Hawaii Website Design – All About 404 Pages (Part 2)

Previously, I discussed All About 404 Pages (Part 1) and I gave out three tips on how to craft great 404 pages. Today, I will continue to talk about more tips on crafting 404 pages that will benefit you and your web visitors.

Above all else, the main goal of a great 404 page is to make the web visitors okay with not being able to find what they need even just for a moment and redirecting them back on the right track. Here are more tips to help you in crafting a great 404 page:

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Keep it simple means do not overload the user with loads of irrelevant information. Be simple and straightforward. When it comes to adding links on 404 pages, only include links that are relevant to solving the issue faced by the user. When it comes to the overall layout of your 404 page, you can keep it simple while still being artistic. Simple and attractive layout can soothe the user’s frustration.

CREATE CONTACT FORM

While you can simply provide a support email address, it is more ideal to create a contact form. When a user encounters a problem on your site, it will be easier for them to alert you about it through contact forms. Now, do not include the contact form directly on your 404 page. Instead, you can add a link on your 404 page that will lead the user to your contact form.

MAKE IT FUN AND FRIENDLY

We all know how frustrating it can be when we stumble upon a broken link. To lessen the user’s frustration, you can choose to craft a fun and friendly 404 page. This is an opportunity to show your brand’s personality and capture the user’s attention. You can include humorous elements to your 404 page but make sure it has a connection with the rest of your page. Aside from humorous elements, you can try to incorporate warm and lively tones to give that friendly feel to your website.

ADD A CHAT BOT

This is not necessary but it is an option that you can take into consideration. When it comes to chat bots, users find it helpful while some find it annoying. As much as possible, you don’t want to annoy your web visitors so try not to add a bot that instantly pops up when a user lands on your page. A much better option would be to simply add a “Click to Chat” option. This will encourage the user to engage with the bot first rather than getting annoyed by intrusive chat bots.

Ideally, you don’t want anyone to find your 404 page. But if they do, make sure that your 404 page contains everything that will help the user to interact more with your website. Inform the user what had occured and how he can easily get out of the situation. For the next discussion, I will talk about how to get high-quality stock photos for your website. If you are interested about typography, read Everything You Need To Know About Typography.