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Example of Customized Error Page

Every website needs to have a branded error page. Everyone is human and can make mistakes, maybe some one deleted content on your website accidentally or it was out of date. However the content and website link may still be referenced in search engine results.  Maybe your website has some old content that some people are still looking for though and happened to come across a  404 Error Page which is Internet speak for Not Found.

When this happens it can be jarring for your website visitor. They were looking to find something and clicked on a link to get more information but the last link they tried resulted in a not found error page. If you do not have a custom error page the web browser can and will substitute  it’s own. However this is not the experience you want for your prospective buyer. By having a custom error (404) page you can provide a better user experience and direct your buyer, reader as the case might be to another page.

Something you might not know is if a search engine is crawling your website and building an index of the contained links. And it encounters a 404 page it could stop following and cataloging the links on your website. However if you have a custom error page with additional site links or a common navigation menu the process can resume.

What should you include on your custom 404 Error Page?

1. You should definitely include your company logo
2. Your contact information
3. Support details if applicable
4. Website search box to find what they were looking for
5. Suggested items that are similar. Especially important if you have an e-commerce site because you don’t want to lose a possible sale.
6. Links to a sitemap or other categories to help navigate them back through your website

Also just as important is making sure that your website administrator is notified of all 404 errors by either recording them or sending an email to asking to correct the problem. Which solution works best will depend on how large your website is and how many times a 404 error page is likely to occur. You may even want to call out on your 404 error page that you have been notified of the error and it will be rectified shortly. This will give the impression that you take issues seriously.

Take a look at some fun examples of 404 pages.

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