Can 404 pages deliver more than just a simple message?

Typing in the wrong URL in the browser is something we’re all likely to do at some point. It might just be out of sheer human error, but there are occasions where we’ve typed in the right address, only to be told that the content we were expecting to see has been removed for some reason. The page that always comes up in either eventuality is known as a 404 Error page.

404 pages can be pretty dull to look at, but they do serve a purpose – to tell us that either the address is wrong or that the content for said address is not there anymore. In their basic form, they don’t offer a great deal to the visitor, but some site owners have decided to treat them as a vehicle to show that they can be fun.

Clicking into place

In the not too distant past, some site owners have made some changes to their 404 pages. At one end of the scale, they have a link to the homepage and a search query, but some have added some memes, cartoons, images or something else that’s in line with the brand which is at least a little humorous.

Some 404 pages have been used to display some important information too, as this example of how they were instrumental in informing people of a missing teenager shows. If handled in the right way, 404 pages can be just as useful as any other site page for one reason or another.

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Clockwork

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Wise and Hammer

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Android Dev

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Virgin Holidays Cruises

 

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