Friday 19 February 2016

It is quite a moment of frustration when user lands on a 404 error page. However, a creative and entertaining 404 page is designed by increasing number of web designers to give a lasting impression on the customers and making people stick to the site guiding them in right direction.

What is 404 page?


When you are trying to open a page by if it is not found on the server, a Client Error HTTP status code appears on a page. This is 404 page. It is also an indication of a server or internet being down.

You can level down the frustration of the clients when they land on 404 page by designing a creative and entertaining 404 page. It will even help branding and navigation for your site and even improve conversion upto few extents.

There are a few tips to make a 404 page creative and entertaining:

1.   Use the right language


The first step is to explain your visitors why they are seeing a 404 page. Clarify and explain the things that went wrong.

Avoid using any error message. Instead try being a bit creative by using a funny language indicating that they have landed on a 404 page.

2.   Add some useful navigation


Your aim is that the user must stay on your site and explores your site to gain information that he is looking for. You can offer them some tools that can guide them.

You can achieve them by a few ways:

For the users who have landed on your site from an external source, a link can be provided that can be of some help.

A link can be provided to few of your most popular pages.

Provide a search bar to help users find what they are looking for.

Contact details must be provided so the users can report an issue.

3.   Stamp your brand all over it


While designing a 404 page for your site, develop it in a way that the user knows that he is still on your site by maintaining a brand and an image.

You must include your logo and follow the same color scheme that you use it for your website.

4.   Leave a lasting impression


You can leave an amusing effect through 404 page and entertain them by simply using an amusing graphic and include an animation, video or something creative. This can leave a memorable effect on the customers.

5.   Regularly check your links


You might have created a creative 404 page. However, you still won’t want it to become a regular view for your customers. To avoid this, you must regularly check all the links in case if any of them is broken link.

You main aim is to provide a user-friendly page to the customers that can guide them in the proper direction, leaving behind an amusing and an entertaining effect on them.

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