404 Error: How to Stop Losing Money for No Reason

01.04.2021 | Marketing Strategy, Design

Dmytro Romanovskyi, Director and Founder of the «Destra» Internet Marketing Agency

It has been 26 years, yet users are still afraid of the 404 error. As soon as it appears on the screen, a potential customer may leave the page. I used to do the same myself, because I didn't know what it meant. I thought the entire website had "broken," rather than just a single page.
For the owner of a personal blog, this is merely an unpleasant inconvenience. But for a business owner, a 404 error can mean a direct loss of a potential customer.

What Is a "404 Error"

My grandmother was curious about what a 404 error means. One day she asked me, "What does the phrase 'Page Not Found' mean, and what does 404 stand for?" I couldn't resist the opportunity to explain it, so I decided to answer her question — and the question of the entire internet business community — on the Destra blog.

The phrase literally means "Page Not Found." It means that a user has requested a page that doesn't exist. More precisely, the server couldn't find the requested page at the specified address and informed the user of this using an error code.

The number 404 isn't random — it is a specific designation for this type of problem. The first digit, "4," indicates that the problem is on the client side, while the server itself is functioning normally. The remaining two digits, "04," identify the specific issue: the user couldn't access the page because the server couldn't find it.

There are four main reasons why a 404 error can occur:

The website or specific page has been deleted.
The URL was entered or copied incorrectly.
The link is broken and leads to a non-existent page.
The page has been moved to a new URL and is no longer available at the old address.

When an error appears, someone who is far from the IT field will not understand what is happening. To prevent them from leaving, you need to help them and promptly explain what has happened. The main thing is not to start describing technical details or put them to sleep with complicated terminology. That will not reduce the chances of losing the customer.

A 404 error page is another opportunity to showcase your brand. It is another way to demonstrate that your company knows how to communicate with customers clearly, concisely, and creatively. For well-known companies, an error page can generate interest rather than fear. However, to achieve the lowest possible bounce rate, you will need a skilled designer and copywriter.

What Happens If You Don't Design Your 404 Error Page:

The experience of the digital agency Destra shows that without a properly designed visual on the 404 page, visitors leave 2–4 times more often;
Customers will not be able to appreciate your approach and attention to detail — an opportunity to increase customer loyalty will be lost;
The customer may assume that the website is no longer working and go to a competitor instead.

How to Keep the Customer

How to Design a 404 Page

To prevent a potential customer from leaving, reassure them, and help them get back to the website, you need a well-designed 404 page. It should include an engaging image, text, a call to action, and a button.

The purpose of the image is to attract attention and encourage the visitor to stay for at least a few seconds. Emotional visuals that are thematically connected to the website tend to work best. A common approach is to create a scene centered around an error, breakdown, or malfunction.

If you don't want to dive into extreme creativity, some tried-and-tested characters and concepts include:

Sad people, children, or animals;
A broken product or an item associated with the company;
A corporate mascot or character;
Tools or workers shown in the process of repairing something.

In a shoe store, you might see a torn boot; in a pet store, a sad dog; on a travel agency website, a suitcase with its contents scattered around. All of these visuals subtly suggest that something has gone wrong.
With enough creativity and the right skills, you can even create an animated 404 page that is so impressive that visitors deliberately navigate to it just to admire it.

“Oops! We’re sorry, but this page doesn’t exist. It may have moved to a new address or been deleted.
Challenges await us at every turn, even when we’re shopping. It’s important to stay strong and never give up! Go back to the homepage and try again.”

It’s best to write something lighthearted to ease the frustration. As a rule, the text on an error page plays a much bigger role than the image, so it’s worth putting some thought into it. If your company doesn’t have a copywriter, you can brainstorm ideas as a team, come up with several options, and then choose the best one by elimination.

It’s important to understand: if a customer has been looking for a specific product for a long time, finally found it on your website, and then landed on an error page, they are likely to be frustrated. First of all, apologize, explain what happened, and offer a solution.

Humor can be useful here. If a funny message makes the visitor smile or sparks their interest, the chances of them leaving are significantly reduced. The key is to keep your brand positioning in mind and not overdo the wordplay.

The formula for creating 404 page text is simple:

Show empathy;
Explain why the error occurred;
Offer a way out.

Here’s an example of what it could look like:

What to Write on a 404 Page

Words such as “homepage,” “section,” or entire phrases are usually turned into links. Obviously, the link should lead exactly where it promises. In principle, links are familiar and easy to understand, but they are boring. Everyone does it that way. Instead of ordinary links, it is better to use more interactive elements.

Buttons are the ideal solution. They perform the same function as links while also being interactive and attracting attention. A moderately prominent button is a usability standard. The button itself should clearly indicate what will happen after it is clicked. Usually, buttons say “Go to homepage,” “Back,” or something similar.

To prevent the user from even considering leaving, the 404 page should follow the overall style of the website, including the header and footer. This allows them to immediately navigate to any section through the menu or via the links at the bottom of the page.

Call to Action, Links, and Buttons on a 404 Page

Imagine the situation: the image looks great, the text is funny and easy to understand, but there’s nothing else on the 404 page. The user has two options: manually shorten the URL in the address bar or leave the website. In other words, the chances of them abandoning the site are still very high. To convince them to stay and help them get back to the working sections of the website, you need calls to action, links, and buttons.

Part of the message should explicitly encourage the user to navigate to a working section of the website. On an effective 404 page, the user should have to make as few movements and decisions as possible. Ideally, they spend 5 seconds reading the message and then click the button once.

The call to action should be written in the imperative mood, while remaining emotionally neutral. For example: “Return to the homepage” or “Go back to the ‘Chainsaws’ section.” Formally, the text gives an instruction, but when accompanied by a button or link, it feels more like help and care.

Although the problem may seem minor, its impact has been demonstrated by research and statistics. If a large retail network removes its well-designed 404 page, this can have a noticeable effect on its losses. Ignoring this fact is risky. That’s why it is better to collect analytics data from the 404 page and optimize it until only a tiny number of users leave the website.

Here’s an article where Destra shares examples of successful 404 pages created in-house and reveals the company’s signature techniques.