{"id":76,"date":"2010-07-14T18:35:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-14T18:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/productcart-com.web7.netsourceinc.com\/blog\/index.php\/2010\/07\/14\/store-traffic-404-errors-and-google-webmaster-tools\/"},"modified":"2010-07-14T18:35:00","modified_gmt":"2010-07-14T18:35:00","slug":"store-traffic-404-errors-and-google-webmaster-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.productcart.com\/index.php\/2010\/07\/14\/store-traffic-404-errors-and-google-webmaster-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Store traffic, 404 errors, and Google Webmaster Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"

All of us running a Web site, whether it’s an ecommerce store or not, have one objective in mind: bringing people there, and making sure they have a good experience when they do come.<\/p>\n

A “Page Not Found” is a classic example of what you don’t want: somebody is visiting, yet you’re not there. What can you do?<\/p>\n

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  1. Fix the links<\/b>
    Obvious, but not always feasible. For example, you have (typically) no control on inbound links.<\/li>\n
  2. Prepare a nice 404 page<\/b>
    404 errors will always happen, so this is a “must have”. Spend some time working on a good 404 page. Lots of good articles on the Web on this (e.g. run this search<\/a>), and if you’re running a ProductCart-powered e-commerce store, check out this free template by Web Merchant Services<\/a>. Bottom line: it must look good and keep visitors on your Web site.<\/li>\n
  3. Catch and redirect!<\/b>
    Should you actually put a page there, so it’s no longer a “Page Not Found”? Read on.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Which pages are worth the effort<\/b>
    Google Webmaster Tools can help you decide which missing pages are worth creating (so they’re no longer “not found”). Here’s how:<\/p>\n