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Have you ever visited a website only to find the message "HTTP 404 Page not found"? I hate it when I get these messages, but sometimes they do happen - mostly on the website owners part, but only 0.05% the web hosting company's fault. No matter whose fault it is, you need to turn this page into an opportunity to get a sale or a new subscriber.

Now if you didn't already know, this is probably the most famous error message on the internet. I see it almost everyday (due to the kind of marketing that I do), and I see it whenever I browse for something on the search engines. But I always wonder why people don't use this as an opportunity to close more new sales.

For most people, when they reach this error, they exit the page altogether - never (ever) returning to your site again. You've just a potential customer here. It's your job to make them stay, and to make it easy for them to navigate once they reach this error message. In fact, I want to share with you some tips on how to create an effective 404 error page. Here's the first tip:

1) Add links on the page

You want to allow people to visit a page on your site that closely resembles what they were looking for. Don't offer them simply the option to go to the previous page. Because they won't do it. Like I said, they will more than likely just exit the page altogether - if it's not properly designed.

Offer a sitemap, a search box, links to some articles, a link to email you, and of course... a link to the previous page that they were on. Always provide them with good options and make it simple for them to take this option. Your prospects just want to be helped. So help them out by offering a simple navigation page in place of the 404 error message. Here's another tip for creating an effective 404 error page:

2) Learn from others

There are many website owners who have really good 404 pages. I can remember seeing this one customized page where the headline said, "Oops! Someone in the IT department screwed up here. Sorry! Use the links below to find what you are looking for."

The page was laid out simple, the error message was funny, and it made me want to go back and reach the original page that I was looking for. You can do the same thing with your page. It doesn't have to be bland or boring. Make it exciting and make it so that people will want to stay on your site.

A good and effective 404 error page is something that you will want to build so that you can retain as much visitors as possible. The more visitors you have, the more traffic you will get, the more potential newsletter subscribers you may get, and the more sales you will make also. So keep these things in mind when creating your page.

Good luck with creating an effective HTTP 404 custom error message page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randall Magwood is one of the most respected and highly-regarded online marketing experts on the internet. He has a website about internet marketing that helps small business owners learn how to market their business online simply and easily. To learn more, simply visit his website here: Internet Marketing Secrets

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