-
What are 404 Error Pages and How to Optimize Them?
A 404 error page is a popular problem which faces website owners due to many reasons
This may be caused by removed content, mistyped links, problems in the server, etc… Thus, this ends with the visitor clicking the back button and may never come back again.
This is a serious problem which you may ignore thinking that it can’t be solved. Well! This is wrong. Actually, you can optimize your 404 error page in many ways that will make your visitor happy as well as you.
How to optimize a 404 error page?
As said above, a 404 error page is an upsetting issue that we would all like to solve. Although we can’t stop it from coming, we can optimize it in an attractive way to provide a positive user experience.
Now, let’s think out of the box and see how we can optimize the 404 error pages
1. Display Your Best Products
If you have an eCommerce site where you sell your products, then people are probably visiting your site to buy. The best way to optimize 404 error pages for such a website is by displaying some of your popular products on it.
Make sure that your page has high-quality images of your best or most popular products.
2. Turn it into a search box
People lying on your 404 error page are looking for something, so you can add a search box to your page. In this case, the users will type what they are looking for and find it easily instead of clicking here and there to get out of this mess.
3. Post user reviews of your products
What matters more than a beautiful image of a product is a user review. of this product. Sure, who can ignore a product that everyone likes? Therefore, you can post your users’ reviews on your 404 error page encouraging new visitors to read them and get more confidence in your site and products.
Recent statistics show that products with positive reviews are trusted 10 times more than products without reviews.
4. Build a lead magnet
The fact is that 80% of potential customers don’t buy your products from the first visit. As a result, creating sales funnels are the best choice for better conversions. The question here is what if you can change your 404 error page to a lead. magnet where you offer your visitor something in exchange for their emails?
You can give them an Ebook, video, checklist, etc…
In case you have nothing to give, you can ask your visitors to put their email addresses to get a 10% discount on certain products. It’s an awesome idea.
5. Impress your visitors
People like the ones who touch their souls. Your 404 error page can deliver a message to your audience. It can be a motivational message encouraging them to keep going and reach their goals, an emotional message asking them to love and forgive each other whatever happens, a humorous speech that makes them laugh, or any other impression that will grab their attention.
6. Guide your visitors
Logically, people who lie on your 404 error page are lost and need to find their path. You can customise your 404 error page with the different categories of your website. When your readers lie on it, they can choose the category they are looking for or continue their way.
7. Add a human touch
Simply you can add a human touch to your 404 error page to let your visitor know that this is your website and they just need to navigate to another part to find what they are looking for. You can type anything like information about you, your company, your journey, your products, etc…
Any human touch will be better than just a 404 error page saying that nothing exists here.
8. Create an exit-intent popups
If you don’t want to optimize your 404 error page itself, you can just create an exit-intent popup that opens when the visitor lands on the 404 error page and wanna leave your site.
The exit-intent popup should provide real. value by giving a reason to stay on the website. It may be a voucher, discount, or an ebook talking about tips for something.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you need to understand that your 404 page is part of which you cannot ignore your website. So, you should deal with it as you do with other parts. optimize it in a way that attracts your real visitors’ attention, encourages them to continue their way on your website, and turns them into buyers. After all, it may convert better than other pages.
Sorry, there were no replies found.