We’ve all seen them. You click a link on a site, type in an address, and/or use a result from a search engine and finally arrive at a page that looks like it is straight out of 1996 that says “This page is not found – Error 404.” Don’t you just hate it.
I’m going to ask you a question. “What do you do when you see this awful page,” aside from cringing. Do you stop searching for what you were looking for? Go to another resource? I usually get very frustrated and say something like “I wish these people had a better site.”
It usually comes as a shock to customers when I say we can edit your 404 error page so it won’t be so cryptic, annoying, and possibly allow you to save some business. Customizing an error page like this is very easy and if you think about it, you can probably put some very interesting things on it. After apologizing for the problem, show the viewer a site map. Present them with your latest RSS feeds and news releases. Give them facts about your business. Show initiative and turn this negative situation into a good one.
Just by adding this little bit of info, you might be able to save a business relationship.
