In computer network communications, the HTTP 404, 404 not found, 404, 404 error, page not found or file not found error message is a hypertext transfer protocol standard response code, to indicate that the browser was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested.

404 error codes are generated when a user attempts to access a webpage that does not exist, has been moved, or has a dead or broken link. The 404 error code is one of the most frequent errors a web user encounters. Servers are required to respond to client requests, such as when a user attempts to visit a webpage.

Simply, from a user point of view, getting continuous 404 errors while trying to access a certain website can result in a terrible user experience. Visitors who land on broken links on your blogs are less likely to return to your pages.

404 errors or “dead links” can seriously harm your brand and negatively impact your SEO by making it harder for search engines to crawl your site. That means finding and fixing 404 errors needs to be a priority.

The key to this is links. Links on 404 pages are so important because they give users a way out of the error page. Instead of closing the window or navigating away from your site, the user is able to find helpful and potentially relevant resources on another page.

Redirect the 404 error: Redirecting users to another relevant page is the easiest way to fix 404 errors on your site.

Do you have any rules you follow that helps you create awesome experiences or can you think of any I did not already mention in the blog? We love to hear what you think, about this blog, the 10 steps or just website designing in general. Maybe you have a question or two…let us know in the comment box below and don’t forget to subscribe to receive our next blog straight to your inbox.