Quick and Easy Custom 404 Page
by Ed Duvall
By design, the server that
hosts' your web site delivers a 404 Error / Page Not Found when a surfer
clicks on a link that the server cannot find or something else unexpected happens. The
most common error page is the HTTP 404 "Not found: The requested
URL/whatever.html was not found on this server."
This generally happens when a person clicks on
a link for page that has been removed, renamed or otherwise changed.
Click on the link below to see my own custom
404 Error page:
http://www.cashway.com/aintnosuchpage.htm
(This link is not active and will present you
with my custom 404 Error page.)
What happens to your web visitor who got that
error message? Generally speaking they're off faster than a "speeding bullet"
looking for the information they were seeking - probably to a different website. That's
something you really don't want to have happen and it can be prevented with a custom
404 error page that gives them options on the error page that will tell them how to find
what they were looking for.
So the answer is? Create your own custom 404
Error page that suggests other resources on your site and then helps redirects that
person to them.
In essence you're capturing traffic that you
had, but lost and didn't know it, and keeping that visitor by helping
them find what they need and possible turn them into a buyer for your product or
service later on.
But "I don't have the time or know
how to make a custom 404 page", you say.
Well good news - it's not as hard as you
think. If you have about 30 minutes and your server is a Apache or Unix web server
then it's virtually a snap to do.
** Your Custom 404 Page Design **
In my opinion your custom 404 error page should provide at least these four
components:
A simple statement that the requested URL was
not found on your site.
A brief description of some of the most common
mistakes that could have lead the visitor to the missing page.
A search box to direct the user to look for
similar pages on your site.
A "plug" for one of your Free products
or services.
You can of course add other components like simple java
script code for date & time and IP address display, etc. if you really want to impress
someone with your technical wizardry.
Your page also should carry the look and feel of
your website, so you should include your header or footer or both so it is clearly
branded as yours. You may wish to include some other links for your site that
lead visitors to other pages you may want them to visit.
Here are the basic steps:
The simplest method is to create your
new custom page, then upload it to your site in the same folder where your home page is
located. Servers vary in their requirements. For mine the page must have a
specific name for it to function properly as my custom 404 error page.
The simplest method is to create your new custom page, then upload it to
your site in the same folder where your home page is located. Servers vary in their
requirements. For mine the page must have a specific name for it to
function properly as my custom 404 error page.
If you don't have an .htaccess file you need to create one in the
same folder where your home page is stored, (in some cases, the file may already exist; on
servers with FrontPage extensions this file is automatically created). You'll need
to do a simple edit in this file. Use your text editor or server editing features
to add the following command:
ErrorDocument 404 /filename.html
(where "filename.html" is replaced by the name of the actual file you want to
appear as your Custom 404 Error page.)
You could, if you prefer, to insert your home page when a 404 error occurs. In that
case, the correct command to add to your .htaccess would be:
ErrorDocument 404 /index.html
The above example assumes your home page is named index.html. If not, replace it with
whatever name you are using for your home page instead.
If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer and the option to Show
friendly HTTP error messages is enabled, the file size of your custom error page must be
no less than 512 bytes to function properly. Otherwise, the program will show a
generic message.
There you have it. Design your page, follow the two
simple steps above and you'll soon have your own custom 404 error page that will capture
lost visitors and keep them on your site.
One final note - before you start on setting up your
own custom error page check the FAQ or knowledgebase for your website's server for the
specific requirements for making sure your new page works.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed Duvall Copyright 2007
http://www.cashway.com
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