Turn Your 404 Error Pages Engaging With These Tips

The ‘404 error’ is arguably the most confusing and annoying texts that users come across on the web. Since user experience has turned out to be the most important thing for all businesses online, it’s time to be creative with the 404 error page. Rather than letting the users stare impassively at some drab messages on the 404 error page, you can turn it interesting with innovative designs laced with subtle humor.

Why does a 404 error page happen?

It happens when a user isn’t able to reach a particular web page for the following reasons:

• The page has been removed from the server.
• The page has been moved to a different location without changing the URL.
• The user had typed an incorrect URL.

Listed below are a few ways to use your 404 page creatively & let it reflect your innovativeness & customer centric approach.

Be honest & come straight to the point:

There’s no point in beating around the bush when you know why user has landed up there. So, be honest & make a truthful representation of the situation by showing an idiom of being ‘sorry’ for example.

Illustration:

We all love stories when they’re scattered with illustrations. So, why not occupy the attention of the users by using them on the 404 error page.

Don’t overdo things:

Sometimes overdoing things can land you into a soup. It’s better to keep things simple by following the present trends.

Overlap images:

The overlap of colors, effects, shapes, and letters can make an image interesting.

Theme color:

It is wise to use the theme color of your brand while designing the 404 error page. It’ll remind the user that he or she is still not lost & your brand is just around by the side holding his or her hand.

Options:

It’s good to present the users with options as to where they wish to continue from the 404 page – back to the service page, home page or the social media accounts of your brand. It’s wise to give them plenty of options making them thinking a while rather than just heading back. By doing so, you can make the user stay longer on your website and hopefully garner a lead.

Conclusion:

There’re plenty of examples and the sky is the only limit when it is about designing your error page. The goal is to make it interesting and engaging enough for the visitors to stay hooked for a while. Let your visitor sport a wide grin while coming across the 404 page by using these above mentioned tips effectively. Since designing such pages require creativity, which generally comes out of experience, it is better to hire one of the most experienced web design companies in Rockville for the best possible result.

This article is written by Search Flow – one of the leading web design companies Rockville and the surrounding areas.