Hitting a ‘404 Not Found’ page or a mysterious ‘500 Internal Server Error’ on your own business website? It’s a frustrating experience, both for you and your potential customers here in Nigeria.
While these common website errors are technical glitches, they can lead to lost opportunities, confused visitors, and even impact how search engines view your site.
To forestall the negative impact on your website, it is important to understand what these cryptic codes actually mean. This guide will outline the most frequent website errors you might encounter, providing a clear, simple overview so you know what you’re dealing with.
Categories of Common Website Errors
Error codes are generally of two types;
- Client-Side Errors (4xx Codes)
These issues are often related to the user’s browser or the request itself. The server understood what was asked but couldn’t (or wouldn’t) fulfill that specific request as it was made.
2. Server-Side Errors (5xx Codes)
These signals trouble brewing on your website’s hosting server. The browser sent a valid request, but the server failed to complete it due to an internal issue. These often need technical help to resolve.
Top Common Client-Side Errors (4xx)
Let’s look at some common website errors originating from the client-side:
1. 404 Not Found
This is easily the most recognized error. The server simply couldn’t locate the specific page or file the user asked for. It’s gone, moved, or the link was typed incorrectly.
A 404 error creates a dead end, frustrates users, and loses traffic. Too many 404s can also signal poor site health to search engines.
2. 403 Forbidden
The server understood the request perfectly but is refusing access. You have the right address, but you’re not on the guest list for that specific resource. A forbidden 403 error can prevent legitimate visitors or search engines if permissions are set incorrectly. A frustrating roadblock!
3. 401 Unauthorized
A 401 error is very similar to a 403 error, but specifically requires logging in (authentication). Access is denied because the user isn’t logged in or provided the wrong credentials. This is necessary for protecting private areas, but it needs to function correctly for user access.
4. 400 Bad Requests
Here, the server found the request garbled or syntactically incorrect. Thus, it couldn’t understand what the browser was asking.
A bad request stops the page load, though often the issue might be temporary and related to the user’s browser or network connection.
Top 4 Common Server-Side Errors (5xx)
When the issue lies with your hosting server, you might see these common website errors:
1. 500 Internal Server Error
This is a frustratingly vague message. It signifies a general server problem, but the server can’t pinpoint the exact cause. It requires investigation behind the scenes
A 501 error often takes your whole site (or parts of it) down, looks unprofessional, and needs urgent attention from your developer or hosting support.
2. 502 Bad Gateway
Your server acts like a gateway or proxy sometimes. This error means it got a bad or invalid response from another server it needed information from.
Your website becomes inaccessible, typically pointing to networking issues or problems within the hosting infrastructure itself.
3. 503 Service Unavailable
A 503 issue suggests the server is temporarily unable to handle requests, usually because it’s overloaded with traffic or undergoing maintenance.
Your site is down. While possibly temporary (due to a traffic spike), frequent 503s suggest your hosting plan might be insufficient or there are underlying server issues. Understanding these kinds of common website errors can help with capacity planning.
4. 504 Gateway Timeout
Like 502, your server acted as a gateway but didn’t receive a response fast enough from the upstream server it was waiting on.
A gateway timeout can lead to an inaccessible site, usually because of slow server performance or network bottlenecks delaying communication.
Other Common Website Issues to Watch For
Beyond specific codes, other problems can disrupt your site’s performance. They include;
1. Redirect Confusion (e.g., 301 vs 302)
As we discussed previously, 301 and 302 redirects aren’t technically errors but instructions. However, using a temporary 302 redirect for a permanent move is a common mistake that can cause significant SEO problems.
Incorrect redirects confuse search engines and can sometimes lead to frustrating loops for users. Proper handling is key.
2. Mixed Content Warnings
This suggests your site is secure (HTTPS), but it’s trying to load certain elements (like images or scripts) over an insecure connection (HTTP).
Browsers often flag this with warnings, may block the insecure content (breaking your site’s look or function), and it erodes user trust.
3. Painfully Slow Loading Times
While there is no error code here, when pages take too long to load, users perceive it as an error and often leave.
High bounce rates, terrible user experience (especially on mobile networks often used in Nigeria), and a direct hit to your SEO rankings via Core Web Vitals. Many factors contribute to this common website problem.
Conclusion
This is the idea.
Don’t let common website errors go unaddressed. Edens Digital provides expert website troubleshooting, ongoing maintenance, and performance optimization services tailored for Nigerian businesses. We diagnose and fix common website errors quickly, ensuring your site runs smoothly.
Stop letting technical issues hurt your business visibility and credibility. Contact Edens Digital today for a comprehensive website health check and reliable support!
