Turn “Oops!” into $$$ with smart 404 pages 🚧
How to convert frustration into signups, sales, and loyalty.
A visitor clicks a broken link on your site. They hit your 404 page.
THEY LEAVE.
Most business owners see this as "just one of those things." But smart brands turn 404 pages into sales funnels, email signups, and brand-building moments.
Tattly is turning 404 errors into exclusive product launches.
When you land on Tattly's 404 page, you don't just see an apology. You find a hidden product that's only accessible if you land on our Error 404 page.
Genius.
And Tattly isn't alone:
Urban Outfitters fills their 404 with best-selling products. Proof that social validation beats dead ends.
LEGO uses playful imagery of mini-figures in chaos. It makes errors feel on-brand (and shareable).
Lush hid an Easter egg hunt prize on their 404 page, turning errors into exclusive customer rewards with free bath bombs.
⚡ How to profit from broken links
These brands understood something most solopreneurs miss about user experience:
🔗 Dead ends = warm leads: Someone who hit your 404 page was trying to engage with your business. They clicked something. They're interested. Don't waste that intent.
🎯 Frustration = opportunity: A disappointed visitor is one conversation away from becoming a customer. The key is offering something valuable instead of just saying "oops."
🏆 Exclusivity wins loyalty: Tattly's "hidden product" approach makes visitors feel special for getting "lost." Turn your site's weakness into a VIP experience.
✅ Stop saying sorry. Start converting
Freelancers and solopreneurs often panic when things go wrong - a broken link, a missed deadline, or even an unanswered client email.
But just like brands with clever 404s, you can use “404 moments” to stand out.
A copywriter could say:
“Sorry this draft took longer. That extra 24 hours gave me time to write 3 stronger angles you can split test.”A social media manager might say:
"Instagram rejected the first ad due to formatting, so I reworked it and ended up with 2 versions: one optimized for feeds, another for Stories. This means you can double the placements.”The mistake stops being a weakness. It becomes a value add.
🚀 Ideas for testing this quick growth idea
Here’s how to turn your “404 moments” into trust builders:
🔎 Use Broken Links as Lead Magnets – On your site or portfolio, set up a custom 404 page with your top case study, a “book a call” button, or even a free download. Make errors lead to opportunities.
🎁 The Hidden Gem – Feature content that's not on your main pages: "Since you found this broken link, here's a behind-the-scenes look at my biggest project win this year..."
📞 Acknowledge Quickly – When something goes wrong, don’t hide. A fast, friendly message reframes mistakes as moments of care. (Clients forgive problems. They don’t forgive silence.)
🛠 The “Lost & Found” Page – On your site, turn your 404 into a quirky personal intro: “Oops, you broke the site, but you just unlocked my best client testimonial reel.”
👇 Case Study: MailerLite
MailerLite’s 404 page uses humour to soften the frustration of landing on an error. They also offer an irresistible “Free Trial” - giving visitors 30 days on their premium plan. That call-to-action (“Claim my free trial”) turns a lost visitor into a potential paying customer.
💡 Your Friday takeaway
Tattly didn’t just shrug off a broken link.
Urban Outfitters didn’t just point people back to the homepage.
Lego didn’t just say “sorry.”
They all proved the same point: every broken experience is a chance to build trust.
As freelancers, we obsess over the “perfect” draft, the polished design, the flawless delivery. But clients often remember how you handle the imperfect moments more than the perfect ones.
That late reply.
That file that wouldn’t upload.
That call that had to be rescheduled.
Those are your “404 moments.”
And just like brands turn broken links into conversions, you can turn mistakes into upgrades, surprises, or deeper client relationships.
TL;DR: Your “oops” moments aren’t weaknesses. They’re hidden features. Instead of apologizing and moving on, use them as doorways to delight your clients, prove your value, and stand out in an AI-powered world begging for human connection.
See you next week 🚀
Sam
—If you enjoyed issue #09, please tap the Like button below 💙 Thank you!
Thanks, Sam. I really like this approach as it's a total game changer/mental reframe!
Turning dead ends into money spots, this is pure gold!