Customize Your 404 Error Page
One way to make the user experience better for users of your website is to customize your 404 error page.
The 404 error page is that pesky page users get when they type in the wrong URL or click a broken link. They were looking for something and didn’t find it. The default for most 404 error pages is a white background with the words “Not Found” scrawled across it. It’s not attractive.
You can customize your 404 error page to help your users find what they are looking for. Here are a few tips to help you do that better:
- Design your 404 error page to look like the rest of your website
- Include your navigation bar on the 404 page
- On some page of your website you can ask your visitors, “Did you mean …” then offer a selection of links close to the URL that they typed in
- Include a site search box
- Add a sitemap to your 404 page
- Use the 404 widget
Webmaster Central now has a widget to help you customize your 404 error page better. You can only use it, though, if your 404 error page is already customized. You can’t use it on the generic 404 page.
The 404 widget adds the following information on your customized 404 error page:
- a link to the parent subdirectory
- a sitemap webpage
- site search query suggestions and search box
The idea is to help your visitors find what they are looking for. Your 404 widget provides essential tools to help you do that. It’s a great tool provided by Google Webmaster Central.
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Tags: 404 error page, google, web design, webmaster central, widget