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The requested URL /file.html was not found on this
server. Apache/1.3.14 Server at www.yourdomain.com
Port 80.
Does that look familiar? If you've ever accidentally
tried to access a page that doesn't exist, possibly
by following an outdated link or by misspelling the
name of the page, you've probably seen something like
the above appear on your screen. You might have attempted
to correct the error by checking the URL for mistakes,
but it is even more likely that you just clicked "Back"
and returned where you came from, never visiting the
site again.
For a surfer, encountering a "404 page"
is a nuisance. For a webmaster, they can be far more
problematic, causing a reduction in traffic which
in turn means losing a part of the precious advertising
revenues or sales the site's life depends on. You
can minimize the amount of 404 errors by periodically
checking your pages for broken links, but it is impossible
to get completely rid of them. So, what can you do?
The solution - Custom 404 pages
===============================
The best way to avoid losing visitors to 404's is
to replace the standard and unfriendly error message
with a custom page. Fortunately the task is relatively
simple and can be performed by anyone who owns a site
that has its own domain name.
As different server softwares handle things in their
own ways, there is no single method of creating a
custom error page that works with every system. The
following instructions can be applied by those who
have sites hosted under Apache, which is a very widely
used program. If you don't know what software your
host is running, contact them and ask.
To start the process, use an FTP program such as
CuteFTP to connect to your server. Search for a file
named ".htaccess".
Should you find it, download the file to your home
computer for editing. If the file is not there, don't
worry, you'll just have to create it yourself.
Grab a normal text editor and open the file, or if
you don't have it, open up a blank file. Type the
following into the first line of the file:
ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yourdomain.com/404page.html
After you're done, save the file as plain text and
make sure that it is named ".htaccess",
without quotes of course. The hard part is now over,
all that is left is to create the custom 404 page
(404page.html) that loads when a 404 error occurs.
What should my 404 page look like?
==================================
Of course, you can put anything you want into it,
but if your purpose is to encourage your visitors
to click further into your site instead of leaving,
the page should obey some basic principles.
1. Don't give users a reason to panic. Including
a large heading that screams "ERROR" is
likely to make the visitor feel that he/she has done
something wrong or that your site is not working properly.
A better approach is to first greet them with a warm
welcome and then explain that the URL they were looking
for could not be found, but should they browse around
your site, they will surely find the information they
need.
2. Make the page to look and feel similar to the
rest of the pages on your site. Include your site's
menu on the 404 page to give visitors a fast and easy
way to continue exploring instead of clicking away.
A well-designed 404 page with plenty of links is far
more attractive than one that has just black text
on a white background and a link to your homepage.
3. If you have the skills, consider adding a search
feature on the page that allows people to search your
site for matches. Often your navigation menu will
provide a clue on how the user might reach the information
he/she would like to see, but if it doesn't there
is a great risk of losing the visit. Placing a search
utility on the page increases the likelihood of the
user finding the desired page and thus remaining on
your site.
After both the .htaccess file and the HTML page are
ready, FTP to your server, upload the pages and enjoy
your new custom 404 error page!
About the Author:
Lauri Harpf runs the A Promotion Guide website, where
he offers free information about search engines, directories
and other promotion methods. His site can be found
at http://www.apromotionguide.com/ |
