5 Favorite 404 Pages for Home-Service Contracting Companies

Posted on June 10, 2020

For home-service contracting websites, 404 pages are important, and not just for informing internet visitors that the page they are searching for can’t be found on the server. 404 pages can also be useful in capturing traffic, getting conversions, and increasing your revenue. How? This works when you get more creative with the text and graphics on your 404 pages to engage your search traffic.

At WPdigital, we understand that it may not be easy to come up with ideas for a home-service business like yours whether it’s HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or another. But, a digital marketing agency can help you develop inventive text and graphics that both align with your business and grab the attention of users who are looking for your services.

Why You Need Engaging 404 Pages

A 404 page can be a way to engage users and show your brand and personality. Maybe users won’t return to the search results and be more apt to stay on your site, if you have a 404 page that interests them. As a corollary, a 404 page can also benefit your overall SEO strategy.

If searchers stay on your home-service business site, it’s a positive with the internet search engines and for you. When visitors go from your website back to search results a lot, Google notices and shows your site less often in the search results. So you need an engaging, brand-focused 404 page.

Tips for Creating a Great 404 Page

Your home-service website’s 404 page should make it clear to the user where they are, but also help them to find a solution to the problem. (In a perfect world, no one would ever see your 404 page because you’re able to properly manage all of your links and redirects. However, even the biggest of sites have broken links, making a 404 pages a necessity.)

Here are our tips for creating a great 404 page:

• Use humor – Don’t be afraid to have fun with this page. Humor can help deflect the frustration of not finding what you’re looking for and having to search again.
• Include links – Help users find what they want by including links to the most popular pages/blogs, social media accounts, or various categories on your website.
• Add a search bar – This gives visitors the flexibility to search again, without having to go back to Google.

404 Pages We Like

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ve selected some of our favorite 404 pages to show you what we mean. For wit and great user experience, we think these are some of the best error pages we’ve seen.

1. Omelet

Why This Works

We like this 404 page because of the play on words that works well with the name of the company, Omlet. The page says “this page is eggstinct” while an animated egg crack takes over the screen. The bright red shows that this is a warning.

2. Ready To Go Survival

Why This Works

This error page for a company focusing on survival products uses a reference to a well-known movie. The clever detail is the user’s input. They get to click either the red or blue pill (again, the movie reference), but both keep you on the site.

3. YouTube

Why This Works

We love this 404 page example because it’s completely clutter free. YouTube removed anything that could possibly distract you and focuses solely on the search bar.

4. Associated Scaffolding

Why This Works

Associated Scaffolding sells all kinds of scaffolding and fall protection systems. Their 404 page is on-brand, using both graphics and text to indicate the page couldn’t be found. With the graphic of unfinished scaffolding and text that refers to their branding in safety, they have infused some humor that goes a long way!

5. Mantra Labs

Why This Works

This 404 page from Mantra Labs is simple yet effective. An illustration of a space person floating into the ‘404’ accompanies text saying “Oops! You ran out of oxygen”. There’s also a timer counting down to you being directed back to the homepage. It happens quickly so you might even miss this 404 page, but it’s worth going wrong on purpose just to visit it. 

Contact Us

At WPdigital, we specialize in designing engaging and functional user experiences like 404 pages that keep users on your website. Contact the web designers at WPdigital in Raleigh, NC at 919-944-4284 or schedule a consultation.