404 error traps

[fraggle]

Just after soe tips/suggestions...
What do you think are the key elements to making good 404 error pages?

What have you found best?

Any Examples ?


Im working on them for free hosting packages (as part of my marketing) and want to push traffic direct at my Pay Sites - 11 of them.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ta

[Greenguy]

The best 404 page is the one that's never seen, because that means you're sites are linked up properly

[Cleo]

At my link list I just send them to its main page. On the promotional domains that I use I just send them to the root of one of my domains that has a hub there. I don't use consoles anymore on any of my stuff a I figure most people have them blocked anyway.

[fraggle]

i agree on TGP's/LL's

Its actually for a deflault htaccess in free space for affiliates

Do you think it works back to index in this situation ?

Also thinking for hosted 404 traps

[DangerDave]

With GG on this one..

Dont make errors.. dont need the page!


If you are going to "need" the page.. make it clean "sorry we have an error" and give them an offer to go back or forward.

DD

[Cleo]

Surfers like to snoop around in your directories or see if there is a pic one number up or down from the one that they are viewing so a 404 or 43 page is not just for webmasters fuck ups.

[Misty Kristy]

I've learned over the years that sometimes errors are inevitable. For those times I have a little insurance doc. A php page that randomly sends my 404 traffic to 1 of 3 sponsors.

[fraggle]

Well in this case if i am giving away space to affiliates its is likely that there will be allot of 404 action from their sites on my server

i will actually be the sponsor (assuming im not getting ripped off with the space usage )

So i may as well direct to my program anyway

Just thinking structures - designs to do so

Do you think in this case 404 page is NOT useful?


cheers

[kamilla]

Originally posted by Cleo
I don't use consoles anymore on any of my stuff a I figure most people have them blocked anyway.

I use popups for my linktrades and I do very well with them, so no, many people still don't use popup blockers.

[neo-gel]

Originally posted by Cleo
Surfers like to snoop around in your directories or see if there is a pic one number up or down from the one that they are viewing so a 404 or 43 page is not just for webmasters fuck ups.

Exactly

[goodgallerys]

I have no broken links that I know of but still have like 3k hits to my 404 page from curious surfers each day. Mine is simple and has no popups... here it is http://yourhigh.com/404.html

on my free host though it is a little more obscure even, it just 404s back to the 'main' page at http://goodgallerys.com

I get a good number of sales from my 404 pages... I dont believe in popups or traps... I think people get too guarded when they are 'attacked' by malicious popups and it makes them less likely to spend money.

[fraggle]

thanks goodgallerys

So would you agree that in a free host situation it is not worth redirecting to a custom page - just set back to the index?

Just wondering if the host users would get paraniod of skimming if they saw redirects (even if its using their ID)

[goodgallerys]

I dont know... alot of freehost redirect to a huge trap of 404s... in fact I think there are some free host that make the majority of thier revenue on the 404 traps they put up. it is possibly worth money but again, I like a 'relaxed' surfer... more likely to purchase something I think....

in the end it is a balance... what makes you money, and makes your users happy.

[fraggle]

yeah i agree - im going to try a few

Its my first venture into free hosting so lets see


I am interested whether anyone will use the hosted 404