Every once in a while, you click on a link and break the entire website. Well, you haven’t actually broken the website, you’ve just clicked on a broken link and ended up on a 404 error page. Your initial confusion turns into frustration when you realize that you’re unable to reach your destination.
As you click the back button, you wonder whether to even continue browsing on that website.
This is the exact dilemma facing your website visitors when they land on a 404 error page.
Despite your best efforts, every website has the potential to send its visitors to a 404 error page. Sometimes the problem is external. For example, a customer shares a link with their friend, but they accidentally swap two letters on your URL address. The friend ends up on a page that doesn’t exist, and then simply clicks away without attempting to look for the proper link.
But the problem can also be internal, since even your own website is not error-proof. The good news? There are steps you can take to optimize your 404 error page.
In this post, we’ll share exactly what a 404 error page is and some useful tips on how to improve customer experience.
What is a 404 Error Page?
A 404 error is an HTTP status code. This error indicates that a page on your website can’t be found by a server or that it doesn’t exist. This type of error message often shows up when a page has been moved to a different URL. It can also occur if the content has been deleted without updating the internal links. But, as shown in the previous example, an error can happen when the URL is typed incorrectly.
It’s pretty common to end up on a page that no longer exists, especially if your website has been around for a while. A visitor can come across an old link to your website via a different website. Perhaps you partnered with that website for a giveaway, wrote a guest post, or was interviewed and shared a link to your website. But, between then and now, you changed your URL’s permalink structure, so unfortunately, the visitors who find out about you through that website landed on an error page. It happens all of the time.
Even if the error is not your fault, you’re still responsible for making sure that visitors on your site get the very best experience—even when they encounter an error.
Why is It Important to Optimize Your 404 Error Page?
When your visitors encounter an error page, it’s not the end of the world. You can still optimize this experience by using it as an opportunity to direct your visitors to the right spot.
Error pages become a problem when you don’t optimize them. Here’s why:
- An error message tells your visitor that there’s nothing to see here and that they should just leave. When a visitor sees an error, they have to make a choice. If your 404 error page isn’t optimized with the next steps to take, they may end up clicking on the back button or closing the tab altogether.
- An error message bursts the visitor’s bubble. It immediately yanks the visitor out of their satisfying browsing experience. They’re now facing the harsh reality that what they wanted to happen is no longer possible.
- An error message says that you’re not invested in your site’s user experience. That may sound harsh, but think about the experience from the visitor’s perspective. When greeted with an error message, your visitor may feel like you’ve abandoned them and that you don’t care about their experience while browsing on your site. This negative impression may be subtle, but it can derail your visitor’s experience on your website.
Let’s take a look at a generic, non-optimized 404 page.
This bland, somewhat technical error is not helpful.
Because 404 error pages are unavoidable, every website should intentionally customize these pages to demonstrate that they care about visitor experience.
Optimizing your 404 error page can direct visitors to key pages, whether that’s your homepage or a “Start Here” page. Think outside the box to highlight your best content. You can also share your FAQs page, if you think that will help visitors get on the right track.
There’s an ongoing debate over whether a 404 error page can directly impact your website’s ranking on search engine results pages. However, high bounce rates might negatively affect your site’s reputation with search engines. Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a web page without taking an action (a signal to search engines like Google that your website may not be meeting the user’s expectations). This isn’t always the case, however. Whether or not high bounce rates affect search engine rankings, it’s still important to remember that the goal for every website is to encourage visitors to keep discovering more of your content. Let’s make sure the 404 page helps achieve that goal.
How to Optimize Your 404 Error Page
When your site visitors find themselves on an invalid link, how do you elevate your 404 error page into an optimized experience? Let’s talk about that now.
Understand Common HTTP Status Codes
There are dozens of different HTTP status codes. Since you’re reading this page, the server has responded with one of the most common codes: the 200 status code. This code says that everything is okay with the page that the browser is attempting to display.
Sometimes, a browser is redirected to another page. This happens when a server responds with a 301 permanent redirect or a 302 temporary redirect. Of the two types of redirects, a 301 is the recommended option because it passes link equity, which is a type of authority value that one page can pass along to another. Link equity is important for search engine optimization.
Automatically 301 redirecting pages that return a 404 error code sounds like a great idea, right?
Not necessarily.
When you redirect a broken link instead of showing a 404 error page, you can negatively affect your user experience. Visitors click on a link expecting one thing only to wind up back on your home page or some other page that they weren’t expecting. This is confusing and causes a visitor to question their click. They may hit the back button and start the process all over again, which will definitely degrade their experience on your site and can increase your bounce rate, too.
Further, only use a 301 permanent redirect when sending visitors to an updated URL for that expected content or to a replacement page with similar content.
Google recommends that you return a 404 not found code for pages that don’t exist on your website. This indicates to search engines that the errant page shouldn’t be indexed because it doesn’t exist.
Practical Optimization Tips
Error pages present a big opportunity to win over your visitor. Here’s how to optimize it best:
First, check your theme’s default 404 page. Just about every WordPress.com theme has its own 404 page template, but it’s likely basic with no frills. You can access this page by navigating to Appearance from your WordPress Dashboard. Then click on Theme Editor.
To access the theme editor as a WordPress.com user, you’ll need to have a Business account. Learn more about our WordPress.com packages here.
From here, you can access your theme’s 404 error template file. If you’re versed in code, you can tweak the default 404 message directly from your WordPress dashboard. Simply revise the text within the h1 heading.
However, some themes don’t have 404 pages included. If you want to create your own but don’t know a lot about code, you can use a plugin (if you are on the plugin-enabled plan or higher). One of the most popular is the 404 page plugin by Peter Raschendorfer.
With this plugin, you can create your own custom 404 error page just like you would create any other post or page on WordPress. When creating your error page, you’re able to use the array of blocks in the WordPress Editor to speed up the process. This way, you can visually build your error page the way you want it.
So, what belongs on your 404 error page? Here are a few things to consider adding to your WordPress.com site:
- A friendly message – Greet your confused visitor with a friendly and reassuring message to let them know what’s happening. If it’s part of your brand, add a little humor on this page (it’s fine to poke fun at yourself!). Humor can forge an instant connection and also diffuse negativity for the visitor.
- A search bar – Instead of forcing visitors to click back from a 404 page, add a search bar. This will encourage visitors to navigate to another part of your website, making the 404 error just a mere hiccup in their browsing experience.
- Internal links – When a visitor lands on your 404 page, it feels like they’ve run into a dead end. This is the perfect opportunity to intentionally redirect them to other pages on your website, instead of hoping that they stick around. Link to your most popular pages, such as your contact or about pages, highly-visited blog posts, or your shop. Another option is to share your social media accounts to prompt visitors to follow you on social media, but this will also direct them off of your website. You can also link to a lead magnet, like a free ebook. Always include a call to action to help your visitor know the best step to take.
The goal of your customized error message is two-fold. First, it should inform your visitor that they’re trying to access a page that doesn’t exist. Second, it should list options on what to do next, all while staying on your site.
Examples of Useful, On-Brand 404 Error Pages
Backcountry uses just a little humor and on-brand imagery on their page. Combined with a button to return home and a short menu to help users find what they are looking for, it’s pretty well covered.
Airbnb hits all the right spots. An animated illustration captures the disappointment felt when hitting a 404 page, and gives great options for what to do next. Along with a short menu of helpful links, a search bar is also included.
Final Thoughts
Although 404 errors are unavoidable, it doesn’t mean they must be unpleasant. Use your 404 error page to connect with visitors and redirect them to another destination on your site. This can improve your chances of converting more visitors into subscribers or customers.
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