Webmasters and marketers should take note- this isn’t how you should treat your customers. Its design is merely utilitarian, with little to look at or appreciate. It holds no intrinsic value as it offers no useful information. This is the standard 404 page that is of absolutely no help to the end user. Takeaways: Show users what to do after they arrive on an error page.
![404 not found website 404 not found website](https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/previews/000/362/681/original/vector-website-error-404-page-not-found.jpg)
![404 not found website 404 not found website](https://colorlib.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/404-error-template-9.png)
If you want to take it to the next level, check out Cludo’s Intelligent 404 tool for a feature that will automatically provide the user with links related to the page they were originally looking for. Include a call-to-action to your site search bar, or an easy-to-access link to your home page. The reasons so many users leave your website after encountering a 404 page is that they are often overwhelmed, or may think it is impossible to find the information they’re looking for. Takeaways: Make sure the design of your page is attractive, easy to read, and matches the rest of your website. If your 404 provides a technical message about URL path in plain text, the majority of your users are going to be confused (to say the least.) One of the most common complaints about 404 pages is that they haven’t been designed at all. Ask four different web strategists and you will get four different answers! But data shows that the best ways to have a 404 page that assists in keeping users on your website is to use the following two tactics. The fact is there are many different approaches to having a successful 404 page. Now that we understand why 404 pages matter, let’s discuss what you can do to make yours as effective as possible! Exhibiting functional options to easily navigate away from the error page to other areas of the website are also essential to producing a useful 404 ‘not found’ page that drives engagement from site visitors. However, while creativity is key in a 404 error page, the visual design of the page is only one facet. No matter the reason for a 404, certain websites have taken the initiative to create funny, clever and visually masterful error pages to engage their visitors. That means 70%+ of people who reach a 404 error page will leave your website and not return. Here’s the rub: only 23% of website visitors that encounter a broken link make a second attempt to find the missing page. So what does that mean? Essentially, the vast majority of 404s generated on your site are out of your control. Broken links on a website are less prevalent as a cause of 404 errors, at just 17.58%.
![404 not found website 404 not found website](https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/1390652/screenshots/4664350/media/af928bbde4dfc1f01e5863f6130f356b.png)
How do users arrive on a 404 page? Typos and old links in emails/ bookmarks make up 45.87% of 404 error sources.
![404 not found website 404 not found website](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XjH47LeJCb8/TQOXS6HsUrI/AAAAAAAAAHo/y3Agcism9Yw/s1600/google+404+not+found+error.png)
It indicates that a user reached the URL they requested, but the website was unable to find an associating page. That’s where 404 pages come in handy.Ī 404 error page is also known as an error page. When navigating a website, it is easy to take a wrong turn. To help marketers and webmasters understand both the value and pitfalls in 404 error page design, here is an analysis of four varied 404 error pages where the good, bad and ugly are all showcased. As disappointing and admittedly frustrating it is to hit a broken link, some sites have done a better job than others at creating a visually appealing or functional option for users. We’ve all stumbled upon a 404 error page that made us laugh, or evoked our admiration of its fanciful UX design.