404 Page Not Found

The 404 page is the page customers see when they try to access a page that doesn’t exist. It could be due to a broken link they have followed, but it might also be that they have typed in a URL that is not accessible.

Some stores prefer not to have a separate 404 page. If a customer tries to access a non-existing page, they simply redirect them to a specially selected page which they know exists. It could be the homepage or the search page for example.

Creating a special 404 page could be an opportunity for you to show more about your brand and engage with your audience. It might also be a clever way to improve your conversion rates.

Best Practices

The 404 “page not found” page usually includes a custom message at the top of the page, informing the visitor that the page they’re looking for can’t be accessed.

You don’t have to keep the page that simple though. One thing you can do is to add a search bar right below the message and encourage the visitor to search your catalogue.

You can also add a section with featured products or display recently viewed products by the visitor.

Feedback is gold, as we know, so you might also add a form or an email address and ask the customer to report the broken link, so you can fix it. If you have a rewards program in place on your store, this could be an interesting way to reward the customer with some points and engage them more directly with your brand.