Optimizing The 404 Page: Tips

[sb123]

• Create a page similar to your other pages on your site.
• Have a link to your sitemap
• Put a search-box
• Add your navigation links on this page
• Put a link to your FAQ

Also, put a sentence here, directing the visitor that he/she is here in error, but they are still welcome! Guide them gently to your other links on this page and get them back on your main site... preferably to your best landing page!

This way, you don't lose those visitors who would have, otherwise, left your web site hosting entirely on finding the normal 404 error page! You can now redirect them inside your main site.

[DPS Computing]

Thanks for that guide sb123 - I definitely agree with creating a page that integrates with the rest of your site. Its so frustrating to get a 404 page that is technical with no links back to anything - there should at least be a link to the home page. And you should use it as a way to entice more people in who have followed invalid links or mistyped something - if you don't do this they normally just go back to the search engine results and look for an alternative source - which in business is never a good thing!

[paul]

Will people search 404 on google , It seems pointless. Instead just do redirect.

[eUKhost.com]

Originally Posted by paul

Will people search 404 on google , It seems pointless. Instead just do redirect.

lol. do you know what is 404 page ?

can you please check from google ?

[DPS Computing]

Originally Posted by paul

Will people search 404 on google , It seems pointless. Instead just do redirect.

But it isn't clear then that a problem has occurred. They might think the web site hosting is broken and the redirect is in error unless you tell them the page is missing. It could easily confuse a user especially one with limited technical knowledge .

[paul]

Originally Posted by eUKhost.com

lol. do you know what is 404 page ?

can you please check from google ?

Should I explain what is 404 page after 1500 posts? Actually You missed the point, I am asking the OP, will people search 404 on google? lol.

[eUKhost.com]

Originally Posted by paul

Should I explain what is 404 page after 1500 posts? Actually You missed the point, I am asking the OP, will people search 404 on google? lol.

for your information, 404 page is one which you see if you enter invalid URL for a specific website hosting. Check this 404 URL for example http://www.google.com/sdfsdfdfsf

you can optimize this 404 page to inform your visitors to return to the main page. 404 pages are crawled by Search Engines as well as they reach 404 pages many times on your website hosting due to invalid backlinks coming to your website hosting. You cannot add permanent redirects to unknown invalid links.

[paul]

Well, I would rather consider to better optimize for few mistyped or misspelled keywords in place and will put more Search Engine Optimization efforts to the main web site hosting without leaving any chance of invalid or dead link there.

[DPS Computing]

Originally Posted by paul

Well, I would rather consider to better optimize for few mistyped or misspelled keywords in place and will put more Search Engine Optimization efforts to the main web site hosting without leaving any chance of invalid or dead link there.

You can never guarentee against the typo of a website hosting that links to yours!!

[paul]

Originally Posted by DPS Computing

You can never guarentee against the typo of a website hosting that links to yours!!

Yes and same possibilities goes for 404 page even after optimization, like sometimes it may returns a page which has absolutely nothing to do with the original page or still may be showing 404 page.

[Brian]

Actually I do remember Googleing 404 before!

[sb123]

Hello friends:

I have searched for an example of a 404 page - "Page Not Found" error page:

The link is here: (It's just the first good example I found, I am definitely not their affiliate )
http://www.luckychair.com/

(Don't click the above address, it's only their site's index page that you'll go to. NOW, add anything in front of the last forward slash: I'll give one example, you can try any random text/number. Normally, we should get a "404 Page Not Found" error, like for example:
try first this link (of course the page is not there on that website hosting, but when you type the following address, you'll get the standard 404 error, try:
http://www.wosf.com/asdfghhj
or, try:
http://www.wosf.com/asdfghhjqwwewerwer.html

The above is the case of a standard 404 error.

Now try the first example with any random text in front: Example:
http://www.luckychair.com/asdfghhj
or
http://www.luckychair.com/asdfghhjqwwewerwer.html

Try any of the above two example links and see the difference: compare the wofs website hosting error page and the luckychair error page. That's how they (luckychair.com) optimize the error page to bring in their visitor.

********
NOTE:
[ There is no such wosf website hosting, I purposefully mis-spelt the real webname. It's www.wofs.com,
Incidentally, this wofs website hosting has a 404 "redirecting" page: See that example of redirecting also:
Type:
www.wofs.com/sdfsdfdfgg

You'll be redirected to their main page.

Also:
try:
www.abb.com/asdsadsddf
See what you find there.


Hope I have explained this well , especially for the newbies, the pros on this forum can do one better (the explanation)!


P.S.:

Sorry, I just checked and found that there does exist a wosf website hosting, but even then it does show that wosf website hosting has not optimized their 404 error page.

All the above website hostings are randomly selected and I thank them all.

[sb123]

Once again:
Hello to all:

Just thought that I should also check our own eUKhost site's 404 error page:

This is quite interesting, kindly check this very special case too:

try:
http://www.eukhost.com/forums/sdfsdfdfgdfggfh

and also the main site:
http://www.eukhost.com/sdfsdfdfgdfggfh

Well, vote for them on a scale of 5 Have they optimized the 404 error page, or haven't they

*******

Then, for fun, check how the real big boys on the net optimize their 404 error page: Very carefully study their optimization method & what they show on their error page, this is how these masters keep the visitors.

Try:
http://www.microsoft.com/asdsdasdsd
http://www.ibm.com/asasasdas
etc.

Notice the importance of Optimizing The 404 Error Page?

*******

Impressed? Then don't fail to optimize your error page also, it might just start a viral traffic process for you all! Please don't forget this poor friend when you all get & keep that extra traffic! (Just Kidding!!)