He’s such a romantic. My honey writes me code for V-day.
http://www.visualfuture.com/sally/
It’s a landing page URL search tool for Yahoo Store. Give it a list of keywords, there’s a quotes option for exact match (thanks, Rob), tell it the store name, then hit the majik button. A minute later you have a list of the first three results for each keyword from the Yahoo Store search. It even gives you a csv file!
Ok, now that everyone has had a chance to develop a “content rich” super-converting 404-error page, it’s time to put it to good use.
And what better use for an error page, than to have it give us some indication of what link may have *caused* the error to occur in the first place. Thankfully, Alix Obitz posted just how to do that on the Google Analytics blog the other day. So now we can:
Once you have the new code in place, you’ll have access to the URLs the visitor was originally looking for. Depending on what the URLs look like, you may be able to determine the visitor’s original intent. A page URL of “http://mystore.com/gensym23.html” is not going to reveal much about what type of content was at that URL previously. A URL of “http://mystore.com/soft-blue-widgets.html” is much more helpful. (I know Rob Snell has a page on “Why You Should Always Create New Pages from the ‘Contents’ page” but I can’t find it right now… The tip is also on pg. 179 of his book, Starting a Yahoo! Business for Dummies)
Anyway, when you *do* come across information laden broken links like the “soft-blue-widgets” example, one possibility is to go create a new page at that location that will redirect the visitor to an existing relevant page. This can be valuable for 2 reasons:
By now many of you have seen the new “Google Sitemap Verification File” option under “Search Engines” in your store manager. If not, then go take a look, I’ll wait…
One of the more powerful features available in Google Sitemaps is the ability to specify which host name is your “Preferred domain” in the Google index. This helps “concentrate” your listings at Google if you have pages showing up under both “store.yourdomain.com” and “www.yourdomain.com.” However, there is a catch: If you have not set up your store’s “custom 404 error page,” Google Sitemaps will not allow you to specify a preferred domain.
So here’s the plan:
A “404 error” is simply a “page not found” error. By default, a Yahoo! store will redirect a request for a broken link to your store’s home page. While this behaviour is better than *some* responses to a bad page request, it can be improved. You’ll probably want to spend some time optimizing your “page not found” page, as what your visitors see can determine whether they stay or leave your site!
In any conference session at SES or WebmasterWorld where “404 error” pages are mentioned, Apple’s error page comes up as an example of “how to do it right.” There are only a few key guidelines for an effective “404 error” page, and Apple has them all covered, namely:
Here’s where Yahoo!’s default behaviour can be confusing: If you have a broken link on your site, it can often be more helpful to let the user know there is a broken link than to simply drop them on the home page.
For example: If you have moved your top selling “Blue Widgets” section page, and several of your long time customers have that page bookmarked, their bookmark will now land them on the home page. Not too annoying, but also lacking in any confirmation that their bookmark is no longer working the way it should.
By contrast, a custom error page will indicate that the old bookmark or link is no longer working, and, in the case of the top selling “Blue Widgets” either provide a link directly to the content the visitor is looking for, or allow them to search for it.
Make sure there are direct links to your most important and most requested content. If the content is popular, there is a good chance it was what your visitor was looking for in the first place.
For inspiration on your store’s top content, take a look at the “Searches” and “Sales” reports available in the “Statistics” column in your Store Manager.
If your “Top Content” links aren’t enough, make it easy for your visitor to search for what they want.
Even if a “search box” is part of your overall store template, put an additional “easy to see” search box on your “404 error” page.
If you have additional means of customer support available, then say so! If someone is on your “404 error” page and the “Top Content” links and search features haven’t resolved their issue they may want to know where to go next. If you have phone support, list the number and the available hours. If your business has “brick & mortar” locations then provide a store locator. Many sites also have live chat support, or a contact form for support issues.
When you have the content for your page ready, create a new page for your store and give it an appropriate id like “404-error.”
For the most part, your “404-error” page will be like any other page on your site. You can usually put your “Top Content” and search box in the “Caption” field. More help with “404 page” theory is available from Yahoo!’s help pages.
Figuring out what to put on your “404-error” page is the hardest part. It’s all downhill from here. A few check boxes and a couple copy/pastes and we’re done!
Now that you have a “404-error” page, it’s time to enable it in the Store Manager. Click on the “Preferences” link under the “Site Settings” column:
Once you’ve changed your settings, you’ll need to publish your order settings to make the changes “live.” Now you’re ready for the Google Sitemaps code.
Head over to the “Search Engines” link under “Promote” in your store manager and enter your Google Sitemaps code in the box provided. You can use the “Preferred Domain” feature regardless of whether or not you actually enable the site map function. Your choice there!
Make sure you publish your order settings, then go back to Google and verify your Sitemaps code.
Now that your Yahoo! store has a proper “404 error,” you’re ready to specify your preferred domain. In the Google Sitemaps interface, click the “Preferred Domain” link at the bottom of the left nav, and take your pick.
Most of the time, you’ll want to use “www.” or “store.” as the preferred domain name. A good rule of thumb is to use whatever version of your domain name that has the most inbound links pointing to it.
