Oh no, it’s a 404 page! Aren’t they the worst? Yes … and no. If you’re being strategic about it (instead of using the bland generic Squarespace 404 page), it can do your website more good than bad! In this article, you’ll learn what a 404 page is, and how to turn it into one of the most converting pages on your website. You’ll also get some tips & tricks on how to create a great Not Found page for your site and see some examples of awesome 404 pages by our clients. Keep reading!
"404 Not Found” Pages Best Practices for Squarespace sites
What is a 404 page?
A 404 page is where your visitors land when they try to access a non-existent page on your website. This usually happens when you delete a page (for example a blog post) or change its URL, however the initial link to it still exists somewhere online. It’s also common if someone mistypes one of your web page URLs - for example, typing in www.yoursitelink.com/abiut instead of www.yoursitelink.com/about.
Why you should customize your 404 Page
Let’s agree, landing on a non-existent page IS frustrating, no matter how pretty this page looks. However, if you can be more strategic about your 404 - personalize it with your brand fonts and colors or include an engaging heading - you definitely should. Just think of how much effort you put into bringing new visitors to your website. It would be a pity losing them over a non-existent page. You always want to keep people on your website, not scare them away.
And while the default Squarespace “Page not found” isn’t too bad: it offers a link to your homepage and the option to search through your content to find what you’re looking for. It’s still not enough to keep your website visitors on your website - they will most likely click away once they read the first line - “We couldn’t find the page..”. Yep, say no more, I’m out.
We strongly encourage you to customize your 404 page. Make the bad a little less… bad. Actually, with a bit of imagination, you can make it pretty awesome! You don’t even need crazy design skills for that. It’s all about how you present the info. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Dos and Don’ts of an efficient 404 Page
DON’T
Use the generic Squarespace 404 page. It lacks personality and looks too much like an error page, which can scare people off your website.
DO
Customize your 404 page so it matches your branding and looks like any other page on your website. Love humor? Use it! This will show your personality and put a smile on people’s faces, turning a frustrating situation into a funny and relaxed one. An intentional 404 page will not only make the user stick around for longer, but can also make them interested in checking out more of your website.
Lacking inspiration and don’t know where to start? Check out Florence and Copenhagen design kits! They come with beautiful and functional pre-designed 404 pages. We included options for you to link all your most important pages, which makes redirecting your users to the good stuff easier than ever.
DON’T
Leave people without any further directions. When they land on your 404 page, they essentially get to a dead end. Your job is to show them the way out.
DO
Guide people out of your 404 page. Give them options of what to do next. They could check out some of your best performing blog posts, take a look at your portfolio, or browse through your shop. Additionally, you can add a search bar, so they can type in the information they initially came for.
DON’T
Bombard people with too much information. You risk confusing them even more, when your goal is to help find their way out.
DO
Keep it clear. Stick to 3-4 links to your most popular pages and resources. This usually is more than enough to retain your site visitors and maybe even have them buy your services.
DON’T
Shy away from including some contact information.
DO
Give people options to contact you either via email, social media, or though a simple Contact form placed at the bottom of the page.
Awesome examples of 404 pages
Here are some creative 404 page examples from our clients’ websites:
DEANNABURKS.COM | BUILT WITH CHLÓE DESIGN KIT
ELOISEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM | BUILT WITH THEA DESIGN KIT
GENCOTESTUDIOS.COM | BUILT WITH THEA DESIGN KIT
GRACIOUS-EVENTS.COM | BUILT WITH OLIVIA DESIGN KIT
PAMELAROSARIOLAW.COM | BUILT WITH MARGO DESIGN KIT
How to create a custom 404 page for your Squarespace website
Now that you know WHY create a custom 404 page, check out HOW to do it - it’s very simple:
Go to the Not Linked section of your Pages panel and add a new Blank Page. Name it “404 Page” or “404”.
Build your 404 page using the tips from above.
When your page is ready, go to your main menu and click on Design → 404 Page for SS 7.1 or Not Found / 404 Page for SS 7.0. Then, choose the page you’ve just created from the dropdown menu, click on save, and you’re done!
Long story short, the recipe for a great 404 page is really quite simple: make it clear, add a little personality, guide your users to important links, and voilá! But if this still sounds quite overwhelming, just go for a design template that has it all - including a pre-made 404 page! Check out Florence and Copenhagen and grab them with a 20%, code “HAPPYMUSE20”.
Creatively yours,
Squaremuse Team