What is a 404 error?
A 404 error occurs when you try to access a file on a website that does not exist. In such a case, the server hosting the website returns a status code 404 in its header response to the browser.
If a 404 page has been set up on the website, the visitor who has accessed a 404 page will be presented with it. If not, the user will typically just be presented with an auto-generated error page from the system, which is often not very user-friendly.
Have you set up a 404 page on your website?
If you are not sure whether you have set up a 404 page on your website, we recommend finding out as soon as possible. You can quickly check this by typing your domain into the address bar followed by a string of random letters/numbers, e.g. https://eksempel.dk/njasdapbasindas.
Since this file (presumably) does not exist on your web host, you will be taken to the 404 page for your website.
Tips and tricks for setting up your 404 page
Generally speaking, there are certain things you can do to optimise your 404 page. The primary goal of optimising the 404 page should be to try to keep the user on your website, as the first instinct of many visitors who land on a 404 page will simply be to leave the site.
Measures you can implement to keep visitors on your website:
- Make sure the navigation menu is visible.
- Create a heading and a short text that briefly informs visitors that the page they attempted to access unfortunately does not exist (IN PLAIN LANGUAGE!).
- If it is possible to determine from the URL what the user was trying to access, redirects should be set up from the 404 page to the page the user was trying to reach.
- Consider adding a fun/eye-catching image that makes visitors remember your website.
- Insert a search field and a button back to the homepage.
- If it is a webshop, you can optionally insert the shop's 10–20 most popular products.
The most important thing when a visitor encounters a 404 page on your website is simply that there are plenty of options to navigate to another page on the site.
Are your users experiencing 404 errors on your website, or do you want to optimise your 404 page to keep visitors on the site?
We can help you set up a user-friendly 404 page and ensure that visitors stay on your website. Fill in the form below or call us on 30 12 42 72 for a no-obligation chat!
