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While navigating through the vastness of the web, you might have encountered a blank white page with nothing but a big bold text saying “404 Page Not Found.”.
Honestly, this error page can be quite frustrating and can negatively impact the user experience.
No matter how much you try to avoid this page from appearing, you can be certain that users will land on the not found page one way or another.
What you can do about this situation is serve something better in place of this annoying error message. If you have a WordPress website, a custom WordPress 404 page can be the right solution for you.
But how do you create a 404 page for your WordPress website? Elementor page builder matched with the XPro free theme builder for Elementor can help you create a free custom WordPress 404 page. This blog post will cover how you can use it to create your custom error page, along with everything else you need to know about a 404 page.
We will also provide examples of some amazingly designed custom 404 pages. So without further ado, let’s dive deep into the details.
↓↓ Jump Right to The Instructions ↓↓
What is a 404 Page?
Error codes across the line of 4xx are typically for URLs that do not exist or have restricted access. A 404 status code specifically means that the connection to the server was successful but the requested page could not be found.
In simple terms, a 404 not found means that the website does not have the page that is being requested.
This might be a bad experience for your visitors. When a visitor cannot find the information they are looking for on your website, they might get frustrated and bounce back.
This not only negatively impacts the user experience but is also bad for SEO. Broken links can be frustrating, and no matter how well-maintained your website is, they will still occur. So creating a custom 404 page is the best solution for you.
| Did You Know? The first 404 page was created in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. The page was a simple text page with the message “404 Not Found.” |
When Does a 404 Page Display?
There are quite a few reasons that may cause a 404 error to occur on your website. Some common reasons include;
- Your visitors may have misspelled or mistyped a URL.
- You may have deleted the page or modified the path.
- The page may not be available due to server failure.
- The page never existed.
Simply put, if the browser cannot find the page on your website’s server, the user will receive a 404 page. It’s like a backup plan for something that doesn’t exist on your website. A very common reason for this error is when you delete a page or a post from your website without redirecting the URL. Simply deleting a page may remove it from your website, but if said page was indexed by Google, it will still be served in search results, hence returning a 404 page.
To avoid this, it is important to add redirection whenever you delete a page or a post. Redirection means that whenever the page is visited, another page that you set will be displayed in its place, avoiding a 404 status code.
There are many redirection plugins you can use to do the job. A great one would be Yoast. Whenever you delete a page or a post, Yoast serves a notice that the page was deleted. This notice also gives a button to set redirection, so you can use it to redirect your page.
This is a simple way to avoid a 404 page. It may not mean that 404 pages won’t occur at all, but you may still have a bit more control over them.
| Fun Fact! The 404 page is the most common error page that web users encounter. It is estimated that 404 pages account for around 4% of all web traffic. |
Why You Should Create a Custom WordPress 404 Page:
As I have mentioned before, no matter how much you try to avoid a 404 error code, users will still encounter it on your website. Your website might have a broken link, or a user may type in a URL that doesn’t exist, resulting in a 404 not found error. That is why you need to create a custom WordPress 404 page, so at least you can control what gets served when a user experiences this error.
Here are a few more reasons why you need to create a custom 404 page.
• Improve User Experience:
The user experience is an important part of any website. If a user likes your website, you can expect them to return. A custom 404 page allows you to enhance your user experience by offering a beautifully designed page rather than a plain white webpage.
• Enhance User Engagement:
An interactive 404 page can help improve user engagement. If your page features interactive elements, users are likely to stay and have a better experience. Some online websites have even featured interactive games to play on their 404 pages to engage visitors. You can also utilize such interactive elements to convert visitors into leads.
• Reduce Bounce Rate:
If users cannot find what they are looking for and are served with a white error page, they are sure to bounce back (leave your website). A custom 404 page that catches the user’s attention can bind them to your website and reduce your bounce rate.
• Enhance SEO:
User experience and bounce rate can affect your website’s SEO. When you control these factors with a custom 404 page, you can boost your site’s SEO. This means your website can rank higher in search engine results pages.
• Make Design Consistent:
Pretty sure a blank page with nothing but an error message written in Times New Roman or Arial font isn’t your dream 404-page design. Making sure all your web pages have consistent design and branding is important. A custom WordPress 404 page can help you make your website design consistent.
| Did you know? that 404 pages can be used to collect user feedback? You can add a form to your 404 page where users can report broken links or suggest new content. |
Create a Free 404 Page with Elementor Using XPro Theme Builder:
The XPro free theme builder for Elementor allows you to customize your entire website. You can customize your website’s header and footer, or even create custom singular and archive pages. The XPro theme builder can help you create an impressive 404 page for your website for free. So let’s check out how to create a free 404 page with Elementor using our theme builder.
Requirements:
To create a custom WordPress 404 page for free, you need the following plugins installed on your WordPress website:
- Elementor Page Builder – Free Plan
- XPro Free Theme Builder For Elementor
- XPro Elementor Addons – Free Plugin
If you haven’t finalized a theme yet, you can use the free XPro theme for your website. Once you have all the requirements, you can begin creating your free 404 page with Elementor. So let’s get into the process.
• Create a New Layout:
Hover over the XPro Addons Menu Item and click on Theme Builder. On the page that opens, click on Add New.
You will be redirected to the template creation page. Add a name for your template. Let’s call our template Error Page. After that, set the Type of Template to Singular and Display On to 404 Page.
After you are done with these steps, Publish your template and click Edit with Elementor. You will be redirected to the Elementor Editor page.
• Use a 404 Template or Create From Scratch:
Once you are on the Elementor editor page, you can either choose a template from our large Elementor 404 page templates library or create a page from scratch. To use a template, you can just access the XPro library and choose a template. For that, click on the XPro icon next to the Plus icon on the page.
This will open our template library, where you can see page and block templates to create various pages. Go to the Blocks section and click on 404 in the Filter bar.
You can see a lot of premium and free 404 page templates. Just choose one by hovering over it and clicking Insert. This will insert your template onto your page.
This creates a beautiful 404 page for your website.
• Customize & Publish:
Once you have added your template to the page, you can customize anything you want. Just click on any element you wish to edit, and you can modify it using the controls in the left sidebar.
If you wish to create a page from scratch, you can do that using our 50+ free Elementor widgets. Just drag and drop each widget you wish to use, and you will have an impressive 404 page in no time.
Once you are done with all your desired customizations, click on Update, and your 404 page will be published.
In these few simple steps, you have created a free custom WordPress 404 page for your website using Elementor.
Key Elements of Great 404 Pages:
Now that you know what a 404 page is and when it occurs, let’s discuss some key elements of great 404 pages.
• Clear & Concise 404 Message:
The first key element of a great 404 page is a clear and concise message. You need to explain to the user what exactly happened and what they need to do next. A 404 page may sometimes confuse users if they can’t understand what caused it. Be clear and explain the issue so they can understand the situation.
• On-Brand Design:
The default 404 page that web servers serve wouldn’t win any page design competitions. It might not match your overall website design. When designing a custom WordPress 404 page, you need to ensure that it matches your overall website design. This helps keep the design consistent, and you may win more conversions.
• Helpful Navigation:
A helpful navigation is an essential part of any 404 page. A 404 page indicates the user wasn’t able to find what they were looking for. Having your navigation on your error page ensures users can navigate through other content on your website. They might find what they came for in the first place, or they may find something more interesting.
• Engaging Content:
Engaging content is an important part of any successful landing page. Your content should be catchy enough to make the user scroll through and keep reading. This is also essential for a 404 page. When designing your custom WordPress 404 page, you need to ensure that your content is engaging enough to get visitors’ attention and make them stay longer. Engaging content can be catchy textual content, images, or some interactive elements. Just ensure whatever content you are serving is engaging for the visitor.
• Call to Action:
The visitor landed on the 404 page due to an error, so they don’t know what to do now. Be sure you have an action for them to perform on your 404 page. You can add a Contact Us button or a button to go back to the homepage. You can also add some links to your popular content for them to check out. No matter what you wish the visitor to do, just be sure to add a CTA.
Examples of Successful 404 Pages:
Creating a 404 page can take some mastery. You need to make it attractive for the user while serving the purpose of guiding them. To get you started with creating your page, here are some pretty creative 404 pages for your inspiration.
• Screaming Frog:
The creators of an excellent SEO tool cannot be expected to have a boring 404 page. Screaming Frog’s 404 page is witty and pretty impressive. It features a blue background of a pond with lily pads that help them relate to their brand name.
The 404 text is featured on the Lilypad, and it is followed by an amusing and clever message that their target audience will understand. The final message on the page asks visitors to get in touch with the team. The page also keeps the header and footer, so users can easily navigate the website.
• Apartment Therapy:
Apartment Therapy is a popular home decor blog that helps millions of people every month take their interior design to the next level. On their 404 page, they joke about how no amount of washi tape (a decorative paper tape used for scrapbooking) can fix this page.
Below the fold, they link to their popular posts that might interest users. They also keep their header and footer to make it easier for visitors to navigate other pages or search for what they want.
• Slack:
The popular communication app Slack goes creative with its 404 page. The page features a beautiful natural background with chickens, pigs, trees, flowers, and butterflies.
Slack also makes this page interactive, with the background moving when you hover the mouse on the left or right side. The page features a simple 404 message that tells the user about the problem and asks them to go back or explore the solution in their help center.
The page also keeps the header and footer intact to make navigating other pages on the website easier.
• WP XPro:
We cannot miss out on our own 404 page.
We have kept our 404 page simple with a picture and text. The text tells users about the error and features a couple of links. By clicking on these links, the user can either go back to the previous page or to the homepage and start over.
• Magnt:
The website builder tool Magnt’s 404 page is an impressive example to share. They keep the 404 page design consistent with their entire website theme.
The page features a simple 404 text, and for the reason that caused the error, they feature a Venn diagram explaining either they broke something or the visitor cannot type.
The light joke is sure to get a chuckle, and users can go back to the homepage by clicking the Back Home button or accessing other pages through the menu.
It’s a Wrap:
So this concludes everything about 404 pages. We have covered what 404 pages are, why they occur, how you can avoid them, the key elements of a 404 page, and how to create a custom WordPress 404 page. Now it’s your turn to create your own 404 page.
If you are looking for a free way to create your Elementor 404 page, be sure to check out XPro Elementor Addons. Our free theme builder for Elementor can help you create excellent landing pages. Matched by our free Elementor themes and templates collection, the XPro plugin is unmatched in functionality. On top of that, our 50+ free widgets just make things much more interesting.
If you want to add on even more functionality, you can go with the Xpro Elementor Addons premium plan for just $29 per year. The pro plan gives you access to 70+ premium widgets for elementor along with 100s of premium templates for elementor. So be sure to check it out as well.
With XPro by your side, creating well-designed websites is as easy as 123.
