4 Ways You're Screwing Up Your 404 Page
Before you can improve your 404 page, it's helpful to first know what's wrong with it. Check out today's episode to learn four common errors we see on clients' sites.
Ready to turn your 404 error pages into an opportunity for your online business? Watch this video to learn more. Hi there. Matt here, your resident e-commerce guru at Volusion. Welcome to Two Minute Tuesdays, where we give you two minutes of e-commerce advice to bolster your online success. Now, in the world of e-commerce, we understandably put a lot of emphasis on our highest converting pages like our home page and product pages. But what if I told you that you're missing out on a big opportunity with your 404, or your error page? Now, like it or not, customers are going to go to pages that don't exist, or they'll type in the wrong web address. Now, your job is to steer them back in the right direction. So pay close attention, because today I'm going to show you four mistakes you're making with your 404 page. Now, the first and most common mistake made with your 404 page is simply ignoring it. In other words, if you're not sure what your 404 page looks like, you've got a big problem. Now, this page is a part of your overall website so the design, tone, and corresponding elements should align with your brand, and more importantly, drive shoppers back into your site. Now, once you're ready to start tackling the design and experience of your error page, be sure that you don't leave customers stranded. In sum, the idea here is to provide very specific calls to action that steers customers back to the important pages on your site. Now, the most common approach is to send them back to your home page. But you can also consider driving them back to key category pages, or even to a special offers page to spike interest and drive sales. Mistake number three is not explaining yourself on your 404 page. Remember, not all customers are familiar with this type of page and may not know that there is something wrong. Now, with that being said, you should let customer explicitly know that they've either come to a page that no longer exists or they've mistyped the URL. For bonus points, try to insert some humor here to soften the message and reassure your customers that coming to this page is no big deal. Now, the final mistake on our list is missing out on opportunities for improvement. So for example, if your Google Analytics shows you that there's a referral source driving to a 404 page, you should reach out to that third party website and provide them with an updated link. Also, if there's an opportunity to redirect outdated pages to new ones, that will easily reduce the chances that someone will land on your error page in the first place. So while your 404 page may not be your top priority in terms of web design, it needs to be added to your list. Remember, this keeps customers on your site and reinforces your brand. So don't forget it. Have any questions? Feel free to drop me a line in the comments box below. From me to you, happy selling.
Your 404 page probably isn't something you think about often. A 404 page, also known as an error page, is where your customers land when they navigate to a URL that doesn't exist on your site. While your 404 page may seem unimportant, poor treatment could actually be leading to a spike in your abandoned carts. Still having trouble with your 404 page? Our support team will be happy to help you out!
How much did you enjoy this article?
Submit
Thank you for helping us improve our blog!
About Matt Winn
Matt Winn is a former Senior Brand Manager at Volusion, where he helped oversee branding & communications efforts. Matt has created hundreds of articles, videos, and seminars on all things ecommerce.
View more articles by Matt Winn
