Why Custom 404 Page is More Important for a Better User Experience

When you use the internet and surf between websites, at some point or the other, you will come across a page which will display the message – ”Sorry, page not found”. This particular page is called the 404 error page. According to google :

“a 404 page is what a user sees when they try to reach a non-existent page on your site (because they’ve clicked on a broken link, the page has been deleted or they’ve mistyped a URL).”

So, when a person clicks on a broken link or tries to enter a page that has been deleted or makes a mistake of typing a wrong URL, that’s when a 404 page appears as there is nowhere else to go.

404 error pages are generally frustrating to the visitors but if it is used correctly it can help not only to retain visitors but keep them on your website and pursue them to check out other sections of your website even if they had landed on the error page which is why custom 404 pages are very important for a better user experience.

Features to Include

Some basic features that your custom 404 page needs to include for making it more attractive are :-

• NAVIGATION –

This is first and most important aspect of a custom 404 page. Landing on an empty or a stagnate page with just the error message displaying can be highly irritating and frustrating. You need to at least customize it so that your 404 page has a redirection link to your homepage or a search option through which visitors can search what they are looking for. Many custom 404 pages goes beyond and offers additional links to other contents within the website. Some even offer a ‘report filling’ section through which visitors can report about the error or ‘chatbox’ which can help visitors to find what they are looking for. This way any visitor who lands your error page will keep on engaging with your website and you will not lose the traffic.

• TONE –

The overall tonality of your 404 error page should sync with your website. This means the theme, colour, design and feel of your error page should match with your website. You can add images and logos of your website to the error page, giving it an attractive look. Some error pages even features the whole menu section of the website giving the page an overall same look as the main site.

• CREATIVITY –

Technically, there is no limit to how much creative you can get with your custom 404 page. You can add jokes, quirky quotes, and other interesting and fun elements. In the end, you just need to be creative so that when your visitor land on a error page, they are a bit entertained before they are redirected.

Importance of Custom 404

Custom 404 pages help to enhance the user experience. Basic 404 pages are boring and does not help in anyway. If a visitor lands on your default 404 page, he/she will be simply confused and would want to quickly get out of there meaning you will lose web traffic. A custom 404 page does the opposite. It helps to retain the visitors and web traffic. You can customise your page in ways which can help to take the confusion away. Perhaps, someone typed in the wrong address, or may be the page they are looking for does not exist anymore. Your custom 404 pages can help visitors to understand the problem by displaying the reason.

Another way in which custom 404 helps visitor is by redirecting them to what they were looking for or other relevant topics. When your 404 page feature links which redirects visitors to other contents in your website, visitors may halt and check them out. This way you don’t lose any web traffic. And if your error page is quirky and interesting enough, visitors might even share them which will attract more users and web traffic as a result.

Ultimately, it needs to be said that with today’s competitive online market and SEO up rise, you can not just ignore the importance of a custom 404 page. Even if you have a high quality website with intricate developmental details, you can not guaranty that your visitors won’t ever face the 404 error page which is why you need to have a solid custom 404 page.

Also Read: How to Create An Attractive Landing Page to Increase Sales

How Google Keeps Their Search Relevant And Useful For The Users

When you open Google, the first thing that comes to the screen is the search option. Once you type in the word and hit the search button, numerous links related to the topic becomes available to you in a matter of seconds. But how does Google do it? Google has undergone a number of changes through the years to keep their search engine agile and relevant.
According to Danny Sullivan, Public Liaison for Search, Google search algorithms are processed with complex math equations that rely on numerous variables, and last year alone, Google has made more than 3,200 changes to their search systems. Let us look at some of these changes and newly added features which helps Google to be on top of its game:

Featured Snippets

It is a unique way of showcasing the web page which contains the most relevant and credible information. When a web page appears as a ‘featured snippet’, it is at the top of the search result list. Due to its positioning, Google has also laid down strict standards for a web page to be featured as a snippet. Any kinds of abusive, harmful, hateful, or disrespectful topics gets taken down by Google.

Relevant Facts And Contents

The main goal of Google is to provide facts and contents according to what is searched. For doing so Google implements the Knowledge Graph. It is the function of the graph to automatically collect information about people, places and things happening in the world from various sources like the web, databases, licensed data, user feedbacks. All information from the graph is supposed to be facts and is presented as such.

Autocomplete Searches

Autocomplete and Related searches are tools which help users to navigate quickly through searches. By predicting what the user is typing and trying to search, the autocomplete helps to save a lot of time of the user. Google has also provided a section, “People also search for”, where links of various topics relating to the one you’ve searched are provided. If you are unsatisfied with the search results, you can go through these links to find what you are looking for.

Web Rankings

Google doesn’t manually collect or arrange the order of the search results. It is an automated system which determines the order of the list according to the word you have searched. The webpage with the most relevancy appears at the top of the search results. This helps the user to quickly find what they are looking for.

Google is constantly innovating to make their search engine useful and relevant as much as possible. They work hard to design various features to be user friendly so that the end experience is absolutely best.

Read More: Everything You Need To Know About Virtual Private Network (VPN)

How to Identify A Computer Virus And Defend Yourself

Has your computer become too slow and is acting a bit odd? Are you losing your sleep over fixing the issue but can’t really figure out what’s wrong? If this is your scenario then the computer might have got virus.

Once a computer detects virus, it starts showing signs like slow performance, frequent pop-ups, or even data lose. But how do you identify a computer virus and defend yourself? Well, that’s what we’ll discuss in this article.

What Is A Computer Virus?

A computer virus is a type of program that successfully modifies other applications with its code. If the execution process is done right, the modified areas of that application are known as infected areas. They often damage the software and steal your personal information stored in that software. Generally, more than thousands of computers get affected by viruses and malware every year.

How To Detect A Virus In Your Computer?

The following signs will help you identify a virus in your computer.

Performance Level Drops

As we mentioned earlier, a virus can easily hamper your computer’s performance levels drastically. For instance, your machine can take 2 hours to copy a 50MB file.

Spams And Pop-Ups

Spams and pop-ups are some of the prominent red flags. Whenever you visit a dicey website, pop-ups can easily install harmful malware. Hackers use spam and pop-ups to hijack personal information like credit card details, passwords, and many more.

Unable To Gain Access To Some Files

In some cases, a virus can prevent you from accessing some files on your own computer. It can also stop you from performing certain actions like log off, power off, and more.

Security Software Failure

Often, when a computer gets affected by a virus, your security software or antivirus program stops running. It is a primary sign to confirm your computer has a virus or malware.

Changes In Your Homepage

Sometimes, a virus can easily change all the settings on your homepage. For example, your homepage browser is changed, shortcut files, browsing errors, and more.

How to Defend Your Computer From Virus Attacks?

The following points will help you defend your computer from virus attacks.

Perform Security And Virus Scans In Regular Interval

To prevent virus attacks, perform security and virus scans at regular intervals. This will routine clean all the malware and virus from your computer.

Changes Passwords 

Use strong passwords that meet requirements like symbols, alphabets, numbers, uppercase, and lowercase letters. Also, try changing them in regular intervals to prevent yourself from getting hacked.

Use Good Antivirus Software

Using antivirus software is probably one of the best ways you can prevent virus attacks. They always monitor your computer and will notify you instantly about any suspicious activity.

Download From Trusted Sites Only

Always download from reputable and trusted websites. Thus, the chances of getting a virus with your downloaded files gets thin.

Use Pop-Up Blocker Extension

A pop-up blocker is a great way to block unwanted ads. We recommend you to avoid clicking on pop-ups. So, the chances of malware and virus attacks also decrease.

Update Antivirus 

This is perhaps the most important part of keeping your antivirus relevant. If you don’t update, the software won’t handle all new viruses in the market.

Conclusion

Virus attacks are real, and they can easily damage files, hack your personal information, and crash your operating system. So, while preparing to save your computer from virus attacks, this article will surely help you out.

Read Also:- Everything You Need To Know About Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Impact Of Information Technology In Modern Society And Its Future

In the past few decades, information technology has become an integral part of our daily lifestyle. In fact, many people will say that it has taken over people’s lives. Just take a moment and look around you. You will see a world filled with gadgets, computers, and other tech stuff. Smartphones are perhaps the most important belonging for most people nowadays.

However, with all these dependencies, information technology has its own set of pros and cons when it comes to its impact on modern society. In this article, let us discuss the impact of information technology on modern society and its future.

The Impact Of Information Technology On Modern Society:-

The following points will showcase some of the positive and negative impacts information technology has on today’s society.

Positive Impact of Information Technology

Effective Communication

With the rise of Information technology, communication has become more simple and effective. For example, you can effectively communicate with anyone through emails, social networks, video calls, and more. From business deals to live interactions, technology has made it all easy.

Fast And Interactive Learning

Technological advancement also helps us to practice interactive and fast learning. It gives us access to all the available resources in the digital world, and that too 24*7. For example, students can easily prepare themselves for exams, sitting in their bedrooms. Moreover, teachers can also help them through online classes and video calls.

Easy Availability

One of the best things about technological advancements is that almost everything is easily available. Of course, this has its own drawbacks. But the truth is that you can get anything you want from the internet, for example, groceries, electronics, information, books, and more.

Negative Impact of Information Technology

Reduced Physical Activity

With all these technological advancements, you can easily expect some downsides. For example, the rise of technology is making people lazier than ever. Nowadays, kids prefer mobile games and play stations over playing outside on an open field.

Data and Privacy Protection

Perhaps the biggest concern of technological advancement is the lack of data and privacy protection. Advanced machine learning has given birth to sophisticated drones and robots. They can easily monitor our daily activities. Moreover, your data on your smartphone is not entirely secured.

The Future Of Information Technology

However, with all these good and bad sides, information technology has a foreseeable future. The following points will shed a light on the possible future of information technology.

Energy-Efficient Vehicles

The concept of electric cars is very much a reality. But in upcoming years, we will possibly witness a world where all vehicles will be eco-friendly to reduce carbon footprints.

Virtual Reality

The game called Pokémon Go has given this world a sneak-peek into virtual reality. But with Facebook announcing the Meta Verse, virtual reality definitely has a bright future.

Education For All

The number of people who cannot afford education around the world is staggering. But with internet access, we will possibly witness a world where the literacy rate will reach its peak.

Conclusion:-

Information technology has definitely cast a strong impact on modern society. And this impact will increase in the foreseeable future. However, it all depends on us and how we use it to make this world a better place.

Also Read:- Impact of mobile apps in our future life

Some Best Ways To Increase Online Presence For Your Business

Creating a good online presence is vital for building an online brand for your business. It helps your business to enhance its credibility and reputation. If you don’t have a substantial amount of reviews for your products, or enough social media engagements, you are limiting your business from growing. So, in this blog, let’s discuss the best ways to increase the online presence of your business.

Build An Effective And Interactive Website

Creating an engaging and user-friendly website is the primary building block for creating an online presence. The simplicity and readability of your website will directly impact the conversion rate and sales figures.

If the website is slow and difficult to understand, it will increase your bounce rate. Also, try to avoid providing any filler content, irrelevant ads, and popups.

Keep In Touch With Your Customers

Whenever a customer visits your online store or purchases a product, make sure to have their email IDs. So, you can constantly keep them updated about discount offers and new product information. In fact, you can even provide them with discount coupons on their future purchases from your store.

However, never share your customer information with any third party. Remember, gaining trust of your customers will reward your business in the long run.

Personalised Connection Through Social Media

Social media platforms are perhaps the best mediums to establish a personalised connection with your target audience. These platforms bridge the gap between you and your audience and that in-turn helps increase your sales figures.

However, you must understand that all these social media platforms work differently. So, you have to create posts and campaigns accordingly. For example, Instagram focuses on visual content like photos and short videos. Hence, you can use it to feature your products. Whereas, a Facebook group would help in customer interactions.

Relevant Keywords To Get High Ranks In Search Results

Using the right set of keywords is vital for creating an online presence for your business. For starters, if your online business is all about books, then a person looking for bridal gowns is not your potential customer. Therefore, you only want to attract those customers who are looking for books.

Keywords will help you make advertisement campaigns more effective as you will get featured in relevant search results. Thus, the probability of increasing your sales figure also subsequently increases.

Give All The Necessary Details Of Your Company

In order to gain the trust of your customers, provide them with all the necessary details of your company. Mention your company’s name, address, location, phone number, email ID, product overviews, operating hours, and more.

You should also provide your customers with a secured payment gateway. Remember, if your business information looks unclear, users will avoid your site in the fear of getting scammed.

The Final Note

These are some of the many ways you can increase the online presence of your business. So, try these tricks to thrive in the e-commerce world and make a name for yourself.

Also Read:- Essential Tips to Make Your Website Look More Professional

Everything You Need To Know About Virtual Private Network (VPN)

If you are an active user of the internet or even fairly frequent on the internet, one term must have come across many a times- VPN. But most people go on about their regular internet usages without putting much thought into what a “VPN” is, like several other tech-savvy jargon they hear and ignore on a daily basis. Let’s change that and take a look at what is a VPN and what is it all about.

A Virtual Private Network or VPN for short, is meant for the particular purpose of securely extending a network from one private location and enabling its users to connect to other networks securely. What are the most common utilities that come with a VPN? Let’s take a look at few instances that are actually quite common and relatable nowadays. We know about the often imposed internet censorship in different regions in the world where authorities restrict the access to certain contents or/and websites. Or that “rumour” that the government is always tracking everyone’s browsing activity or the fact that there is actually a threat to privacy invasion from random people looking to exploit. Well, a VPN can help you in all these instances and more. It’s no surprise the VPN market is on the way to grow bigger and bigger.

Read also: Advantages of using LESS

So, let’s have a look at some more benefits that a Virtual Private Network offers:-

• Maintaining privacy and anonymity from ISPs- Internet service providers are pretty keen on tracking their subscribed customers to try and monetize on the browsing patterns by various means such as targeted advertisement, etc. These providers also tend to sell this data to third-parties who can further misuse this information. Using a VPN, such invasion of privacy can be avoided.

• Accessing shopping websites from different regions- The VPN can allows you to access shopping websites, which are otherwise inaccessible due to region-based restrictions.

• Staying protected in public wi-fi- We all often tend to connect to the free wi-fi at public places like hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, railway stations, etc. But in doing so, we are actually getting connected to an unsafe network where we are exposed and so is our private data and credentials. A VPN comes handy at such times by masking our identity, making us anonymous and keeping our personal data private and unexposed.

• Prevention from hackers- As we discussed already, VPN masks the IP address and hence the identity of an individual connected to a certain network. Hence, any hacker trying to target your network via your IP address will be thrown off as they simply can’t reach your home network.

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To sum it up, a VPN has a lot of pros as it provides us with a secure encrypted network, disguises our location data, helps in accessing region-restricted content and also secure data transfer to prevent any confidential data leaks. Although there are numerous VPN services available today, but like every other technology, some are good, some bad and some ugly. So, one should do their fair share of research and use the right VPN for enjoying all the benefits of a VPN without compromising with the security.