Don’t Throw Away Your Internet Marketing Dollars on 404 Errors

You invest a lot into your internet marketing and want to get the most out of every dollar you spend. You devote both time and money to gaining site traffic through search engine optimization, pay per click, social media, blogging, PR, and traditional advertising. Make sure you don’t lose that traffic before they even see your offerings.

404 error pages, those nasty little “page not found” found errors happen when people click on a link to a page that doesn’t exist. If your 404 error page is merely a blank, white screen with the words “page not found” on it, visitors will probably just move on.

For ecommerce websites this is a special concern. 404 errors happen with the removal of products, product lines, and manufacturers, which is a common occurrence on many ecommerce sites. By customizing your 404 error page, you can keep visitors on your site, even if the page no longer exists.

Here are a few ways to make the most of your ecommerce site’s 404 error pages:

Make your custom 404 error pages look like your site. They should include the same header, footer, site search box, and navigation that are on the rest of your site. This will give more consistency to the user experience and reinforces your branding.

Create copy that invites the visitor to stay on your site. A simple message that encourages visitors to use the navigation or site search can go a long way. Just be sure you don’t put the blame on the visitor for the missing page by telling them how they must have typed something incorrectly.

Give visitors some other options. Try linking to your main product categories or top selling products in the body of the page. It’s another opportunity to show your offerings, and the interlinking can benefit search engine optimization.

Add an additional search box in the body of the page. It’s a little redundant, but shows that you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find what they want.

Share this: