Question…What happens when a customer or visitor clicks on a link and the file has been moved? Answer…they get a 404 File Not Found Error page.

What does your customer likely do next? Well they could click the back button on their browser or they could go somewhere else. This is why you must customize your 404 error page. You have to tell people what to do if they come upon a page that has been moved or deleted – you don’t want to lose them.

Step 1. Find out if your web host allows you to customize your error page. Most do. You can find out by simply asking your host or visiting their faqs page.

Step 2. Configure your .htaccess file. You may first need to configure your .htaccess file, which is located in the main directory. Some web hosts will have this step already taken care of. If this is the case, you can move onto the next step.

Otherwise, the first thing you need to do is to add the following line to a file named “.htaccess.”

ErrorDocument 404 /notfound.html

In most instances no such file will exist and you can simply create one with your text editor or web program. You will need to put a notfound.html file in the main web directory. Your ErrorDocument 404 tells the web server that whenever it cannot find the file it needs in that directory and its subdirectories it is to use the document specified in the URL that follows.

Step 3: What does your 404 page say? Your goal is to give your visitor a place to go, other than someone else’s site. SO give them an option. You can include a link to your main page or a search form so that they can search your site for what they’re looking for.
You can also offer a form for them to contact you to report the problem. This tells your visitors that you are concerned about their web experience and are devoted to keeping your website in optimal condition. You may also want to contact them to thank them for bringing the error to your attention and to tell them when it has been fixed.

Step 4: Test your error page. When you’re satisfied with your page, upload it together with your .htaccess file to your website. Then test it by typing a URL that you know does not exist.

Your error page should load up. From this error page, test to see that the links here lead to the pages you intended it to lead.

Taking the time to customize your error page will ensure that you don’t lose visitors unnecessarily and it will show your visitors that you care about their experience. It’s a great tool to build credibility with your visitors.