Blogging Tip - Customize your 404 Error Page

404 Error pages usually show up when your a certain section of your website or blog is dead or not there any more. The default 404 error message will only tell you that “the page cannot be found” or something to that extent.

While this error page is functional, I personally think that that it’s not only ugly but very unfriendly for visitors. Customizing your 404 error page to make it more welcoming and helpful is one of the easiest ways to retain or welcome a visitor to your website.

Do note that this error page hack will only work for blogs that have their own hosting and domain.

Why do error pages show up on my website?

Here are some reasons why:

• You deleted a specific webpage or changed the blog post slug.
• You changed your permalink structure without redirection.
• Typos. Visitors might type the wrong URL in the address bar.
• Inaccurate references. Some webmasters may accidentally use the wrong urls when linking to your website.

Why shouldn’t I use the default 404 Error page?

The typical 404 error page is a terrible way to greet a visitor who’s interested in a specific page on your website. It’s a waste of their time because they end up with nothing except an error message.

9 out of 10 times, the user will simply click “back” on their browser and forget about what they were looking for. Some might even surf away from your website because they didn’t find what they needed.

What options do I have if I don’t want to use the default 404 Page?

Here are some commonly used alternatives:

• Redirect the user to the homepage. This method seems a little rude. They might be looking for specific content and wham, you send them to the homepage without little or no explanation. Not recommended.




• Create a customized 404 Page which is helpful, informative and welcoming. I’m going to go with this one because it actually adds value for the visitor while increasing the potential for return traffic.

How do I actually customize my 404 page?

I’m just going to restrict the technical instructions to Wordpress blogs because I’m not too familiar with how you do it on other content management systems.

It’s really dead simple. While in your dashboard, click on the Presentation tab and then select Theme Editor. After which, click on the 404 Template button and you’re in.

You can basically add anything you want to this template.. just make sure that you include an error message right at top so people know that the page they were looking for isn’t there anymore.

Revamping Your 404 Page - What should I add to it?

I know some people call for deliberate minimalism because you want visitors to know that they’ve reached an error page but I think that you should offer as much information as possible, while providing alternative solutions they can explore.

Here are a few things you can include in the 404 Page.

• Personalized message. I can’t stress how important this is and I’ll place this at the top of my list for things to include on a 404 page. A personalized apology and offer of assistance makes the visitor feel welcome to your website.




• Put up your popular posts. Direct users to some of the more popular posts on your blog. Wordpress bloggers can use this Top Posts plugin which allows you to display the top posts according to number of comments or views.




• Monetize it! Include affiliate links for products or website you like. Keep it relevant to your blog’s theme, if possible.




• Sell advertising. Include a very brief note for potential advertisers. Optional.




• Add a sitemap. You could either use the sitemap as the main content for the 404 page or you could include a note and link to the sitemap. Wordpress users can use this sitemap generator plugin.




• Searchbox. Put a search box on the 404 page. You may want to use the Adsense searchbox for added monetization potential.




• Call for subscription. As always, leave a short note which asks them to subscribe to your blog. You could also link to your subscribe page.

I’ve just revamped Dosh Dosh’s 404 page yesterday and added some of the points I mentioned above.

Didn’t really want to spend too much time on it so I only did a very quick write-up. Click here to check it out.

Let me know what you think!