ZDNet: Taking users past a broken link

A simple but effective damage-limitation page.

The Site

ZDNet is the umbrella for a network of websites aimed at industry professionals and businesses that address how to get the most out of IT investment.

Content includes reviews and prices, free e-mail newsletters and IT downloads, white papers and case studies, technology updates and jobs, and online tutorials and webcasts.

Although US-based it has local-language editions for nine other countries including France, Germany, Italy and China as well as Australia and the UK.

The Takeaway

With so many sites and lots of linked information and downloads users of ZDNet are inevitably going to run into the odd broken link. When they do so, ZDNet is ready with a simple but effective damage limitation page.

On most sites, running across a broken link or unavailable page brings up a curt announcement along the lines of “404 error; not found on this site”. And that’s it.

Of all people, ‘techno-savvy’ ZDNet cannot afford to leave its customers in such a dead-end. So it offers a holding page that explains the problem and offers alternative routes to the ‘lost’ information including the site search engine and a customer service option. Simple but effective damage limitation.

First published on 17 July, 2003