How to Design Your Website’s 404 Page (Part 1)

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What’s a 404 page in the first place? For those who don’t know, a 404 page appears when someone clicks a faulty link. It’s a typical response to a defunct page. Not a lot of websites personalize the given error message on the 404 page. Usually, the page will just let you know that the link you clicked is “broken” or say that “page not found.” These days, web designers venture out and experiment on the 404 page.

Man Holding a Map.

Man Holding a Map.

In this post, I will give you tips on what to add on your 404 page. I will give you unique ideas on how to present your error message in a helpful and creative way. After all,  the page isn’t all fluff. It should offer assistance to the web visitors who have lost their way.

  • Lessen the impact of the error.

  • When your web visitors see an error, they already disappointed. What you can do is to lessen their frustration. Grab this opportunity to pacify the atmosphere. Remind them that you are doing your best to resolve the issue.
  • A generic promt would not help appease the situation. It will only give a very cold and uncaring impression. Ultimately, it will make your web visitors more disappointed. and abandon the page.
    • What to do to lighten things up?

    • Be like a friend!

    • Number 1 tip is to be friend. Draft a 404 page using a friendly tone. Design the page with a welcoming and amiable atmosphere. Remind them to check their link. Say something like, “Hi there, I’m sorry that you’ve stumbled upon this page. Perhaps, you clicked an incorrect or outdated link. Kindly check the link again.”

    • You can even tell a joke.

    • People feel bad upon seeing an error, but you can always lighten up the situation by adding puns, or sharing a corny joke. Add something funny to ease the disappointment. For example, “Oh no! The link is broken like all the broken hearts out there! Will fix this before Valentine’s Day!”Below that, you can add more options for them to click.

    • Be bold.

    • Grab the attention of your web visitors by adding you own personality. Blizzard’s 404 page is literally a broken page. It’s shocking for first time visitors, but it’s an awesome and unpredictable response at the same time.

    • Add interactive games.

    • Kualo‘s 404 page is more than just funny meme. When you’ve stumbled upon a broken link, it will notify you that space invaders took over the web page. An actual game similar to Space Invaders will appear.
    • See, the page, what once was considered a bearer of bad news, is now a very fun and exciting game.
    • The error will also give you the chance to get a discount. If you score over 1000 points, the game will grant you a web hosting discount. This proves that 404 pages are not always full of disappointment.

    • Be informative!

    • Aside from being sassy, friendly, and funny, this is also your chance to be of help to your web visitors. You can suggest resources and links about things that got lost.
    • The National Public Radio’s 404 page offers a list of informative posts about people who mysteriously disappeared like Amelia Earhart. Instead of thinking about your broken link, you will be more curious on what really happened to Amelia.

For more 404 design tips, you can check out part 2 right here!

How to Design Your Website’s 404 Page (Part 2)

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Man looking for safety

Man looking for safety

 

A 404 page does not always have to bring disappointment in our lives. As a web designer, this is your chance to make up for the mishap. Guide the web visitor back on the right track. You can suggest taking them back to the previous working page or suggest reading another article that may interest them. You can present all your navigation options through a 404 page.

Follow these tips when designing an error page:

  • A 404 page is not all text.

  • Yes, you have to convey well your message. Apologize for the mistake, but you also have to ease their frustration by adding an image. Some websites add a funny image to lighten up the mood. Why empathize on the image? Because the first thing that people will notice is the image on the screen. The image displayed will help lay emphasis on your message.

  • Don’t overwhelm your web visitors.

  • You have to understand that they are already frustrated. Don’t add up to their stress. Images may help them cheer up, but you also have to offer a clear navigation.
  • Help get out that 404 page by presenting a limited number of options. They are lost so there’s no need to further confuse them by presenting so many options on where to go.
    • When your web visitors encountered an error, these are the 3 basic things you can offer:
      • They go back to the previous page so they can track where it went wrong.
      • They can also go to the home page of the website so they start over.
      • Lastly, they can report the error. Allow your web visitors to help you out. Perhaps, you are not aware that such problems exist. When you have an avenue for your web visitors to report an error, invalid page, bad link, you get to immediately take action. You are given a heads up that hey! This page ain’t working. You know what areas to improve on, and you know what needs to be done instantly.
    • Aside from giving 3 navigation options, you can also add these tools on your website to help more customers in the future.

      • Live chat feature.

      • Most of the time, chat bots are annoying. They just pop out of nowhere. However, when someone needs help, chatbots are really helpful. In a situation where a customer is lost, chat bots can be a lifesaver. Adding a chat option can help customers get on the right direction. You create automated messages that will guide web visitors to the main parts of your website.

      • Search box.

      • Another brilliant way to help is to add a search box on the 404 page itself. Web visitors don’t need to go to the home page to start a new search. They can do it right there. Perhaps, the 404 page appeared because they misspelled something. This search box can offer immediate assistance.

      •  FAQ.

      • Lastly, you can use this chance to answer questions regarding 404. You can why they are seeing an error, and answer common questions related to it. Grab this opportunity to inform your web visitors about the causes, and at the same time, alleviate their frustrations.

 

Why You Need to Write Numbers as Digits

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I have a secret to share. Did you know that numbers stop wandering eyes?

Yes, you read that right!

Numbers like 25, 13, and 2574 make your readers stop.

Alarm Clock Lying on Multicolored Surface

Allow me to explain. Today, reading an entire blog post takes too much time. People prefer to skim and read only things that interest them.  It’s highly improbable for web visitors to read everything word for word. One sure way to get your readers’ attention is to write numbers as digits (ex. 53) and not as words (ex. fifty three.)

If you want your web visitors to take their time and read your post carefully, it’s best to add digits into the mix of long and boring paragraphs.

  • What’s the explanation? How can people spot the digits immediately?
    • The answer is easy. The eyes can easily detect digits because the shape is divergent. 1 is different from 2. Other than that, if you put numbers and letters side by side, numbers will distinctly stand out.
    • From anyone’s peripheral vision, 242728 looks obvious than two hundred forty two thousand seven hundred twenty eight. The spelled number will blend with the other words in the sentence, but the numerical value attracts attention.
  • What’s so unique with numbers?
    • Numbers are associated with facts, and people are interested with facts. They are concerned if a chocolate spread weighs 370g or 500g. They are looking for specific numbers, such as a calorie count, net weight, and price.
    • So, in your product pages, it’s recommended to write numbers as numerals. Numbers are more concise and inviting over a series of flowery words.

The bottom line is that adding 5, 7, 9 (or any number really) increases the ability for text to be read and understood. In the digital world, reading is 25% slower than reading printed copies. Web readers prefer to scan rather than reading it word for word because it’s harder on the eyes.

Dump the conventional writing style

Numbers are written in words if it’s on a book, magazine, and other printed materials.  Grammar books will tell you that it’s imperative to spell out numbers. Here are a few guidelines given by books:

  • If a number is the 1st word of a sentence, write it as words. (ex. Five apples were donated by Lily.)
  • If a number is followed by hundred, thousand, and so on, write it as two hundred, seven thousand, etc.
  • If a number is between 1 and 99, spell it out. (ex. Lily gave me five apples.)

However, in the World Wide Web, you need to break down your content. More than sticking to grammar books, the internet favors scannability and readability. So, if you are drafting a blog post, here are a few guidelines:

  • Write numbers as digits. (ex. 811, and NOT eight hundred eleven)
  • If it’s the 1st word in a sentence, write it as digits.
  • 6789 is catches attention better than six thousand seven eight hundred nine. (see previous bullet points.)
  • Write digits up to 1 billion. If numbers are larger, it’s better to spell it out.
  • If it’s a rough estimate, spell the numbers out. (ex. Over a hundred customers bought shirts yesterday.)
  • If you know the exact numbers, write them as numerals. (ex. 156 customers bought shirts yesterday.)

 

SEO basics you need to nail

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You don’t need to spend hours and hours revising on the internet to grasp the basics of SEO. If you have a spare hour and a little patience, you too can get learn the knowledge you need to gain your site a decent share of organic search traffic. Doing so is essential if you want to succeed as a business owner or marketer.

 

Everyone starts somewhere. If you want to get started with SEO, start with these basics.

 

Write lots of in-depth, fresh content

Content is a key part of SEO. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when learning SEO is get carried away with on-page optimization and backlinks and forget about your site’s content. Quality content is a core part of a successful SEO campaign, which is why you should be willing to spend money on hiring high-quality writers or spending time writing your content yourself. Produce fresh content on a regular basis and you’ll be well on your way to higher rankings.

 

Learn the basics of link building

Links are the most important ranking factor that Google uses. Knowing how to build quality links is therefore essential. The more links your website gets, the higher it will rank in Google, as long as though links are from high authority websites. Even if you don’t spend time building links yourself, it’s important to know the kind of content and promotion it takes to get them.

 

Write killer headlines

Headlines are a huge part of SEO. They may not hold the ranking power that they used to, but they are certainly powerful at getting people on Google to click on your website’s link. The title and the meta description that your page displays on Google is the only chance you have at encouraging users to choose you over the ten other sites they have. You can’t change the order in which your site appears, but you can change how attractive your site looks to Googlers.

 

Don’t forget about the user experience

How your website looks and works can often get overlooked when it comes to SEO. But it also has an important role to play in how your site ranks. This is particularly true when it comes to the experience of mobile users. Not having a responsive website in 2019 can kill your website’s rankings. Unresponsive websites mean high bounce rates and low rankings.

 

It’s not just how your website looks, it’s also how it reads. Going back to the first point, you also need to make sure your website is full of high quality, fresh and engaging content that will keep your users on your site for a long time. Make sure to include high-quality photos and graphics, too.

 

SEO isn’t easy and these tips won’t make you an SEO rockstar, but they’ll go some way to helping you boost your site’s rankings before hiring an expert.

 

Everything You Need to Know about Meta Tags

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When meta tags are mentioned, two things usually come to mind: a concise description and keywords. Sure, these two are cornerstones of the meta tag optimization, but there’s more to it than the usual keyword use. As much as meta tags are common practice in SEO, a lot of sites misuse them.

The key here is to only add meta tags that you need. This tool might be a staple for every search marketer’s kit, but it can also sabotage your website’s footing if done wrong. When it comes to advanced meta tag codes, you don’t need to make it complicated. The less code the better it will be for your website.

So to guide you, here are some of the great, the good, and the ugly when it comes to meta tags:

The great

These three are ones you shouldn’t go without:

Title. A unique title for every page is important to help Google recognize what your page is about. Usually, titles don’t start with “meta” per se, but it contains juicy details that play a vital part for your SEO.

Meta description. This part is important to catch the attention of your reader even before they click the page. Make it short and simple, around 160 characters will do. You need to sell the page without being too wordy.

Viewport. This is the make-or-break part of the mobile experience. If you don’t specify a viewport size, your website will look odd on mobile devices. Internet users don’t like that.

The good

The following are good stuff that you should consider including:

Robots. Not all sites need the robot meta tag. If you want to change following and indexing commands, that’s the only time you’ll use a robot meta tag.

Social meta tags. Of course, you can share Twitter and OpenGraph data, but it doesn’t always stand as a staple. Use this tag only when necessary and if it will serve a specific purpose for your SEO.

Site verification. Once your website is verified by Google and Bing, there isn’t really a need to keep the verification tag on your homepage.

The ugly

These are the stuff that you should avoid at all cost:

Expiration dates. What’s the sense of putting an expiration date on your page? If you have no use of it, just take it down. If it’s a page for a limited offer, just unpublish it once it’s done.

Writer/Author. There’s no need to put a separate tag just to name the author of the page. Even if it’s a popular person, it’s not common practice to exhaust this type of tag.

Revisit after. This tag is used so robots will return to the page after a specific timeframe. If you’re thinking of using it as a ranking factor, bad news, search engines don’t follow this type of command.

These are just a few of the meta tags you should be aware of. Use it wisely and never overdo your SEO.

 

How to target multiple keywords on one page

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The days of targeting just one keyword per web page are over. As SEO tactics have evolved, the need to optimize for more than one keyword has evolved. Rather than one keyword per page, SEOs now need to optimize for semantic search and user intent. Thanks to the Hummingbird update, Google now takes into account the intent of the search — what the user is trying to find — rather than just ranking pages by keywords. So, now that you know that targeting multiple keywords is necessary, here’s how you can do it.

 

How to find multiple keywords

Don’t think that optimizing for multiple keywords per page means using synonyms of your main keyword. Instead, you should be using LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords that are relevant to your overall topic. To find these, check the related searches or people also searched for areas on Google. If I searched for “how to optimize keywords”, I will find LSI keywords like “how do I target keywords in SEO” and “how do you optimize your content for search?”. These aren’t synonyms, instead, they are other keywords that searchers might be interested in.

 

Analyzing your other keywords?

Finding keywords is the first thing. Now you need to check the competition, search volume, and competition. Your other keywords should be low competition but have high traffic volumes.

 

Using multiple keywords in your content

If you use WordPress to run your website, there’s a good chance you are using Yoast SEO or All In One SEO. You will need to pay extra to use these kinds of plugins to optimize for multiple phrases, however. So, rather than doing that, you can optimize your meta description and heading tags to contain a range of different keywords. Having a different content section per keyword is a good idea. Not only does it make your content easy to read and navigate, but Google may also be able to draw out sections of your website in the search results.

 

Make sure to track your new keywords

Don’t forget to add your new keywords to your rankings tracker. There are several online tools that you can use to do this. Whichever you use, make sure that you are tracking all of them per page.

 

Optimizing for multiple keywords will help you create deeper content

Adding multiple keywords to your page won’t just help you when it comes to semantic search, it will also help you to write deeper and more engaging content. The more keywords you include, the more topics that you will have to write about. It’s not just good for your SEO, it’s good for your readers, too.

 

Fake Review Attack Impacts Small Businesses

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Fake reviews are no longer just about a disgruntled customer who didn’t get free soup. This year, fake reviews attacked the local SEO community with roughly 37 fake profiles spreading millions of fake 4-star ratings. Good thing, Google was able to wipe the fake ratings in a matter of five days.

The bad news, though, is that Google and the businesses themselves are finding it hard to spot all the fake reviews. This is due to the fact that some of the accounts decided to hide their reviews.

However, why care about the fake ratings if they are giving 4 stars anyway? Well, this is a matter of preventing the public from being misled and fed with fake information.

The impact of the fake reviews

Although it looks like the fake reviews are favorable for businesses, it can actually taint the reputation of the establishment. One business reportedly received 22 fake ratings in just one hour. Most of the fake ratings don’t have names or have ones that aren’t typical. And as you know, consumers are smart.

A large chunk of buyers who read the reviews will be able to tell they are fake. This will make them doubt the credibility of the business with many thinking that the business itself is behind the fake reviews.

Google Product Experts have received and tracked reports about the fake reviews. The reports came from Twitter and Google My Business. However, the infuriating fact here is that even the experts can’t dig through the fake reviews. The reason? The fake reviewers decided to hide the reviews they made.

The culprit

Most of the profiles used for the attack are Vietnamese. However, this doesn’t mean that Vietnamese people are behind the attack. Such profiles are probably used to mislead experts since the fake ratings are mostly done to small and medium businesses across America.

Right now, Google doesn’t have a clue about who is behind the proliferation of fake reviews. Still, it’s comforting to know that all the fake ratings are erased and the situation is still being monitored by experts.

Confused business owners

The escalation of the fake reviews left small business confused and frustrated. Some expressed their fright over how much control Google has over their business. Anyone can leave a review that can make or break their businesses’ reputation.

Overall, around 257 businesses were affected. Still, there are more that are yet to be confirmed.

Fake reviews and ratings can easily kill consumer confidence. Even with tons of positive reviews from actual buyers, potential customers may shy away from using a business. This is the reason why Google and business owners are trying to control any form of abuse in the review section.

The good thing, in this case, is that the attack was defeated a few days after it was launched. Still, the fake rating attack shed light on the fact that such a thing can happen and it poses a real threat to businesses. When consumer trust is at stake, business owners will exhaust all means to keep it from crumbling.

 

How to Hire the Right SEO Agency

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Search engine optimization is crucial for every website. Many companies are willing to pay thousands of dollars just to seal the coveted top spot at the search results. However, the realization of this goal depends on who you hire to do the job. Due to the demand for SEO services, numerous SEO agencies are sprouting like mushrooms over the web.

An SEO agency will handle the ranking process for you. This means they will have access to almost all parts of your website and social media accounts. This is a big deal, especially for large companies with a reputation to protect, and that means you need to hire the right SEO agency. Here’s how:

Ethical practice

If there’s one thing you should know about SEO, it’s that Google isn’t stupid. It will know when shady tactics are being used. This is the reason why you should only hire ethical SEO practitioners.

 

Broadly speaking there are two types of SEO tactics: black hat and white hat SEO. Black hat is the dirty tactic. It’s an unethical practice where keywords are hidden and are spammed across the page for the sake of fast (and usually short-lived) ranking.

A company that does its job

You can easily find an SEO agency at a reasonable rate promising a great performance. Check their competency, ask them to do an SEO audit on your site. Ask them what they think should be improved to increase your rankings.  They should be looking for things like quality content, solid backlinking, relevant images, and tried and tested methods.

You can also check the previous projects of the SEO agency to see how they fare with their promises.

Be reasonable

When looking for an SEO agency, keep your demands reasonable. Of course, you want to have the best rankings possible, but remember that you’ll only get what you’re willing to pay for. Still, be wary of agencies that will try to rip you off by overcharging. Opt for those with a fixed and solid matrix for their pricing. Most SEO firms nowadays have an a la carte model of payment meaning you only pay for what you need.

Keyword search

Keyword search is the cornerstone of the SEO process. It’s imperative that you choose an SEO agency that understands the process deeply and acts with precision. Ideally, you should be targeting keywords that are low in competition but high in traffic. A decent SEO service should know what to do when it comes to picking the right keywords and optimizing for full ranking potential.

Quality content and backlinking

Content is king in SEO. This is the reason why you should never hire an agency that uses spun articles or online article generators. Your content should always be freshly written by actual writers. Remember, Google can detect poor content, and if your website is guilty, it will be badly penalized and under-ranked.

Always hire a trustworthy SEO agency that has already proven itself in its craft. Check its previous projects and never be ripped off by shady tactics.

Consumers Think 3-month Old Reviews Aren’t Relevant

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Product or service reviews are powerful statements about a brand or a business. Potential customers usually base their purchasing decision on this type of content. However, around 85% of consumers think that 3-month old reviews are no longer valuable.

Based on the 2018 Local Consumer Review Survey of BrightLocal, buyers put a different value on reviews based on the date of posting. Recent reviews have higher trust rating but as reviews turn older, they lose their sparkle in the consumers’ eyes. When you think about it, it sounds logical for someone looking for feedback before purchasing a certain item.

The numbers

According to the same study, around 40% of all consumers only refer to reviews written within the past two weeks. Anything beyond that is deemed to be obsolete. Such a percentage is a massive boost compared to last year’s 18%.

Demographic-wise, BrightLocal found out that 50% of local business searchers between the age of 18 and 34 will always read online reviews. But for those at the age of 55 and up, only 6% read online reviews before purchasing or availing a product/service.

Most of the reviews read are for restaurants, cafés, and other food establishments. On the other hand, reviews for clothing stores, hotels, and grocery stores also rake a large chunk of the statistics. On average, a consumer will read 10 reviews for a local business before making a decision.  

Who writes the reviews?

People around 18-34 years old will write reviews, the same age bracket that will read them. In the same vein, buyers aged 55 and up are unlikely to leave reviews. Around 22% of older buyers say they aren’t considering writing reviews.

These numbers lead to a total of 89% of all consumers saying they are considering writing a review after purchasing a product or service. But even with this high number, the percentage of consumers asked to create reviews has spiraled to 66% this 2018 compared to 74% back in 2017.

The influence of reviews

It is widely known that reviews are a make-or-break aspect for businesses. This is the reason why many companies are exhausting all efforts to do damage control in the event that negative reviews start flowing in.

According to the BrightLocal survey, around 78% of the consumers who read a positive review will engage with the company or business. This includes contacting the business or, as most of the younger consumers do, visit it in person.

Positive reviews push 68% of consumers to use a local product or service. On the other hand, negative reviews discourage 40% of consumers from putting their money on the table.

Surprisingly, the younger generation or those around the age of 18-34 will trust reviews 90% of the time than personal recommendations. And most of the time, consumers won’t use a business that has less than 4 stars and fewer than 40 reviews. In the end, 56% of the consumers will trust the star ratings compared to the 49% that give more weight to the quantity of the reviews.

The Value of Site Search

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Site search is more than just a tool for convenience. As more and more e-commerce platforms appear on the web, businesses are finding ways to improve their sales and stand out in the market. The hidden value of site search has been benefiting many websites, especially those who are running marketing campaigns.

Site search has yielded positive results both on commerce and transactional aspects. About 87% of site searchers are seen to fulfill marketing goals compared to those who don’t search. Still, this can only be achieved if the site search feature is well optimized to target your money keywords and posts.

The buying power of site searchers

Site searchers don’t just use such features for a fast way of finding stuff on your website. According to experts, about 43% of these searchers will end up buying a product or service on your website.

When an internet user searches exactly for a specific item, he knows what he wants. There’s already a buying intent. And even if the searcher doesn’t buy upfront, there’s a chance that this person will go back to finally pay for the item he has searched for.

Based on the transactional behavior of internet users, those who search the site will have six times more probability of buying. All you have to do is to point them directly to the stuff that they want with added marketed items.

Retaining the traffic

A lot of companies are willing to spend their hard-earned dollars to gain more traffic to their website. However, the pursuit of fulfilling a marketing goal doesn’t stop there. Companies have to retain the traffic to earn more. The longer the person stays on your website, the higher the chance that he will be exposed to more products and marketing campaigns in it.

Site search is one good way to keep your visitors digging. When they keep finding items that they want or relate to, the chance of buying becomes higher.

The value of retaining traffic has been proven to be massive. In fact, an increased retention in traffic can yield as much as $60,000 in a large e-commerce company. For most businesses, it’s usually six times their usual income setting aside some factors that may affect searchability.

Putting value on-site search

It’s not just about putting that small box with a magnifying glass on your website. You should target value at all times. Always ensure that the internal search engine of your website yields relevant searches for various keywords. Exact and case sensitive searching may not be the best option if you want your visitors to find what they want. Take most shopping sites for example. It yields related results despite typing errors or misspellings.

Who would have thought that this small detail can make a big difference in your site’s revenue? Making it easy to use and efficient will make your possible buyers stay on your site longer. A site search serves as the navigating tool around your platform. Utilize its potential for your benefit.