404 Error Page - Content?

[A Party Shop]

Wasn't sure is to post this here or in the Ecommerce Forum, as probably topical in both.

Basically our 404 error page is http://www.apartyshop.co.uk/acatalog/error404.html

Just wondered what opinion was for what to include on this page? :|

I see some sites have a page like mine, others redirect to their home page, others have links to other sections of their websites.

I guess the main thing is to keep the customers on site rather then them arrive at a 404 error page and then think "i'm off".

Your thoughts/experiences.....

[Partyweaver]

I think the way you got it is ok. Atleast your customers dont actually feel like they have left your website. :)

[Ali-v-8]

redirecting to this page is good for clients like party weaver said, but google dont like errors.

Wasn't sure is to post this here or in the Ecommerce Forum, as probably topical in both.

Basically our 404 error page is http://www.apartyshop.co.uk/acatalog/error404.html

Just wondered what opinion was for what to include on this page? :|

I see some sites have a page like mine, others redirect to their home page, others have links to other sections of their websites.

I guess the main thing is to keep the customers on site rather then them arrive at a 404 error page and then think "i'm off".

Your thoughts/experiences.....

[fisicx]

Old smashing magazine post but still a goodie: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/17/404-error-pages-reloaded/

More here: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/29/404-error-pages-one-more-time/

And here: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/49-nice-and-creative-error-404-pages/

And here: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/60-really-cool-and-creative-error-404-pages/

Advice from Alistapart: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/perfect404/

[emmadean]

You should redirect it to the page with related content/products. This should the way to do with 404.

[Clinton]

I think your 404 page is fine.

What I'd be more concerned about is whether you are tracking the source of the 404s. Ideally you don't want anyone to ever hit that page. To achieve that you need to know where they are coming from. Use a crawler like Xenu to analyse the broken links within your site. Google Webmaster Tools will give you an idea of broken links from elsewhere (which you can sometimes get rectified by dropping the webmaster a polite email).

Best of all is probably to install a script locally so you catch all the information necessary to arm you to take action on reducing 404s - because that's the end goal. A lot of people landing on a 404, however pretty it is, will just close the window/click away.