Most people don’t pay much attention to the 404 page, but you can make good use of it.
A 404 page is an error page that users get to when they try to access a page that is not on your website.
This situation occurs because of an outdated link or an incorrectly entered URL, but either way, visitors periodically see this page.
The good news is that the 404 page doesn’t have to be the client’s final page. It can also lead visitors to conversions by keeping them on your website.
The 404 page should match the overall style of the site. Don’t make it boring just by putting the text “Oops something went wrong” don’t scare customers away. To motivate the user to linger and see more information, the page should be bright and offer alternatives.
Add a call to action.
Exactly how to make a difference is to create a targeted call to action.
There are many calls to action that you can use, you just need to decide what is right for your brand.
The most popular examples of calls to action that you can use:
- Sign up for an email newsletter.
- Follow the news on social media.
- Popular blog posts.
- Popular pages.
- Add a way for people to report a broken link.
- Catalog link.
- Link to a promotions page.
The goal of the call to action is to get the user to stay on the website and find what they’re looking for. If your goal is to increase social media followers, then it makes sense to direct visitors there, but consider that they leave the website afterwards and may not return.
Use such pages to your advantage, but remember that the visitor came to the site with a specific purpose, it is better to minimize the number of such conversions. And we know how to do it 😉
Make sure 404 is not indexed by Google
Although the point of this publication is to show you how to use the 404 page to your advantage, we don’t want more people to come to this page than necessary, right?
That means you will need to make sure that the 404 page is not indexed by Google or any other search engine.
Other features on the 404 page
Other features you can specify on your 404 page include:
- Search bar.
- Contact information (email address, phone number, etc.)
- Menu
- Home page link
More and more often page 404 gets unusual design, some sites even make it interactive with animations or mini-quests.
The main thing is not to overload the visitors a million options (otherwise they might not choose any!). Remember, each user came to the site with a purpose and each page is a step on the way to conversion.
Even though we make your 404 page look spectacular and engaging, we still want to minimize the number of dead pages. So, don’t forget to check the site periodically for broken links.