Comments on: Spruce up your site, make 404 errors pretty http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/ The official blog of The University of Alabama web design community. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:34:06 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Matthew Muro http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-557 Matthew Muro Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:07:40 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-557 William, Just wanted to follow up on this whole 404 page thing. After a few months of using the contact form with my 404 page, I have determined that it isn't really useful at all! I just went ahead and added a custom Google search which should be more useful. I noticed that you were using an advanced Google search on your site instead of a custom search. If you use a custom Google search, you will be able to link it to your Analytics data and capture what the users are looking for. Plus, you'll be able to wrap the search around your design with an iframe and even customize the look of the results somewhat. William,

Just wanted to follow up on this whole 404 page thing. After a few months of using the contact form with my 404 page, I have determined that it isn’t really useful at all! I just went ahead and added a custom Google search which should be more useful.

I noticed that you were using an advanced Google search on your site instead of a custom search. If you use a custom Google search, you will be able to link it to your Analytics data and capture what the users are looking for. Plus, you’ll be able to wrap the search around your design with an iframe and even customize the look of the results somewhat.

]]> By: AskApache http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-24 AskApache Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:19:39 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-24 I am now using Ajax-powered google search results on my <a href="http://www.askapache.com/seo/404-google-wordpress-plugin.html" rel="nofollow">404 Error Page</a> Easily done with .html or php. You are using blogging software so why not use the templated system? I am now using Ajax-powered google search results on my 404 Error Page Easily done with .html or php.

You are using blogging software so why not use the templated system?

]]> By: Matthew Muro http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-21 Matthew Muro Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:08:39 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-21 I may include the parsed query string as a hidden input for that form so I'll know exactly what they were trying to get to, in addition to what they say. I may include the parsed query string as a hidden input for that form so I’ll know exactly what they were trying to get to, in addition to what they say.

]]> By: William Barry http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-20 William Barry Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:19:01 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-20 Nice, I like the addition of the contact page. I might add that to ours as well. Nice, I like the addition of the contact page. I might add that to ours as well.

]]> By: Matthew Muro http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-19 Matthew Muro Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:15:18 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-19 Well, William, you prompted me to finally get something like this up. http://www.career.ua.edu/anything-about-auburn Well, William, you prompted me to finally get something like this up.

http://www.career.ua.edu/anything-about-auburn

]]> By: William Barry http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-14 William Barry Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:50:59 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-14 @ Matthew (again): I guess I should have read that article you sent before I submitted that last comment. @ Matthew (again): I guess I should have read that article you sent before I submitted that last comment.

]]> By: William Barry http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-13 William Barry Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:49:21 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-13 @ Matthew: we do some very minor "smart" redirects from our 404 page, mainly checking for case-sensitivity, but that's about it. If you find a good tool that helps with that, let me know. @ Matthew: we do some very minor “smart” redirects from our 404 page, mainly checking for case-sensitivity, but that’s about it.

If you find a good tool that helps with that, let me know.

]]> By: Brian Jones http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-12 Brian Jones Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:22:38 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-12 Good tip, William. Your page looks great and I was inspired to clean up what I had on Undergraduate Admissions, which up until 5 minutes ago was the standard nasty default page. http://gobama.ua.edu/dfdfdf Thanks much. Good tip, William. Your page looks great and I was inspired to clean up what I had on Undergraduate Admissions, which up until 5 minutes ago was the standard nasty default page.

http://gobama.ua.edu/dfdfdf

Thanks much.

]]> By: Matthew Muro http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-11 Matthew Muro Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:41:51 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-11 That looks great. At one point I was going to implement a "smart" 404 page that parsed the referrer and, depending on what they did give them options. Check out ALA's article: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/perfect404 That looks great. At one point I was going to implement a “smart” 404 page that parsed the referrer and, depending on what they did give them options.

Check out ALA’s article: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/perfect404

]]> By: Andy Rainey http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-9 Andy Rainey Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:34:29 +0000 http://webtide.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/spruce-up-your-site-make-404-errors-pretty/#comment-9 Slick 404 page right there, my friend. A quite relevant topic, as I'm constantly having to validate links for sites linked from UA Home and our other sites that just disappear to 404 pages. With the ability to never give our users something that ugly and disconcerting to stumble upon, this is well worth the effort. Slick 404 page right there, my friend. A quite relevant topic, as I’m constantly having to validate links for sites linked from UA Home and our other sites that just disappear to 404 pages. With the ability to never give our users something that ugly and disconcerting to stumble upon, this is well worth the effort.

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