We’ve all been there, having the trouble of showing up 404 error pages which, we admit, can be overwhelming and upsetting for the visitors, but if done properly, can ease the pain and even help.
How, you might ask?
By being creative and setting up different kind of 404 error pages – if you’re not sure how – here are several examples that can help spark your creativity.
1. The Useless Web Index
We dare you to tell us if you saw sweeter error page than this one! Cute as a button meerkats looking around, searching for who knows what, looking all confused and stressed out – so that your visitors wouldn’t be, right?
2. Lego
Plain and simple, but so aligned with their brand. Lego 404 error page is one of those simple yet effective ways to, even in the times of mistakes, produce favorable emotion
3. Weemss
Event planning just became more interesting, right?
4. Bluegg
Can’t get better than this, you know? UK Digital Marketing Agency sure made its name even more visible by making 404 error page as interesting and funny as this one, we dare you to look at it only once!
5. Amazon
Cool way to include love for animals into the design, it is one of the pages that you just can’t stop refreshing, because it shows all the dogs that live with Amazon’s employers and their interesting facts. Neet, right?
6. Bruce Springsteen
Just like his music, Bruce’s 404 error page shows unique way of presenting itself and is as specific and charming as he is.
7. Blue Fountain Media
One of the examples that show you how informative and helpful an 404 page can be.
8. South West Trains
All aboard to this 404 train track route! A cute and effective example of an error page that goes to show you how even those more serious businesses uses creativity in the design.
9. MailChimp
Another example of simple and effective 404 page that both aligns with the brand and offers a way to amuse the visitors, by setting up this Hulkalike monkey in the middle of the jungle, to enhance that lost feeling 🙂
10. Virgin
There is a whole lot we can learn from Richard Branson and this type of 404 error page is just one of those things! Charming, quirky and oh, so fun both with the copy and image itself.
Bottom line, 404 error pages don’t have to be plain and boring, besides putting people’s smiles on their faces, use them to apologize and offer help by linking to the search option, a homepage or archives, together with a contact form to ask you if there’s anything they couldn’t find by themselves. By doing that, you are showing to your visitors that you care about them and their experience and not just your own well-being.
Well designed 404 page is really one o the good seo practicies which increases usability. This is one of my favorite examples
https://www.olx.pl/404-not-found/
Thank you for having us on your list of interesting 404 error pages. 🙂
Anytime, keep up the great work! 🙂
Really valuable information! Clears up a lot of important pointers. Thanks for the insight!
Hi, Saurabh,
Thanks a lot, glad we could help! 🙂
Thanks for nice collection! here is another 404 page I have known..it’s funny!
http://web-blogs.forrester.com/404page.htm
To easily create a custom 404 error page in WordPress yourself maybe take a look at my plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/404page.
Regards,
Peter
https://anotheruseless.website/404 this is our page, add it if you like it.
Well designed 404 page shows professionalism of the website owner. Unfortunatelly not many people are investing in it.
Couldn’t agree more on that note, Trawertyn, we need every opportunity to show our skills and well designed 404 can be just that.
The Richard Bradson one is hilarious. Have a custom and branded 404 people is absolutely a good idea, It’s different a leaves a good impression.
Exactly! Nice way to get noticed and remembered 🙂
As beautiful as Ivana! 🙂
Lovely 404 examples thank you for your work. Additionally, I looove funny and creative 404 like this ones: https://www.pixar.com/404
https://under-the-open-sky.com/404/ https://www.thedad.com/404
Those are some great 404 examples as well, Sofia, thanks for sharing!
Nice use of gif-s:D
Those are some nice display of creativity in a rather useless page, it was a fun read!
Thanks, Lester, I quite enjoy your comment, you know your way around words 🙂
Glad you liked the examples!