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Creating a Custom 404 Page
December 8, 2005
Creating a custom 404 page can be very helpful to your sites visitors and profitable to your company. Often times potential customers looking to purchase products from your site will simply hit the back button when confronted with a "page not found" error. Because the default error page leaves them with limited links (none to your actual site), many of those lost customers will never return.
There are many reasons why a web surfer would end up at a non-existent url on your site ranging from a site redesign to user error. Having a properly configured 404 page is crucial to retaining those visitors.
Step One: Create the custom 404 page with your editor of choice. Make sure to use your regular site HTML template complete with graphics, main navigation and footer. In the main text section insert a "Sorry" message that ask the user to please choose an option found on the page to find what they are looking for.
Step Two: Name the file 404.htm and upload to the root directory at http://www.example.com/404.htm
Step Three: Modify your .htaccess file (if none is present you can make one in Notepad) to indicate the location of your custom "page not found" error:
ErrorDocument 404 http://www.example.com/404.htm
Save the modified .htaccess to your server.
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From Wikipedia:
Custom error page creation using Microsoft IIS
- Use a text editor or an HTML editor to create your custom page on your server
- From your server's desktop, launch the Internet Services Manager (usually located at Start->Programs->Administrative Tools->Internet Services Manager)
- Click the [+] to the left of the server name
- Right-click on "Default Web Server" (or whatever you may have renamed it as), and click on "Properties"
- Click on the Custom Errors tab
- Click on the number of the HTTP Error you want to make the custom message for, then click "Edit Properties"
- Use the Browse button to locate the custom file you created and click OK. Keep clicking OK to dismiss the windows, then close the IIS window
All posts by James Gunn
posted by James Gunn at December 8, 2005 3:59 PM
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Comments
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