What I find So Amusing
Today is website day. I spend the day finalizing my blog posts before publishing, check the update status of the plugins, etc. Today, I decided to spruce up a particular 404 page, and decided to search for ideas online.
Of the top ten websites listed on the first page of DuckDuckGo, in the snippet, you can read the meta, and for the most part, all were identical...not Siamese, more like fraternal...They all pretty much told me the same thing. How to create a 404 page. I found it quite amusing...
Not one site discussed the layout of the actual page, only how to create one.
Um...er...is not creating a page include the use of the header/footer, or is this assumed?
CTA and Landing pages are created without the header/footer, are they not? More an option than a standard, right?
So, why was there no mention of how to create the page itself?
Not even Elementor mentioned which page template to use, (Elementor Full Width or Elementor Canvas).
Let's take a poll:
Do you use include the header/footer (either or both) on your 404 page?
- Yes
- No
While writing this, II tried to locate a 404 page...via internet search..!
Do you have any idea how difficult that is to find, grin?
Then I remembered that while going thru one of my other websites, I remembered that I needed to update the permalink to show the proper page after making changes. What do you think I found there?
The Answer....This 404 page used only the Header.
And there it is. The header is the page identification that is needed when perusing a website and you come to the 404 page.
It's the little things, folks, that can make a big difference.
When we try something new for the first time, don't we examine every part before assembling? Then, once you have done so a few times, a few of the steps become an automatic part of the process.
Yet, the newcomer might need that bit of information and that little step may propel those new referrals to become premium members.
Ya just never know...
Rudy
Recent Comments
8
I'm confused, Rudy -- Why would you try to make a 404 page? When I check broken links, I try to do away with all 404 pages.
Its a convenient tool when you have many pages, and a misdirect occurs occasionally, not just a broken link. In my case, i had updated the page, yet didnt check the permalink when i saved the new version.
Rudy
Well Jeff, it just goes to show you that having unique and relative meta description will rise above the usual dribble.
Now imagine how quickly I would have opened that website if they had discussed the option of using a header and/or footer. I stead, they all repackaged the same info to catch your eye while searching...
Rudy
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I put it in the header usually, but I also used centered text in the middle of the page. Often I say OOPS! or something more obnoxious before explaining that it's my mistake, not their.