How To Make The Most Of Your Website 404 Error Page
By Gavin Kilgallon on Thursday, 21 November 2024
A 404 error page is displayed when the website page you are trying to access cannot be found. Usually, this is due to a page not existing or an incorrect URL address being entered. There are other reasons why a 404 error page is shown, which will be covered later in this article.
As a website owner, 404 errors can look unprofessional and cause people to give up and leave your website.
This article will explore the causes of a 404 error and how to transform it into an opportunity to engage with potential customers, turning a negative situation into a positive result.
Main Reasons For A 404 Error
When users see a 404, they usually presume that the page does not exist and there is an issue with the website. Although this is often the case (where a page has been removed or the URL changed without a proper redirect), there are other situations when a 404 will be displayed.
- Manually entering an incorrect URL.
- A link from an external website might have the incorrect URL.
- Browser issues such as caching of an old page that no longer exists.
- Regional restrictions that do not allow access from certain locations.
- Temporary technical problems with the ISPs.
- Old bookmarks that are linked to previous versions of pages (although these should still have a redirect).
Turning 404 Errors Into Wins
At ID Studio, our web design and development team considers a 404 page as an opportunity to be creative, showcase our ingenuity, and add additional CTAs. Below are some ideas to include on a 404 page to help retain and convert your visitors. Many of these will depend upon the type of website (marketing, e-commerce, showcase) and the industry you work in.
Brand Consistency
Ensure that the page design reflects your brand and website to maintain consistency. There is nothing worse than seeing a standard browser-generated 404 error page.
Clear Message
Let the user immediately know what has happened, and allow them to navigate directly to other core sections of the website.
CTAs
Provide a call to action that helps enforce your core website objectives. For example, on our 404 page, we have included a link to our showcase area and contact form.
Provide A Search Option
Provide users with easy access to information they initially intended to find. By providing search functionality, visitors can search for the page they were previously looking for.
Make It Fun
Often, websites will make light of the situation, humouring visitors to keep their attention and reduce bounce rates. One of our previous 404 pages allowed users to play an old retro game, which received great feedback and kept visitors on our site.
Revisit Your 404
It is easy to create and forget about the 404 page. As a web agency, we would advise against this approach. It is important to make sure that content is still relevant, imagery and design align with your brand, and the page still promotes your core website objectives.
Use Analytics For Insights
Google Analytics can help improve the 404 page and overall website experience. Some useful insights that it can provide include:
- The entry sources to the 404 page, some of these might be in your control to fix them.
- How long did visitors stay on the page? Are they engaged?
- Where did visitors navigate from the 404 page or did they immediately leave the site (bounce)?
Summary
I hope we have shown that a 404 error page can present an opportunity rather than an obstacle. In an ideal world, you wouldn't need them, but as we have outlined, even if your website is perfect, you have no control over external links to it. Contact ID Studio to discuss how we can create an engaging, unique 404 error page for your website.
