In the online retail world, the only thing constant is change. Merchants are continuously looking for ways to improve the design and usability of their web sites. Ironically, after making web site improvements, many web designers don't put any thought into what happens when an online shopper lands on a page that no longer exists! Too many times shoppers link from sites or even search engines and land on a bland generic 404 page that has no links or instructions. What do most of these shoppers do? Many will click "back" on their web browser, returning to the referring page and leaving that merchants site. In the brick and mortar world this would be equivalent to moving a door and not putting a sign on the location of the old door directing the customer to the new one. Most web hosts allow merchants to configure 404 or "Page Not Found" pages. What are some characteristics of a good 404 page?

1. Branding – The 404 page should be branded and should look like other pages on the web site.

2. Search – The potential customer just landed on a page that can not be found. Adding a functional search box to that page allows that same person to search the current site for the same content or product pages. As Google has proven, web surfers love having search capabilities.

3. Category List – Many potential customers like to click or drill down to find content. Provide them with a category list.

4. Link To Homepage – Make it easy for customers to visit the web site's homepage. This is the start of the potential path that has received the most design attention so lead them to that trail head.

5. Clear Friendly Error Message – Make the error message polite and friendly, but don't hide it. Coming across as rude or uncaring might deter customers from continuing, however it should be obvious to the customer that they are not on the page that they intended.

To see an example of a good 404 page, visit a random URL on Nexternal’s Solutions e-commerce software demonstration Firstfairway.com. A good example is www.firstfairway.com/this-page-does-not-exist.htm. Merchants that have questions about how to configure their 404 pages should consult their webmaster or web hosting provider.

To subscribe to this ezine, please click the link below:
http://www.nexternal.com/nexus/subscribe

To read previous versions of this ezine, please click the link below:
http://www.nexternal.com/nexus

Copyright 2009 Nexternal Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be republished in whole, or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher.