The error 404: taking a second look

Nobody would want to relive their heartbreaking experience as a person? Certainly not. When a relationship is broken, it is often difficult to repair. There are often times that you may not rebuild with that person again and therefore it is important to put in measures to keep a good relationship with your friends and loved ones lest you lose them for good. This is applicable in various areas. Let’s look at this from the business point of view.
                               
Renny Gleeson, a marketing and advertising expert gave insights at TED Global on errors that come up on web pages when you misspell a website, input wrong information into a web search menu or look up broken experience that users have with their website. 
His case is that businesses can take advantage of this broken experience that users have with their websites.  You will agree with me that if you are in dire need of an information online and you see such errors, it really infuriates you. As Renny Gleeson puts it, it becomes a ‘broken experience’. It is like being shown the exit in a relationship. That’s obviously heartbreaking.
From the business point of view, what about showing another piece of you and not an “error 404” page. What about giving customers a whole new experience to watch on your website when they input an error-filled info in search of an information on your website. For instance, your company or business website is, www.kwame.com but a user types a search which does not exist on your page, there is an error report which comes up on the webpage and that puts users off. That is a feeling no one would want to have.


Businesses can do something creative with that page. Instead of leaving an error page with a default page, why not do something innovative with it? Bear in mind that most users want simpler ways to get access to whatever they want online and therefore, in finding the creative page, simplicity should be taken into consideration. You also need to know why it is important to embed a custom error page on your webpage (a creative one of course).

The major reason is that it does not make users look elsewhere for information. It actually keeps them on the page and to look for possible solutions to the right link to the web page. Like a creative content, it always keeps them glued to your webpage.

Let’s take a look at three (3) important things to consider when creating an addictive custom error web page:



1.       Provide alternatives:  Your custom web page can provide an alternative page other than the page the user is looking for; users may bump into an interesting information that will equally be of interest to them. This happens on e-commerce platforms and blogs which have diverse forms of information to offer users.


2.       Think outside the box: When creating a custom page, you need to think about something which has not been done before, an out-of-the-box innovation. Innovative pages excite users and makes them keep reading or viewing whatever information you have on your website. 




3.       Provide visual representations: Pictorial contents somewhat appeals to users than textual ones. You can add humour to such creative pages and you are good to go. It is time businesses give their web users an experience to keep coming to get the needed information.   
   

Credit: hongkiat.com 

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