A 404 page can transform a negative experience into a positive one by providing users with useful options. By including links to popular pages, a search feature or a friendly message, you can help users get back on track. This reduces frustration and increases the chance that users will stay on your site rather than leave it.
Google and other search engines are committed to ensuring that the user experience is optimal. Frequently occurring 404 pages can negatively affect a site's ranking. By implementing good 404 pages, you can reduce the harmful effects of dead links and keep your users engaged. In addition, you can use tools like Google Search Console to identify 404 errors and correct them.
An effective 404 page serves as a wizard. By including links to important pages such as the home page, contact information or frequently asked questions, you can direct users to useful content. This is especially important for websites that sell products or services, where user engagement directly impacts conversions.
A 404 page provides the opportunity to showcase your brand's personality. Many companies use humor, visual creativity, or interactive elements to make the 404 page memorable, which can help strengthen the brand and make the site more memorable.
Having broken links on a website can make businesses appear unprofessional both to visitors and search engines. This can quickly happen on older websites where pages are deleted without remembering to update the links pointing to them. When a link leads to a non-existent page, the user often ends up on a blank page with only the error message “404 - Page not found.” Therefore, a well-designed 404 page is essential to maintain a good user experience and protect the site's search engine ranking.