{"id":14018,"date":"2020-09-16T14:04:25","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T19:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=14018"},"modified":"2024-05-07T16:51:06","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T16:51:06","slug":"8-ideas-on-how-to-increase-conversions-on-404-error-pages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/8-ideas-on-how-to-increase-conversions-on-404-error-pages\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ideas on How to Increase Conversions on 404 Error Pages"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 11<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You click on a link, but instead of landing on the site page you want, a 404 error page pops up, indicating that the requested page does not exist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all have been there before&#8230;and it can be so annoying sometimes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As someone who takes a stroll on the web every day, I run out of fingers when I try to count the number of times I found myself on a website\u2019s 404 error page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, I recently visited over 30 websites to see how they designed their 404 error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although some brands seemed to have figured out a way to make their error pages work to their advantage, I was shocked by the number of brands that let this opportunity go to waste.\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mean, if a visitor lands on your 404 pages, isn\u2019t that an indication that they were interested in your offer?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why not turn that negative experience around?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, succeeding online and driving more sales comes down to one critical factor:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Positive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/customer-experience-management\/\">customer experience<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that said, allow me to show you a few examples of 404 pages that can turn a moment of frustration into an opportunity to make the brand stand out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What is a 404 page and why should it be optimized?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what exactly is a 404 error page and why does it matter for your visitors?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To give a brief definition, a 404 error page is an HTTP status code that means the server couldn\u2019t find the page you were trying to view.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The typical trigger for an error 404 message is when website content has been removed or moved to another URL. But there are many other reasons that could trigger the appearance of a 404 page:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The URL or its content (such as files or images) was either <\/span><b>deleted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>moved<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (without adjusting any internal links accordingly)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The URL was written incorrectly (during the creation process or a redesign), linked incorrectly, or typed into the browser incorrectly<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The server responsible for the website is not running or the connection is broken<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The requested domain name can\u2019t be converted to an IP by the domain name system (DNS)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The entered domain name doesn\u2019t exist (anymore).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes if the user types in or clicks on an old link it can result in a 404 (user error)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having said that, now let\u2019s try to answer the second part of the question: Why should it be optimized?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes you never know the gateway used by your visitors to enter your website. So, think about it. A 404 page can be your visitor\u2019s introduction to your entire business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Someone can receive an email with a link to your site before a URL structure is changed. And when they try to visit that particular page on your site, they may find themselves on a 404 page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suppose that happens, you don\u2019t want your visitor to exit immediately without getting a sense of your company\u2019s personality, offerings, values, or mission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It goes without saying that the best <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">404 pages are optimized in accordance with the brand strategy and they continue to tell the story of the business. This means that optimized 404 pages are consistent in imagery, voice, colors, font, and message of the brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimizing a 404 error page starts with knowing what brought the visitor to your site. This then takes us back to the Jobs-to-be-done customer interviews that can really help you know deeper insights about your customers:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are they trying to accomplish?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are they looking for?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does your company solve?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uncovering the customers\u2019 intent, through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/jobs-to-be-done-framework-in-conversion-optimization-projects\/\">JTBD interviews<\/a>, will help you tailor or rather optimize your 404 pages best in a way that doesn\u2019t frustrate customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>8 Ideas on How to Increase Conversions on 404 Error Pages<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a lot of exciting and different ideas I\u2019d present to you in the following section. But always remember that your 404 error page experience should be unique to you and your brand \u2013and it has to be informed by the customer interviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing so will help address the negative forces (customers\u2019 anxieties and habits) that might be pulling your customers away from the conversion path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that said, now let&#8217;s take a look at the examples of the 404 error pages:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>1. Display Some Of Your Products<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a visitor ends up landing on an error page of an e-commerce site, chances are they were looking for a particular product to buy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such a potential sale shouldn\u2019t just go down the drain. There\u2019s something that can be done to turn that frustrated visitor into a customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Display your most popular searches or products. This is exactly what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stevemadden.com\/\">Steve Madden<\/a> does:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14023\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-pid=\"14023\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a neat way to draw customers\u2019 attention to your products and help influence their purchase decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not having any of your products displayed on your 404 pages is the digital equivalent of ignoring customers when they come in the store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/ecommerce-guide\/must-have-website-features\/#close\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search Engine Journal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, high-resolution photos and videos are part of the elements that an eCommerce site should have in order to stay relevant and competitive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This also applies to the site\u2019s 404 error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I was shocked to see this from <a href=\"http:\/\/softsurroundings.com\">Soft Surroundings<\/a>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-pid=\"14024\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a wasted opportunity by Soft Surroundings. I mean one of the unwritten laws in the world of eCommerce is that: <\/span><b>images sell, not text<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Mentioning the products is not enough. People want to see the real thing. They want to zoom in and get a feel of the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chances are high that they are losing a lot of sales because of that mistake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another example of an eCommerce site that repeats the same mistake of not having engaging content on their 404 error pages is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.next.co.uk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14025\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14025\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Displaying even just a cross-section of the products you have available could be the difference between a potential customer making a purchase or going elsewhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make it an easy choice for your customers by showcasing what you have on offer when people land on your 404 error page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, it would be even better if you display your best or most popular products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>2. Turn it into a search box\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The importance of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/e-commerce-search-optimization\/\">search box in an eCommerce site<\/a> goes without saying.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your eCommerce store has hundreds of pages categorized, it <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">could be very difficult for users to find what they\u2019re looking for just by scrolling or clicking around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But having a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">search box will allow customers to accomplish their goals faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tell you what, it works the same for a 404 page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giving your visitors the option to search the product they have in mind is (almost) a guaranteed way to help them find exactly what they\u2019re interested in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And that means a higher likelihood of conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.etsy.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Etsy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a good example of a site that turned their site into a search bar:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14026\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14026\" \/><\/div>\n<h4><b>3. Add user reviews of your products<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I was looking into 404 pages of different sites, I didn\u2019t come across any site that has user reviews on their error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Considering the power of user reviews, I think that\u2019s a missed opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In one of our own research studies \u2013 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/the-importance-of-online-customer-reviews-infographic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The importance of customer reviews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 about user reviews, we discovered that:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">72% of customers say that positive reviews make them trust a business more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">92% of consumers will make a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">purchase if a product has 4 or more stars.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see from the above stats, there\u2019s a high chance of increasing your conversion rate when you include user reviews in your 404 error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And again, user-generated reviews can also convince prospects that land on your error page that your products or services are worth it. Try them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>4. Use it as a lead magnet<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a conversion rate optimization perspective, every page on your site should push a visitor further down the funnel so that they make a purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is something that should be engraved in your mind as you think about designing your 404 error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way of increasing your conversion rate using your 404 error pages is to include a lead magnet on the page. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/ab-tests-lead-generation-conversions\/\">lead magnet<\/a> is simply an incentive that you give website visitors so that they give you their name and email address.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be wondering why you should add a lead magnet?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reality is people don\u2019t always convert on their first visit, especially when they land on the wrong page. They prefer to learn more about you before committing to make a purchase from your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll need to use a lead magnet to capture their email addresses. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/ghfhrs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hubspot<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> uses this tactic:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14027\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14027\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best thing about lead magnets is that they all come in different shapes, sizes, and formats. It can be an ebook, checklist, or video recording of a previous webinar recording.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what happens when you don\u2019t have anything to use as a lead magnet. Does that mean you should forego the opportunity of capturing prospects\u2019 emails?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not at all. You can simply ask for your customers\u2019 email addresses just like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bando.com\/ghft\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ban.do<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> does:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-pid=\"14028\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Considering that the prospect will be in a state of frustration, it&#8217;s always best to offer something in exchange for a prospect\u2019s email addresses. Ban.do offers a 10% discount, endless inspiration, and new product releases in exchange for the customer&#8217;s email.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, people will need to be motivated if they are to offer you their personal information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>5. Leave an impression\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes it&#8217;s okay to take a less marketing approach, especially when you are a well-established brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sprinkling some little humor on your 404 error pages can leave a great impression of your brand on your users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trying to get users to laugh in a frustrating moment can make them forget about the annoyance of landing on the wrong page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a bid to leave an impression on their 404 error pages, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/\">Amazon<\/a> went for the more personal touch:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14029\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14029\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The giant eCommerce company <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">showcases random employee dogs on their 404 error pages, and it also links to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/p\/feature\/d8j6je99gnx65bk?ref_=doa_red\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> called \u201cMeet the dogs of Amazon\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another site with a humorous 404 page I liked is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/gong.io\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gong<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Screenshot-2024-05-07-at-7.50.01\u202fPM-e1715100655549.png\" alt=\"Best 404 Pages\" width=\"740\" height=\"481\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the video has nothing to do with Unsplash as a brand, it will give you that positive vibe and leave you laughing out loud.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of leveraging their products or services, Unsplash uses positive emotions and humor to build relationships with users and provide an enjoyable experience that makes the brand stand out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea of adding humor to your 404 error pages is to make them memorable so that they consider giving you a chance again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to various <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/useful-ui-ux-design-tips-for-mobile-website-design-optimization\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it only takes two to three seconds for someone to form an impression online.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So when a visitor lands on your error page, make it count.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>6. Guide your visitors<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you want to help a lost person, the logical thing to do is to guide them to where they want to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If yours is an eCommerce site that deals with multiple products, instead of curating products its best that you suggest a list of top category pages to visitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This gives them a good starting point.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the visitor was looking for men or kids\u2019 clothes before landing on a 404 page, they can easily move forward by clicking on a\u00a0 category section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toms.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14030\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-pid=\"14030\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you visit a page that doesn\u2019t exist anymore, Toms gets you back on track by suggesting you start with one of the top categories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes the transition from error to shopping smoother for the visitor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way of guiding your visitors back to where you\u2019d want them to be is to add helpful links to other pages. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.airbnb.ca\/404\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Airbnb<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> does this well:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14031\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-10.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14031\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s nothing exciting about the 404 error page, but I like the idea of including various helpful links that can make the prospect find their way to the right page they are looking for on the site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>7. Add a human touch<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any website page that doesn\u2019t have a human touch won\u2019t build relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes your 404 error pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to build better relationships with visitors who land on your error page, you need to inject kindness and consideration into that page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more human your error page is, the more likely it will make visitors more understanding and forgiving of the error.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no harm in putting a human face, your name, and what you do in the business on your 404 pages. In fact, this can engage the user with a little more information on you and your business while distracting from the immediate frustration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out this great example from Mint:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14032\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visitors who land on the Mint error page will get an introduction to Justin, the man behind the brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also give visitors links to things they might be looking for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another great example of a 404 error page with an interesting human touch is that of Email Center UK:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14033\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-12.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14033\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email Center UK added a human touch to their 404 in quite an enjoyable and fun way. They take the blame for the unavailability of the page, but they make visitors engage in \u201cthe firing game\u201d of one of their co-workers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding such a personality <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will significantly hold the users\u2019 attention and reduce the site\u2019s bounce rate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>8. Use exit-intent popups\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a visitor is about to leave your site after landing on a wrong page, something can be done to stop them in their tracks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create an exit-intent popup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/website-polls-surveys\/\">well-designed exit-intent popup<\/a> on a 404 error page can provide value and give visitors a reason to stay on a website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although it&#8217;s often said that people, in general, don\u2019t like pop-ups \u2013 I think it depends on what you are saying on that pop-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many ways you can use exit-intent popups on error pages. One of the ways is to offer a voucher or a discount.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It goes without saying that discounts can be an effective way to directly improve conversion rates on a 404 page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electricfamily.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electric Family <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">uses an exit-intent pop up to offer a 10% discount on their 404 error page:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" data-wp-pid=\"14034\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing how vouchers and discounts create happiness, it\u2019s safe to say that the Electric Family might have prevented losing more visitors and high bounce rates through this tactic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although discounts are a tried-and-tested way of improving conversions on 404 error pages, they can be problematic sometimes. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I like the idea of exit-intent popups on 404 pages \u2013but my only worry is using a discount as a first impression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discounts are sticky. Once your customers taste your discounts, they might not ever expect to buy a product on a full price again. And this will end up affecting your bottom line margins as a brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other way you can use an exit-intent pop up on your 404 error pages is to offer something that will propel users into adding their emails. I know we have covered this under the lead magnet section, but it&#8217;s worth a mention under this section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Checkout how <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/seocopywriting.com\/blog\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO Copywriting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> employs this tactic:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14035\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Slide1-14.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-pid=\"14035\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also use a progress bar that alludes to visitors that they are 25% away from receiving a copy of the \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 SEO Copywriting Hacks<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your 404 page is part of your website, this means that it should be optimized as it can also contribute to the increase in conversions and a decrease in the bounce rate. There are many things you can do to avoid making the visitor walk away after landing on your 404 error page. If you make sure that your page offers a solution that can help visitors out of this dead-end, you will never go wrong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 11<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>You click on a link, but instead of landing on the site page you want, a 404 error page pops up, indicating that the requested page does not exist. We all have been there before&#8230;and it can be so annoying sometimes.\u00a0 As someone who takes a stroll on the web every day, I run out [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":14036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cro","category-ux"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14018"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98426,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14018\/revisions\/98426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}