for a pretty niche market (AI follow-up automation for moving companies) and I put up a landing page with an email capture before writing any real product code.
The page explains what the product does, shows a simple 3-step "how it works," has pricing ranges, and the CTA is "get early access" instead of "join the waitlist." I wanted it to feel like you're getting in, not waiting in line.
The site is live and connected to a database that collects emails. I'm also doing direct outreach to potential design partners in my area for hands-on feedback. So the landing page is running in parallel with that.
Here's where I'd love some advice from people who've done this before:
What did you actually do with the emails once you had them? I know the obvious answer is "email them when you launch" but I've seen people talk about using the list in smarter ways during the build phase. Drip updates, asking for input on features, getting early feedback on messaging, stuff like that.
How many signups did you need before you felt like there was real signal vs. just curiosity? I don't want to over-index on 20 emails from people who were half paying attention, but I also don't want to ignore early interest.
Did the landing page actually help you refine the product, or was it mostly a vanity metric? I've already learned a few things from how people interact with the page (which sections they scroll past, where they drop off) but curious if others got meaningful insight from their pre-launch page.
For context, my target customer is a blue collar owner-operator who doesn't use much software. So the landing page had to be dead simple. No feature comparison tables. No technical jargon. Just "you send the quote, we follow up, you get a call when they're ready to book."
Appreciate any lessons from people who've been through this. Especially if you were building for a non-technical audience. What worked? What was a waste of time?