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Create Your Own Customized 404 Error Page
for Increased Traffic by Ed Duvall
By design, the server that hosts' your web site delivers a
404 Error / Page Not Found when a surfer clicks on a link
that the server cannot find or something else unexpected
happens. The most common error page is the HTTP 404
"Not found: The requested URL/whatever.html was not
found on this server."
This generally happens when a person clicks on a link
for page that has been removed, renamed or otherwise
changed.
If you were to enter the link below into your browser and
hit the enter button you would see my own custom 404 Error
page: cashway.com/aintnosuchpage.htm (This link is not
active and will present you with my custom 404 Error page.)
What happens to your web visitor who gets that error message
on your site without a custom 404 Error page?
Generally speaking they're off faster than a "speeding bullet"
looking for the information they were seeking - probably to a
different website. That's something you really don't want to
have happen and it can be prevented with a custom 404 error
page that gives them options on the error page that will tell
them how to find what they were looking for.
So the answer is? Create your own custom 404 Error page
that suggests other resources on your site and then helps
redirects that person to them.
In essence you're capturing traffic that you had, but lost and
didn't know it, and keeping that visitor by helping them find
what they need and possible turn them into a buyer for your
product or service later on.
But "I don't have the time or know how to make a custom
404 page", you say.
Well good news - it's not as hard as you think. If you have
about 30 minutes and your server is a Apache or Unix
web server then it's virtually a snap to do.
** Your Custom 404 Page Design **
In my opinion your custom 404 error page should provide
at least these components:
* A simple statement that the requested URL was not found on your site.
You can of course add other components like simple java script
code for date & time and IP address display, etc. if you really
want to impress someone with your technical wizardry.
Your page also should carry the look and feel of your web site,
so you should include your header or footer or both so it is
clearly branded as yours. You may wish to include some other
links for your site that lead visitors to other pages you may want
them to visit.
Here are the basic steps:
1)
The simplest method is to create your new custom page, then
upload it to your site in the same folder where your home page
is located. Servers vary in their requirements. For mine the page
must have a specific name for it to function properly as my
custom 404 error page.
2)
If you don't have an .htaccess file you need to create one in the
same folder where your home page is stored, (in some cases, the
file may already exist; on servers with Front Page extensions this
file is automatically created). You'll need to do a simple edit in
this file. Use your text editor or server editing features to add the
following command:
ErrorDocument 404 /filename.html
(where "filename.html" is replaced by the name of the actual file
you want to appear as your Custom 404 Error page.)
You could, if you prefer, to insert your home page when a 404 error
occurs. In that case, the correct command to add to your .htaccess
would be:
ErrorDocument 404 /index.html
The above example assumes your home page is named index.html.
If not, replace it with whatever name you are using for your home
page instead.
If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer and the option to Show
friendly HTTP error messages is enabled, the file size of your
custom error page must be no less than 512 bytes to function
properly. Otherwise, the program will show a generic message.
There you have it. Design your page, follow the two simple steps
above and you'll soon have your own custom 404 error page that
will capture lost visitors and keep them on your site.
One final note - before you start on setting up your own custom
error page check the FAQ or knowledge base for your website's
server for the specific requirements for making sure your new
page works.
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