Comments on: What’s Your 404? http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/ Internet Marketing, Website Promotion and Blogging Advice Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:17:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ses5909 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-17572 ses5909 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:56:58 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-17572 @Rob - thanks for the comment! @AT - You're right Tommy, it should definitely be a consideration. People don't want to arrive at a 404 page and then have to sit there and wait to find out what to do. @Rob – thanks for the comment!

@AT – You’re right Tommy, it should definitely be a consideration. People don’t want to arrive at a 404 page and then have to sit there and wait to find out what to do.

]]> By: Colin Temple http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-17030 Colin Temple Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:08:21 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-17030 No, no... it's two now. Didn't you hear? Timmy got cable. Anyways, yes the 404 is easy to forget. Thanks for the reminder... I must put proper 404 pages on some of my newer sites! No, no… it’s two now. Didn’t you hear? Timmy got cable.

Anyways, yes the 404 is easy to forget. Thanks for the reminder… I must put proper 404 pages on some of my newer sites!

]]> By: Golgotha http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-17025 Golgotha Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:53:12 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-17025 Dial-up users?!?! You people still exist? :) I thought even the Quakers had DSL? j/k Tommy, thanks for speaking up on behalf of dial-up users everywhere.... all 3 of you :) Dial-up users?!?!
You people still exist? :)
I thought even the Quakers had DSL?

j/k Tommy, thanks for speaking up on behalf of dial-up users everywhere…. all 3 of you :)

]]> By: AutisticCuckoo http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-17023 AutisticCuckoo Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:36:09 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-17023 One thing, though: don't go overboard with your 404 page! I've seen sites where they include branding and everything on their error pages. As an involuntary dial-up user I can tell you that it's not fun to wait a couple of minutes for a page to load, only to discover that it's an error message. Make it useful. Include a link to the site map and/or a search form. If possible, guess which page was meant and supply a link to it. But keep it light. :) One thing, though: don’t go overboard with your 404 page! I’ve seen sites where they include branding and everything on their error pages. As an involuntary dial-up user I can tell you that it’s not fun to wait a couple of minutes for a page to load, only to discover that it’s an error message.

Make it useful. Include a link to the site map and/or a search form. If possible, guess which page was meant and supply a link to it. But keep it light. :)

]]> By: Rob O. http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-17006 Rob O. Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:35:17 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-17006 I recently overhauled my 404 page and having done so seems to have improved visitor retention somewhat. Roughly 40% of the hits on that page go on to other pages on my site rather than leaving the site alltogether. However, since it averages about 8% of my traffic, I'd like to figure out how to reduce the number of lands on my 404 period... I recently overhauled my 404 page and having done so seems to have improved visitor retention somewhat. Roughly 40% of the hits on that page go on to other pages on my site rather than leaving the site alltogether. However, since it averages about 8% of my traffic, I’d like to figure out how to reduce the number of lands on my 404 period…

]]> By: ses5909 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16993 ses5909 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:55:58 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16993 @John - And here I thought I had a brilliant idea that hadn't been done yet! It's always this way in the blogosphere! @Colin - That system sounds awesome! @Bob - Thanks!! @John – And here I thought I had a brilliant idea that hadn’t been done yet! It’s always this way in the blogosphere!

@Colin – That system sounds awesome!

@Bob – Thanks!!

]]> By: John http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16955 John Thu, 30 Aug 2007 03:31:22 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16955 There's a big collection of 404s from around the web at Smashing Magazine: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/07/25/wanted-your-404-error-pages/ http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/17/404-error-pages-reloaded/ There’s a big collection of 404s from around the web at Smashing Magazine:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/07/25/wanted-your-404-error-pages/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/17/404-error-pages-reloaded/

]]> By: Bob http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16919 Bob Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:43:02 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16919 I think i covered the basics with my sites 404 error page, gives the users a few options etc... it also reports the error to me if there is a refer header. Nice article, cheers... I think i covered the basics with my sites 404 error page, gives the users a few options etc… it also reports the error to me if there is a refer header. Nice article, cheers…

]]> By: Colin Carmichael http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16884 Colin Carmichael Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:14:54 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16884 I once developed a site that had a context-sensitive 404 page. The messaging changed depending on the referrer so that if they had followed a link from a search engine, the message would say "Google has a old link in their index..." or something to that effect. In that case, we would use the search parameter form the referrer to search our own site and present the top 5 options or so. We also, of course, provided a search box prominently on the 404 page. Things happened differently for different types of referrers - the message for an internally-referred 404 was especially amusing if I remember correctly. I once developed a site that had a context-sensitive 404 page. The messaging changed depending on the referrer so that if they had followed a link from a search engine, the message would say “Google has a old link in their index…” or something to that effect. In that case, we would use the search parameter form the referrer to search our own site and present the top 5 options or so. We also, of course, provided a search box prominently on the 404 page.

Things happened differently for different types of referrers – the message for an internally-referred 404 was especially amusing if I remember correctly.

]]> By: Golgotha http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16854 Golgotha Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:20:25 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16854 Thanks Sara for pointing out my dirty laundry. I've been meaning to update the 404 page, but haven't found the time... Thanks Sara for pointing out my dirty laundry. I’ve been meaning to update the 404 page, but haven’t found the time…

]]> By: Paul Bradish http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/comment-page-1/#comment-16853 Paul Bradish Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:12:38 +0000 http://www.search-this.com/2007/08/29/whats-your-404/#comment-16853 Currently, my 404 is just a redirect that sends visitors back to the main page of my blog. I've been thinking about turning the 404 into a site map since who knows what they may have been looking for. I really like how Aaron Wall of SEO Book created his 404 page. Currently, my 404 is just a redirect that sends visitors back to the main page of my blog.

I’ve been thinking about turning the 404 into a site map since who knows what they may have been looking for. I really like how Aaron Wall of SEO Book created his 404 page.

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