By Eddy R.
8-10-00

Sooner or later every web surfer ends up in a "Document Not Found" page - best known as a 404 document; this is because web documents change all the time - they are renamed, moved, or even deleted.

Most 404 documents contain basic information such as a link to the site's home page and/or a link to go back to a previous page. Lately though, many web builders are realizing that they can put their 404 documents to better use. How? By adding information that their site's audience needs.

For instance, take a look at Webbuilder101.com's 404 document; as you can see, this particular document contains not only basic information, but other information that can be of much help to the user.

Web builders can add just about anything they want to their 404 documents, however here are some recommendations that could help make a 404 document a valuable tool instead of just another much disliked "Not Found" page.

The basics

As always, stick with the basics. We are talking about a link to the site's home page, and a link to a previous page. This is basic info that should always be included in any 404 document.

Support

Provide some kind of a gateway to a support page - a place where your audience can report the problem(s) they encountered. This is a very important move since valuable information can be gathered through such "support" pages - information web builders can use to improve their sites.

By adding a link to a support page, or a place where your audience can report problems, you are also providing your audience with a way to vent their frustration -- yes, people do get frustrated when they find such documents.

Other

Just because a 404 document is used to notify about missing pages, it doesn't mean you can't add other helpful information to it. Be creative. Feel free to add information you think most of your audience will be interested in. Suggest important articles or features of your site, or add other important information about your site.

Don't limit the information your 404 document(s) contain just to the basics! Let your audience know that even though they haven't been able to find the info they want, they still have other options. Adding helpful information to 404 documents will show your audience that you are concerned about their web surfing needs too. All this can mean only one thing...more success to you and your site!