It would amuse you that people do spend a part of their browsing time on an error page and especially Error 404 page. It is one of the most common errors that people encounter while browsing the Internet. What is Error 404 exactly? It simply means that the page you are trying to access doesn’t exist. This error page is very scary for website owners and developers. However, if you follow these simple tricks, you can use this error page to your own advantage.

1. Engage Users By Providing Them Your Best Content

An Error 404 page shouldn’t act as a dead end for your users. Yes, they couldn’t find what they were looking for but you can use this opportunity to redirect them to some of your best content. Provide them options and links to the best of your content. The possibility of spending more time on your website increases many folds if you give them options. It’s very much possible that the query entered by some user is not exactly what he was looking for and he might find the information on any other page of your website. This is something which must be followed on any website.

2. A Search Box Is A Must

Many times the content that the user is looking for is referred in the older web pages of the website and has been removed. It’s best that you provide them with a search box so that the user can explore the entire website and fetch information related to his keywords. It works as a guide for the users and directs them towards the correct or at least most related information on the website.

3. Add A Direct Contact Form

When your business model is highly dependent on generating new leads, a contact form becomes essential for your website. Placing a contact form on an Error 404 page is a bit unconventional but is very effective. It serves multiple purposes and provides a platform for users to directly contact the management. It also allows them to report any issues on the websites, errors or even bugs in some cases. In this manner, you can keep improving your website and be future ready.

4. Stay Away From Humor

There are a lot of designers who practice and preach a humorous approach when it comes to designing an Error 404 page. However, it is advisable not to use humor as a weapon. Let’s get one thing straight, if someone is looking for some information it will be obviously be something important. And, instead of getting the desired information he lands on an error page. Not really funny. Even broken pages are not in the funny list of a majority of users. It also shows the attitude and tone of your company and creates a bump in that.

5. Offer Freebies To Your Users

Well, who doesn’t like freebies? Use certain freebies in order to lure your customers in sharing their details with you. This is another way of creating leads. He might not find what he was looking for but may find some valuable information which can help him in future. You can offer some beneficial information or a digital download as a freebie for providing their email address. For many professionals like lawyers, dentists, doctors etc., one customer can yield them a hefty revenue. Thus, it’s quite sensible to take every effort in order to hold on to every website visitor and try to turn them into a customer.

The aforementioned tips are very handy and can really help your website. The soul purpose here is to convert a negative into positive and ensuring that the visitors never reach a dead end. But it’s important to understand that all of these tricks cannot be implemented on the same Error 404 page. You need to understand which one of the above suits you the best. That will depend upon the nature of your business, your brand image, and your business objectives. Reach out to our experts and discuss with them how you can get an exceptional website designed.

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