{"id":6828,"date":"2023-04-05T11:06:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T09:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/?p=6828"},"modified":"2023-08-23T14:24:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T12:24:56","slug":"how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>How to bring customers back and entertain them with your 404 error page?<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Have you ever visited a website for some reason, but instead of finding what you came for, you ended up on a 404 error page?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your answer to this question is yes, ask yourself how you reacted to this, or what was the first thing that came to your mind about the website in question?<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it&#8217;s nothing positive and you&#8217;ve most likely immediately left the site, thinking it&#8217;s not well maintained and the information you&#8217;re looking for is unlikely to be found there, and even if it was, you wouldn&#8217;t trust it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However you wouldn&#8217;t think, but even with the most perfectly maintained, best site can this happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_53 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#But_what_is_a_404_error_page_and_what_can_be_the_reason_for_popping_it_up\" title=\"But what is a 404 error page and what can be the reason for popping it up?\">But what is a 404 error page and what can be the reason for popping it up?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#Do_you_want_to_see_the_404_error_page_of_a_site\" title=\"Do you want to see the 404 error page of a site?&nbsp;\">Do you want to see the 404 error page of a site?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#Why_do_you_need_to_pay_attention_to_your_404_page\" title=\"Why do you need to pay attention to your 404 page?\">Why do you need to pay attention to your 404 page?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#Find_out_why_your_404_error_page_important_is_from_an_SEO_perspective\" title=\"Find out why your 404 error page important is from an SEO perspective!\">Find out why your 404 error page important is from an SEO perspective!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#How_can_you_make_your_404_error_page_more_exciting_to_lose_as_few_visitors_as_possible\" title=\"How can you make your 404 error page more exciting to lose as few visitors as possible?\">How can you make your 404 error page more exciting to lose as few visitors as possible?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#Let%E2%80%99s_see_some_good_examples\" title=\"Let\u2019s see some good examples!\">Let\u2019s see some good examples!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#How_to_test_the_effectiveness_of_your_404_error_page\" title=\"How to test the effectiveness of your 404 error page?\">How to test the effectiveness of your 404 error page?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_what_is_a_404_error_page_and_what_can_be_the_reason_for_popping_it_up\"><\/span><strong>But what is a 404 error page and what can be the reason for popping it up?<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A website responds with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/whatis\/definition\/404-status-code\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">404 error page <\/a>when the visitor can communicate with the server but the server could not find the requested resource. This can have several reasons.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Broken or outdated links<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoptimer.com\/blog\/broken-links\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Broken links<\/a> are links on a website that are no longer available, leading to an empty or non-existing external webpage. This situation can happen if there was a <strong>change in the URL structure<\/strong> of a certain website and the links that point to the old URLs will no longer work.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason is if a <strong>webpage is deleted or moved to a new location<\/strong> without setting up a proper redirect, any links that point to the old URL will result in a broken link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A smaller proportion of broken links may also be due to<strong> typing errors<\/strong>. This happens when the website owner accidentally types something in the URL wrong and it never becomes functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Some tips to avoid broken and outdated links<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Check regularly the links on your website by using a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deadlinkchecker.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> link checker tool<\/a> or a plugin.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Constantly analyze your website with the help of behavioral analytic tools, like <a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/features\/heatmaps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heatmaps<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/features\/session-recording\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">session recordings<\/a> to identify and fix website issues as soon as they appear.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you find a broken link fix it by removing it or by finding the correct destination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you regularly maintain the links on your site, you can<a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-use-quantitative-and-qualitative-tests-for-user-experience-ux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> increase the user experience of your visitors<\/a> and Google will also reward you by giving a better ranking to your site.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_want_to_see_the_404_error_page_of_a_site\"><\/span><strong>Do you want to see the 404 error page of a site?&nbsp;<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Visit an existing site and anywhere you click on the page the URL will change accordingly, for example,<em> examplewebpage.com\/prices<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you use a non-existent destination after the slash, you will automatically land on the 404 page of that website The error page will let you know that the server cannot<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?source=webclient&amp;via=atlassian&amp;text=error%20page%20to%20let%20you%20know%20that%20I%20don%E2%80%99t%20see%20a%20page%20in%20my%20directory%20that%20matches%20what%20you%E2%80%99re%20asking%20for.&amp;url=https:\/\/www.atlassian.com\/blog\/statuspage\/error-pages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> see a page in its directory that matches what you\u2019re asking for.<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/wlilI1WBxzBBvwzG3GDGEoINBwsEaLg4lmph02XVbs0ii0QDWfWEZmmXMPUH0uE_XATZD7NujZZSZ6fbZzSShXGm4Naf6MA1xD_wTXbeQ6zq8Fap31T3lcSRf8IVKoiJmr6ydqLeSmOP5TThRDPDF4I\" alt=\"The image contains Capturly's 404 error page with the text, Page not found!\nSorry, but the page you were looking for could not be found.\nYou can return to our front page, or report a broken link. And it also contains 2 buttons &quot;Go to main page&quot; and &quot;Report broken link&quot;.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_you_need_to_pay_attention_to_your_404_page\"><\/span><strong>Why do you need to pay attention to your 404 page?<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You might think that if you&#8217;ve already done it wrong, why bother?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But did you know that there is a difference between a 404 page and another 404 page? A good 404 error page shows you truly care about your visitors and that you are prepared for any eventuality. It can also give you an opportunity with which you can express the personality of your page to your visitors or just entertain them. So you can use your 404 page for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Branding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEO<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trust building<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fun<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And if despite a well-composed 404 page, your visitors still decide to leave the site, at least they will leave with a better feeling and it is more likely that they will return in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><em>Did you know?<\/em><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cludo.com\/intelligent-404\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">73% <\/a>of people who reach a 404 error page will leave your website and never return.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And this number is too high to not pay attention to it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also have a piece of good news for you! If you decide to invest time in the creation of a creative 404 error page, t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?source=webclient&amp;via=atlassian&amp;text=The%20great%20thing%20about%20a%20404%20error%20page%20is%20that%20the%20same%20page%20loads%20no%20matter%20what%20mistake%20leads%20you%20there.%20So%20any%20of%20the%20infinite%20combinations%20of%20bad%20URL%20extensions%20will%20generate%20that%20page,%20provided%20the%20top-level%20domain,%20the%20site-dot-com%20part,%20is%20intact.&amp;url=https:\/\/www.atlassian.com\/blog\/statuspage\/error-pages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">he same page loads no matter what mistake leads your audience there. So any of the infinite combinations of bad URLs or missing URLs will generate that page, <\/a>it is enough to set a creative solution just once and that can be used for every scenario that appears.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Find_out_why_your_404_error_page_important_is_from_an_SEO_perspective\"><\/span><strong>Find out why your 404 error page important is from an SEO perspective!<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>404 error pages can have a bad effect on your ranking. When you&#8217;ve worked so hard on your website and made it work effectively, you don&#8217;t want to ruin it with a bad 404 page, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However 404 error pages are not ranking factors, but they can affect your SEO. First of all, as was mentioned earlier, the most important is to try to avoid<strong> broken links<\/strong>, because if you have a lot of them, it is harder for Google to crawl your site. It can harm link equity and result in a <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/ranking-systems-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drop in rankings<\/a>.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If many users are leaving your site it can &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/reasons-for-high-bounce-rate-and-ways-to-fix-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> next to other factors <\/a>-higher your<strong> bounce rate,<\/strong> which is a ranking factor and Google will penalize you if it detects a high number of them.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_you_make_your_404_error_page_more_exciting_to_lose_as_few_visitors_as_possible\"><\/span><strong>How can you make your 404 error page more exciting to lose as few visitors as possible?<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we have talked about why it is good to set a creative 404 error page and you could see what you should avoid and pay attention to it. It\u2019s time to talk about how this works in practice. We&#8217;d like to give you some extra tips on how to make your 404 website as entertaining as possible and get the most out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/_Kbg7gRE3knusMlZBtjIU2POZuCwQagi-i7KmjvAvt1V-mJnV1Q1mQIQDgdZBn5eyeZRFBHuZKXt44mPAmJl0ljWYn1YBRvJiVp4tRbygszvNVJVMHvxCCKsWa8h8fksZEzMX2YwD3YP0renw8adk5U\" alt=\"The image contains tips how to build a good 404 error page. The tips can be found in a circle around a light bulb.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep brand consistency.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s good if your 404 error page is consistent with the design of your page, as it is still a part of it. It should retain the same branding and visual elements and keep the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strikingly.com\/content\/blog\/visual-identity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> brand identity.<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t let visitors get lost forever.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter how good or entertaining your error page is, remember that the main purpose of it is to retain visitors and attract them back to your site. It\u2019s a good idea to include some components that can guide your visitors back to their original way. This can be a homepage link, a search field, or a few links to your most popular pages.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep it simple.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your visitors are already frustrated by a missing piece of your page, don&#8217;t make it worse. A 404 page can be fun and useful <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/remove-clutter-from-website\/#gref\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">without cluttering it with unnecessary elements.<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give an explanation.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is nothing worse than uncertainty. Explain to visitors what the source of the problem might be and don&#8217;t forget to apologize, even if it&#8217;s something outside your control, a simple \u201csorry\u201d will awaken their empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><em>Which one is better?&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>404.<\/strong> That\u2019s an error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>or\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sorry! Something went wrong. We couldn\u2019t find what you are searching for.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use fun elements.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t be afraid to use some funny elements or text that can ease the frustration of the visitor. But also keep in mind that these kinds of elements don&#8217;t fit all sites! You need to find the right tone, for instance on a website of a bank maybe it\u2019s not the best idea to use any fun elements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep your navigation panel and search bar!<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t want links on the error page, it\u2019s a good idea to keep the navigation buttons or your search bar. This also serves the purpose of allowing visitors to the site to find their way back to where they left off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Go interactive<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think everyone remembers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studytonight.com\/post\/how-to-play-google-chrome-dinosaur-game-both-online-and-offline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Chrome\u2019s dinosaur page with the dinosaur<\/a> that pops up most of the time when there is no network. You probably also remember that you can play with the dinosaur. Create something similar, entertain, and keep visitors on your page.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give them something&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing better to entice visitors back than a good offer. Give them a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigcommerce.com\/ecommerce-answers\/what-are-promotional-codes-and-how-do-they-work\/\">discount code<\/a> which can also ease their disappointment and bring them back to their original way on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><em>Extra tip<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have the time, energy, or resources to come up with a creative 404 page, you can simply <a href=\"https:\/\/aioseo.com\/how-to-automatically-redirect-404-pages-to-the-homepage-in-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">redirect visitors to your homepage<\/a> or any other page on your site.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Let%E2%80%99s_see_some_good_examples\"><\/span><strong>Let\u2019s see some good examples!<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the following, I want to show you some examples that are unique in different ways. Each one of them is an interesting and unusual alternative to a 404 error page, which can be an inspiration for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IKEA<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you get lost on the website of the famous furniture seller IKEA, you&#8217;ll find a 404 sign creatively constructed from all the accessories you can find in your home. In addition, the site gives you the option to go back to its homepage. And if you take a look at the design you can see it is also consistent with the company&#8217;s image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/oQ4QB_H8qjFlxJTfj9ABoSdla_eVaQh1x_GLdOxgMV316RhetizOeG1mV67uR_qft9_Z7RYizy0s95q33oD0UhAab2CkCfd0ya-4InDm7VMZNrO6aRwO8cdMXJlPOV7gjLhsHEGky5z2NHu78F10AIw\" alt=\"The image contains IKEA's 404 error page, with the text: 404 - Page not found The page you are looking for might have been removed or is temporarily unavailable.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ikea.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>LEGO<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lego\u2019s error page is a great example of how they kept their navigation panel and placed a \u201cStart shopping\u201d button. They also apologize and describe a relevant sentence that refers to the music in a Lego film. Sorry, we can&#8217;t find that page! Don&#8217;t worry though, everything is STILL AWESOME!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/JTXvEaZ8POkAcZnwHy1n4CJ-wMOgF6Z1mpwANrRVjv8ArmIKEGcy_44JY1Vz59rPgAi9QZF9Tm-UvGDG1F47tY4E0GaK-Qb-R-hr3hqkDQvC76acDP0r2zXV8zOcHc1LPAABieb_9-jcta2NO-EZOCg\" alt=\"The image contains LEGO's 404 error page. On the left side of the picture is a LEGO toy figure and on the right side a text: 404 Sorry, we can't find that page! Don't worry though, everything is STILL AWESOME!\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lego.com\/en-hu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dribble<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dribble is a platform mainly for digital designers, where they can share what they are working on. Their error page is a really good example of an <a href=\"https:\/\/rockcontent.com\/blog\/how-to-make-interactive-website\/\">interactive<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/rockcontent.com\/blog\/how-to-make-interactive-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/rockcontent.com\/blog\/how-to-make-interactive-website\/\">page<\/a>. There is a slider on their error page that allows you to set any color you like and the 404 caption will change accordingly.&nbsp;<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/qyC5-mEaewdQMvUfxTGL_2Xve3HIbvTJr_gF1CBKzDh1uVwpEFjyJ-IJcwOhK3jPljoitRAUCghnpEyFh2doULMAgT07G03u7vdb5rYTXfw7dM5A7m3ghE0FipD0h3TwMkpN1kZZQ1R2W94KFyaMCjE\" alt=\"The image contains the 404 error page of Dribble with the text: Whoops, that page is gone.\nWhile you\u2019re here, feast your eyes upon these tantalizing popular designs matching the color #7f00ff.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dribbble.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wendy\u2019s<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The US restaurant chain Wendy&#8217;s is another excellent example of an interactive 404 website. Can you believe, that they have created a complete game to entertain those who get lost on their webpage. It is really worth trying the game!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/7VgKscy58BMEskdhKB2OddIicWOg-1HtLMgtuTnSxPyO67sREmjfsn6wcjQnPE2fK5ql_4eyUBshfuC8pAQp8RS5KdipZCSGGu3rxe4wz-H0rtxd3MWxnbrnT0cq0GBBPQ8eCEUxNFOUu6McLnY9HtM\" alt=\"The image contains Wendy's 404 error page with a video game on it.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendys.com\/en-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Amazon<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of Amazon, the unique idea is that if you get lost on the site, you can get to know the dogs of the employees. Their 404 error page gives you the chance to experience the world of Amazon&#8217;s dogs in a blog article, but you can also continue your search by using the search bar at the top of the site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><em>Extra tip:&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Amazon 404 page changes from time to time and you can meet other pets on it. Create something similar that changes from time to time, so even your 404 page won&#8217;t get boring and people will like to spend time finding new pieces of information on it.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IMDB<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>IMDB uses a similar solution, every time you come across a 404 page on the website of IMDB, you will see different quotes from a popular movie. This also encourages the visitor to keep trying and stay on the page, wondering what the next quote might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/nKNBl61dS7TrxKIm8Ou1qZAna-bL9XPz2RlGD8uETqj_8mejJhHe7pNHJKm1XiWFt14jfpuVilk5GaNh6YOd34_tcW5_XJDU9ktwb2XNH5-qCdsusWjcxue8fxsMcDmd2ty29YUY44vMrMf43cdKCG8\" alt=\"The image contains IMDB's 404 error page with a quote from Dr. Emett Brown from the movie Back to the future. The quote is: Webpages? Where we're going, we don't need webpages.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/FTdwWub-Q05IWss5FeuqJl-eek0c7cDyRweJy1JTxH-4mgcinQjyQsLmLDrQHErSbuoo_M8EYJhhStb4dM7oPtbXbY6Rq7bm9aJC8R_M8km60g5VFp53a3zSjwMZShx6wwkUzLjgNK60KY7b-FsTDVI\" alt=\"The image contains IMDB's 404 error page with a quote from Dorothy from the movie The Wizard of Oz. The quote is: &quot;I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.&quot;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>TripAdvisor<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On the error page of TripAdvisor, you will meet with a creative text. \u201c<em>Meet the 404th wonder of the world. Plan a trip<\/em><em>.\u201d <\/em>This text refers to the 7 wonders of the world to where the visitor of their site can easily plan a trip. In addition, buttons help and encourage visitors to continue browsing the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/o7lAgKtFu_3nhqVWgnymInTGS7lNyigSdAWLyP-X4ctHu0ZmIgVyttffcHMYE_xGqA9a3c4KRajVqUx1ahzrLToxAA99ZHfO_qMI0syGCBhnugnKtUijlvhH-bMA86WQotHYeJ9KGXvMIno1SDb3jIs\" alt=\"The image shows the 404 error page of TripAdvisor. On the left side of the picture a text and 4 buttons can be found. The text is: &quot;Meet the 404th wonder of the world. Plan a trip.&quot; The buttons are: &quot;Hotels&quot;, &quot;Restaurants&quot;, &quot;Things to Do&quot;, and &quot;Vacation Rentals&quot;.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Source<\/a><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope these examples gave you the inspiration you need to start making some creative alternatives instead of your regular 404 error page. Or if you already have a unique 404 page, after these examples you would like to further improve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_test_the_effectiveness_of_your_404_error_page\"><\/span><strong>How to test the effectiveness of your 404 error page?<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing, testing, testing! This is the most important you can and definitely should do if you have a website. So why not test your 404 error page for a more effective result?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclude from the numbers<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can draw significant conclusions from the numbers! If you see that visitors are spending a lot of time on the 404 error page, they have most likely found an entertaining element there. You can easily determine this by looking at the average session length.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By looking at the bounce rate, you can see how many people have returned to the previous page and how many people have searched for a 404 error page to find their way back to their original location on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A\/B testing<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Set up an <a href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/using-a-b-testing-to-improve-website-performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A\/B test<\/a> for your 404 error page as well. One solution to measure the effectiveness of your error page might be to test it on your users. Give half of the users one version of the 404 page and the other half the other version and test which test group is most likely to stay on your site and which group will leave your site sooner.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing the examples and reading the benefits I hope you&#8217;re in the mood for finding a new brand for your 404 error page. Or even if you don&#8217;t feel like it, hopefully, the article has shown you the importance of having an effective 404 error page and you will put some energy into editing it. Keep in mind that not only you and your business benefit from it but also your audience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aim for the best possible result, because a very good, above-average error page can even get people talking about it, which will be good marketing for your business. You may achieve big results with a small investment of energy, just with a unique idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it&#8217;s definitely worth making the most exciting 404 error page possible and hope that your website visitor never encounters it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever visited a website for some reason, but instead of finding what you came for, you ended up on a 404 error page?&nbsp; If your answer to this question is yes, ask yourself how you reacted to this, or what was the first thing that came to your mind about the website in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":6831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to entertain customers with your 404 error page?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you ever wondered how important a good 404 error page is for your website visitors? See examples and learn from the bests!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/capturly.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-customers-back-and-entertain-them-with-your-404-error-page\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to entertain customers with your 404 error page?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever wondered how important a good 404 error page is for your website visitors? 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