|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Increase Your Traffic by Recovering Your Lost VisitorsIf you spend any time surfing the Internet, you've probably encountered a few error messages.Error messages have numerous causes, such as misspellings, outdated links or internal server errors. When an error is encountered, your server will display specific generic error pages according to the error. These error pages are not only dead ends, but they are also very frustrating for your potential visitors. When your visitors mistype your web address or click on an outdated link and receive the dreaded error page, they'll most-likely click on their back button and never return. However, you can recover a majority of your lost visitors simply by taking the time to create some customized, user friendly error pages. As servers run different types of software and do not function in the same manner, there isn't a simple method for creating custom error pages that will work with every system. However, if you have your own domain and your site is hosted on a Unix/Linux server running Apache, this article will assist you in creating custom error pages. If you're not sure what type of server you're on, visit the following web address to find out: http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/ Before we begin, keep in mind, editing your server files is serious business. Even one small typographical error can wreak havoc -- make sure you make a backup copy of any file you're planning to edit. Guidelines for creating your error pages: 1. Create your error pages in standard HTML -- just as you would create any other web page for your site. 2. Don't alarm your visitors. Never include the word "ERROR" in large, bold text. Your visitors may immediately become alarmed and think they've done something to cause the error. Instead, be apologetic and encourage your visitors to click on the navigational links to locate additional resources and information. 3. Your error pages should look just like the rest of your web pages. Each error page should contain good navigational links, a search feature, and provide information in regard to the specific error they received. If you'd like to see an example error page, visit the following web address: http://www.web-source.net/error.htm Once you've created an error page, save it as the error name. For example, if you're creating a customized error page for a 400 Bad Request error, your page should be saved as 400.html. Here are some of the more common errors: 400 Bad Request 401 Authorization Required 403 Forbidden 404 File Not Found 405 Method Not Allowed 500 Internal Server Error 501 Method Not Implemented 502 Bad Gateway 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable Once you've created your pages, you'll need to access your server via FTP and create a new folder called "errordocs" where you store your HTML files. Upload your new error documents into your new folder. Your next step will be to locate your .htaccess file and download it to your computer. (If you use FrontPage to publish your web pages, you cannot customize the .htaccess file, as FrontPage uses the .htaccess file. Editing the file may cause errors in your configuration.) The .htaccess file should be located on your server where you store your HTML files. If the .htaccess file isn't visible, you can create one within a plain text editor. However, you must first make sure your server isn't configured to hide the file. Your FTP program should enable you to choose to display hidden files and folders on your server. Once you've downloaded your .htaccess file, open it within a plain text editor, such as Note Pad, and add the following lines below any other text that may be present: ErrorDocument 400 /errordocs/400.html ErrorDocument 401 /errordocs/401.html ErrorDocument 403 /errordocs/403.html ErrorDocument 404 /errordocs/404.html ErrorDocument 405 /errordocs/405.html ErrorDocument 500 /errordocs/500.html ErrorDocument 501 /errordocs/501.html ErrorDocument 502 /errordocs/502.html ErrorDocument 503 /errordocs/503.html If you're creating your own .htaccess file, open a plain text editor and add the above lines. When typing in the information, make certain you type it exactly as it appears above. You can include the error documents of your choice. Once the file is complete, save it as .htaccess and upload it to your server, via FTP in ASCII mode, where you store your HTML files. For additional information on File Transfer Protocol (FTP) you may visit: http://www.web-source.net/ftp_basics.htm If you have a Windows operating system, you will be unable to save the file as .htaccess. You'll need to save it as htaccess.txt. Once you upload the file to your server, you can rename it to .htaccess. That's all there is to it. When your visitors click on an outdated link, your custom error page will now be displayed. Creating your own custom error pages is well worth the time and effort, as they will enable you to recover an unlimited number of your visitors. If you follow this step by step guide, you can have your pages up and running in no time. About the author: About the Author: Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.comVisit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net Circulated by Article Emporium Photo-spangled designs Photos into design is like putting life into it. Without photos, the design would appear bland and boring to those who are seeing them. People, having short attention span, gets bored easily. It is when they see something interesting that their attention first is caught. Curiosity ... Get Continually Returning Customers Using “Great Site Content” Site content would have to be one of the most important aspects of your marketing efforts as it induces a customer to purchase and also come back for repeat business. It is no good getting a customer to your site if it's poorly built or uninformative. Unlike traditional bu... Take your files anywhere with Yahoo Briefcase - by Jim Edwards (c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved http://www.thenetreporter.com ===================================== Imagine you worked all week on a report for presentation to an important client tomorrow morning. At the end of the day y... Easy as 1-2-3 RSS for Your DeskTop, WebSite and Visitors Or How I Fell Victim to RSS Since the acronym, "RSS" first crept into my email box, my curiosity heightened to such a level that I finally fell victim to the dreaded bug - I HAD to know what it was about, why all of the interest and mostly how to make it work for me, the not so technical wannabe. After all, i... How to Build a Web Site that Works...Even for a Safari Hobby! My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what would that be, you ask. ...Simply the conservation of wildlife and the environment. I do this after hours from my 7 to 5 job. And that's how this story started. Read this story to learn how to build not just a web site...but a ... Color Catch Colors are oftentimes used in different ways. Just like in interpreting things and having stuffs that would generate meaning and understanding among people. So, in designs colors are given importance for it may create an impression and would communicate things that are not meant re... Do you want Better Search Results – Read Art of the Content Site After reading the newest ebook published by Nathan Anderson, I was floored at how it easy it was to generate great search engine results without paying a guru an outrageous sum of money to do so. The search engines are accessible to everyone because of this new look at search engi... Shopping with your Christmas Catalog The Christmas season is fresh and drawing near. This is the season to be jolly and everyone is getting their shopping lists ready again. This something not overlooked because all people do it as good every year. Getting something new this Christmas is part of the tra... Many ideas will get you nowhere You have been in front of the computer trying to go over the details on your mind for a long time and yet not getting even one out. It seems that you have lots of ideas for a great graphic design but you do not know where to start. All of it is just in your head and you cannot get ... Web Site Design Basics Black text on white background works well on Web sites. On some screens the black and white contrast is far too strong and tires the eyes so then the background should be off-white. If your text is white, for example, make your background image dark. Text on a background with patt... 10 Indirect Ways To Get To The Top Of Search Engines 10 Indirect Ways To Get To The Top Of Search Engines There are millions of web sites trying to get listed in the top 20 spots of the major search engines. That amounts to an awful lot of competition and even after spending hours and hours on Search Engine Opti... 10 Secrets of Sales-Driven Websites What makes a website successful? It depends on what the explicit goal of the website is. If the goal is to make money, then a successful site is one that makes you more money than it costs you to maintain, manage, market and update. So what should you do to ensure your we... Increase Your Traffic by Recovering Your Lost Visitors If you spend any time surfing the Internet, you've probably encountered a few error messages. Error messages have numerous causes, such as misspellings, outdated links or internal server errors. When an error is encountered, your server will display specific generic error ... How to Spam Google and get away with it. I bet you are eager to find out just how to do this. "Spamming Google" that is, and getting away with it. Maybe you want to try this method out or maybe you are another SEO guy waiting with baited breath to downplay this concept. Well, I hope you are ready for the an... SilverGuru takes on FreeAdGuru & Co Sales training and marketing tips based on reality selling becomes almost obsolete when you enter the world of online marketing and selling. The average marketing person stands amazed at the millions of advertisements, listings, promises of success and money. This is somet...
|
|
|||||
|
||||||