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.
