Introduction
Did you know that over 10% of links on the web lead to 404 pages? This means that one visitor in ten may come across an error when visiting your website.
404 pages are an inescapable challenge for developers and marketers alike. For any business, this can represent a real threat, as a poorly designed 404 page can damage the brand’s reputation and cause lost traffic.
But beyond their negative aspect, 404 pages offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate your technical expertise and your commitment to your users. So let’s delve into the technical world of 404 pages and explore in detail the underlying causes of these errors, advanced monitoring and detection tools, and best practices for making them a distinctive feature of your website.
What causes 404 pages?
Understanding the potential causes of a 404 page is an essential first step in improving the user experience. The most common reasons are as follows:
Cause #1 – Incorrect URL
A 404 error can occur when the user enters an incorrect or incomplete URL. For example, if the user makes a typo or syntax error when manually entering a URL, this can result in a 404 page being displayed. Common typographical errors, such as reversed letters, omitted characters or case errors, can also cause this error.
Cause #2 – Broken link
If a link pointing to a page is broken, for example if the link has been removed or the page has been moved, the user will also receive a 404 error when trying to access the page via this link.
Cause #3 – Migration
A third common cause of 404 errors is website migration. When a website is transferred to a new platform or undergoes a major redesign, the URLs of the pages may change. If the appropriate redirects are not put in place, the old URLs can return 404 errors.
Migrating your website is a risky business. It is therefore essential to set up appropriate redirects to avoid broken links and maintain the continuity of your online presence.
How do you monitor 404 errors?
Monitoring and detecting 404 pages is crucial to maintaining a healthy website and providing an optimal user experience. Fortunately, there are tools that can help you detect 404 errors:
- Google Search Console: This free tool from Google can help you track 404 errors on your website, as well as other SEO issues.
- Google Analytics: This second web analysis tool can also provide you with information about 404 errors, as well as user behaviour on your website.
- Browser extensions: Some browser extensions, such as Check My Links for Chrome, can help you detect broken links and 404 pages on your website.
- Third-party tools: There are also a number of third-party tools, such as Screaming Frog and Sitebulb, that can help you detect 404 errors and other technical problems on your website. At DJM, our developers have a preference for Semrush and 404 logs to help them on a daily basis.
What are the best practices for avoiding 404 pages?
By implementing good coding practices, you can avoid 404 errors and improve the user experience on your website. Here’s our checklist:
- Use relative links: use relative links rather than absolute links to avoid links being broken if your website URL changes.
- Check links before publishing: before publishing content, make sure that all links are working properly by carrying out link tests.
- Use redirects: if a page is deleted or moved, use a 301 redirect to redirect visitors to the new page. This prevents visitors from landing on a 404 page.
- Avoid dynamic URLs: dynamic URLs are more difficult to manage and can cause problems if they are badly managed. Try to use static URLs as often as possible.
- Avoid deleted pages: if you have to delete a page, make sure that it is not linked to other important pages on your website. If it is, set up a redirect to a similar page.
What should I do if I need to migrate?
It is essential to take preventive measures when migrating a website, by setting up 301 redirects to redirect old URLs to new ones. To avoid 404 errors when migrating a website, here are a few best practices to follow:
- Advance planning: Before proceeding with the migration, carry out a complete analysis of your website to identify all the pages and their current URLs. This will give you a clear picture of the existing structure.
- Set up redirects: Create a list of old URLs and associate them with the corresponding new URLs.
- Set up permanent 301 redirects so that visitors and search engines are automatically redirected to the new pages.
- Check internal links: Review all the internal links on your website to ensure that they point to the new URLs after migration. Update the links if necessary.
- Configure custom redirects: If you have URLs that don’t correspond directly to the new pages, configure custom redirects to guide users to the appropriate content.
- Thorough testing: Before launching the new website, carry out thorough tests to check that all the redirections are working correctly. Check internal links, submission forms, search functionality and make sure visitors are directed to the right pages.
- Follow-up and monitoring: After migration, regularly monitor 404 errors using web analysis tools or your CMS error reports. If you detect any errors, correct them quickly by implementing the necessary redirections.
How can you make the most of your 404 page?
Don’t neglect your 404 page, because it can be useful for a number of reasons! Here are 4 reasons to allocate time in your digital strategy to your error page:
- Improve your user experience: Instead of seeing a generic error page, which will confuse your prospect, this page has the opportunity to inform your customer of the error in a clear and concise way. This avoids user frustration and gives them options to continue browsing your site.
- Maintain engagement: redirect your user to other relevant content on your site. You can include links to popular pages, related articles, categories or search functions to help them quickly find what they’re looking for.
- Convey your brand image consistently: Remember, a personalised error page can give you the opportunity to reinforce your brand image. It should reflect your visual identity and a message that reflects your tone and style of communication will help to maintain consistency in the appearance and perception of your brand, even when an error occurs.
- Convert directly with a 404 page! A personalised error page can also be used as a conversion opportunity. You can include a newsletter sign-up form, a special offer or any other relevant call to action to encourage visitors to engage further with your site and your brand.
Need some inspiration?
Conclusion
In conclusion, 404 pages are inevitable in the complex landscape of web development. However, by understanding the underlying causes of these errors, implementing good coding practices, actively monitoring 404 pages and customising these errors, you can turn this frustrating situation into an opportunity to improve the user experience and strengthen your brand image.
