404 error pages are something you would think most web developers would want to avoid, but there are still many websites without custom designed 404 error pages. A 404 error page is the result of your visitor trying to view a page that no longer exists or has been moved.

So why would you want a custom 404 error page?

1 – Design – A 404 error page which is not customised will not look anything like your website or blog. If you design your own 404 error page you can make it as humorous and helpful as you like, this will engage your visitor and point them back in the right direction. If you guide your visitor from your 404 error page back to your home page, this should save you from losing some of your visitors.

2 – Keeping hold of your users – As you can see from some of the examples of 404 error pages below, you can design this page however you like. You could include related stuff to what your visitor was looking for, so that they have an alternative choice and not only a route back to your home page. This will gain the trust of your users, and hopefully prompt them to come back to your website soon.

3 – Easier navigation – With a custom 404 error page you will be able to give your visitor a choice of where to navigate to next, whether that be your home page or related blog post.

4 – Avoid losing trust – A lot of your visitors will not understand what a 404 error is and may think that your website is broken, with a custom 404 error page you have the opportunity to explain to your visitor what has just happened and what they can do next.

Let’s take a look at some really creative 404 error pages to get your creative juices flowing.

1: Acromediainc

2: Deviant Art

3: Fryewiles

4: Istockphoto

5: Itchyrobot

6: Mozilla Firefox

7: SuspendedAnimations

8: wpbeginner

You can view loads more custom 404 error pages on Instantshift for your inspiration, or if you already have a custom 404 error page, please share it in the comments below and we will include it in this post.

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About The Author:

Michelle Kirkbride

Michelle Kirkbride is a web developer, she currently lives in Yorkshire, UK with her two beautiful children and loving partner. She spends far too much time at her computer and is currently addicted to her work. Michelle Kirkbride the founder of Kaplang is also a business Mentor with D100, a Success Doncaster mentoring programme run by Deloitte and funded by the Doncaster Council.