This is where your customers normally leave your site
Everyone's encountered a frustrating error page. You click a link, or type an address and then - nothing! The page that you were looking for doesn't exist. Or you click a button, the site errors and you lose your information. This is the point when most customers will simply leave your site and go elsewhere. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. A few simple tweaks to your error pages can put your customers back on track and steer them towards your goal.
Boost your site's credibility and keep potential customers
A well handled error can actually boost your ecommerce site's credibility. If your potential customers already know that you care what happens to them on your site and that you deal with any potential problems in a professional manner, research has shown that they are more likely to purchase the products and services that they are looking for from you.
Most sites miss this simple chance to keep their customers. The most perfectly designed site, with the best content in the world won't matter if people can't get to it. So, how can you prevent your potential customers going elsewhere and get them back on track?
Be apologetic and explain what has happened
The first point is that your error page should be apologetic in tone. It may well be the customer's fault that they have come to the error page, but you must concentrate on keeping them happy and helping them to get back on track. The language should be non-technical - you don't even need to mention the error codes such as 404 and 500. Apologise and offer possible reasons for the issue. Be professional, rather than trying to be humourous. For example (for a 404 page not found error):
We are sorry, but we couldn't find the page you were looking for. We may not be able to find this page because of:
- An out-of-date bookmark/favourite
- A search engine that has an out-of-date listing for us
- A mistyped address
Help your customers get back on track with a minimum of fuss
Once you've apologised and your customers are still on the site, the next job is to help them find what they are looking for as quickly as possible.
Site search
The quickest way to guide your customers to what they are looking for is to allow them to search for it. If your site has a search, you should make sure that it's available from your error page. If your site doesn't have a built-in search facility, then there are alternatives such as Google's 404 page widget which offers a free, simple to install site search.
Link to the homepage and sitemap
Always provide a link back to your homepage. This will allow customers to start at 'the beginning' if they wish. If you have a sitemap, you should also link to that so that customers can browse what's available on your site and locate what they are looking for.
Contact details
You should also provide your full contact details, stating that you are always happy to help. Provide both email and telephone number, along with opening times where appropriate. Some customers prefer to talk on the phone and it is far better to have a phone call than a lost sale! Even for customers who don't call, a landline phone number is reassuring and increases customer confidence.
Offer a place to report the error
You should offer your customers a place to report the error, even if it's just an email address. Allowing them to contact you will mean not only that you will find out about any errors with minimal effort on your part, but also, you'll be starting interaction and will begin to build up a relationship with that customer, meaning an increased likelihood of converting them.
Automatically redirect common mistakes
If you have a common misspelling, or a broken link that you cannot get changed, then automatically redirect customers to the correct page. You can find out common 404 errors from your analytics. It is also advisable to redirect common domain name typos, for example too many or too few Ws. Most of us have at some time or another typed in "ww." or "wwww.". Most site owners never consider this even when they make the mistake themselves, but the best websites deal with this without the customers even being aware of it. For example, if you go to ww.amazon.com or wwww.amazon.com, you will be taken to the right site.
The best types of errors are those that never happen
The best way to deal with an error is for it not to happen in the first place. You should set up your system so that you are notified of any errors and take steps to rectify them. You can set up error handling so that you are notified of all details, such as what the customer entered into a form, which can make tracking down the error much easier.
You should be proactive in finding and eliminating 404s by looking through your analytics and log files. Set up your 404 page to automatically notify you that there has been a page not found error. Where the issue is on your own site, you should rectify it as soon as possible. If the issue is on another site linking to yours, contact the site - they will not want a broken link on their site either. If you cannot get it resolved, automatically redirect customers to the correct place.
Why they buy
A helpful and friendly error page can boost conversions by improving your site's credibility and helping to make sure that customers find what they are looking for quickly and easily. Supplying the right tools and the right information will help increase customer confidence, meaning that they are more likely to purchase the products and services that they are looking for from you.