Y’all this one is short and sweet! We’ve all encountered an error page when surfing the web… predominantly the dreaded 404 pages. However, if you’ve paid attention, and the brand you’ve encountered is savvy (like you will now be!)… having a well-designed 404 page didn’t hinder you from finding what you needed. This blog post will teach you is how a 404 page can serve your business.

A 404 page — is an error page web visitors come upon when they’ve encountered a broken link or page of your website that no longer exists. Although often looked down upon, if you’re prepared, hitting your 404 page might not be the worst thing that could happen. Think back to the last time you reached a 404 page; maybe you were frustrated and left the website you were on, or maybe you thought poorly of the quality of the business. In our opinion, 404 pages have become a necessity.

1. A 404 page must be on-brand.

Your 404 page doesn’t have to be out of the box or off-brand like a run-of-the-mill error page. Your 404 page can — and MUST — be on-brand. This way, visitors will know they are still in the right place. Though an error page — it is aligned with your brand!

2. A 404 page should direct visitors where you’d like them to go

You are not limited to what your 404 page says. It doesn’t have to simply say “Error: Page Not Found.” Have fun with it! Something like “Oops, that’s embarrassing,” works great. It’s an opportunity to share your brand voice. The goal here is to direct your visitors where you’d like them to go. For instance, you could include your navigation menu, or perhaps a single button, that directs them to a key place on your websites like your contact form or sales page. Your 404 page should be used to highlight your website’s most relevant information. 

3. A 404 page should be updated regularly.

Finally, your 404 page SHOULD be updated regularly to ensure that it stays in line with the priorities of your business. Perhaps one of your pages is no longer relevant, or perhaps your navigation has changed — this small piece of maintenance is done in a snap!

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There you have it! Curious about what our 404 page looks like?! Check it out here. Our goal was to help bring visitors to the information they may have been searching for in the first place like our most recent blog posts! However you decide to design your 404 page, we hope we’ve helped you know How a 404 Page Can Serve Your Business.