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Making use of 404 Error Page
Sooner or later every web surfer ends up in a "Document Not Found"
page - best known as a 404 document; this is because web documents change all
the time - they are renamed, moved, or even deleted.
Most 404 documents contain basic information such as a link to the site's home
page and/or a link to go back to a previous page. Lately though, many web
builders are realizing that they can put their 404 documents to better use. How?
By adding information that their site's audience needs.
You can add just about anything you want to your 404 documents, however here are
some recommendations that could help make a 404 document a valuable tool instead
of just another much disliked "Not Found" page.
The basics
As always, stick with the basics. We are talking about a link to the site's home
page, and a link to a previous page. This is basic info that should always be
included in any 404 document.
Support
Provide some kind of a gateway to a support page - a place where your audience
can report the problem(s) they encountered. This is a very important move since
valuable information can be gathered through such "support" pages -
information web builders can use to improve their sites.
By adding a link to a support page, or a place where your audience can report
problems, you are also providing your audience with a way to vent their
frustration -- yes, people do get frustrated when they find such documents.
Other
Just because a 404 document is used to notify about missing pages, it doesn't
mean you can't add other helpful information to it. Be creative. Feel free to
add information you think most of your audience will be interested in. Suggest
important articles or features of your site, or add other important information
about your site.
Don't limit the information your 404 document(s) contain just to the basics! Let
your audience know that even though they haven't been able to find the info they
want, they still have other options. Adding helpful information to 404 documents
will show your audience that you are concerned about their web surfing needs
too. All this can mean only one thing...more success to you and your site!
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