(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
Loading ...When it comes to laying out your website, there are a huge range of possibilities in terms of not only design and layout, but the actual structure of your site. There are categories to worry about, a page to describe your site and, of course, you need to think about what happens when you remove content or a surfer comes in expecting to see a page that was either linked incorrectly or has been moved. The 404 error is the traditional html error that a user receives when they visit a page that is no longer online. These can be one of the most frustrating things to encounter while surfing the web, so if you as a site owner can help ease that frustration – you definitely should.
Here is a list of 10 things you can do with your 404 page to make it actually useful for your visitors:
- Turn It Into a Site Map – That’s right, if you want to encourage your users to look through your site, this is a great way to go. By turning that 404 into a site map, you gain a lot of traction with visitors. In case what they were looking for has been moved, they can find it quickly. In case it’s not there at all, they might find something else they want to check out.
- Place a Search Bar on Your 404 – This is an excellent way to get visitors to try and see what else they might want that your site offers. It’s quick, it’s friendly and it’s easy to understand. Content that’s been shuffled to another part of your site can be tracked down in no time and your visitors will be delighted to find it.
- Make a Funny 404 Page – Instead of the boring 404 ‘Page cannot be found’ message, why not turn your page into a comical error image? Give your users the idea that you know they might be flustered to not find what they were looking for and that you’re trying to brighten that moment up. Nothing wins people over like a good laugh.
- Turn it Into a List of Popular Pages – Why present users with nothing relevant for a 404 when you could simply show them the content that’s most popular on your site? This is a quick way to see if they still want to stick around and browse a little.
- Add a 404 Deal of the Day – If you run an ecommerce site such as an online shop, then you really can benefit from your 404 visitors by offering them a special discount on something you sell. This way, instead of getting fed up, they might just make a purchase or shop a while longer.
- A Form to Report Broken Links – Turn those frustrated visitors into helpful visitors. Let them report links that are broken by submitting a quick form to let you know where the error is so you can fix it. This will show them you’re serious about keeping your site up to date.
- Add Links to Your Social Networking Profiles or Affiliate Products – Too many sites let those 404 visitors disappear. Why not leverage them by inviting them to your profile on Facebook or an equally entertaining site? There, they can tell you what’s broken. You could also offer a product for sale through an affiliate program. This is great for sales sites.
- Customize That 404 - This is the very least you can do with a 404 page. Never leave it standard because that simply makes it appear to your visitor that you don’t maintain your site.
- Make Your 404 Auto Notify You – Some believe you should never ask the user to report a 404. They suggest that you have your 404 errors email you automatically so you always know when a link is broken. Several emails let you know there’s a problem that needs to be fixed right away.
- Drop the 404 Altogether – You don’t technically need a 404 page. Lose the confusing 404 error message and simply choose another way to state the issue in plain English. Users appreciate this far more than esoteric numbers.
Related Themes:
