Picture a couple who have wanted the bumper sticker for years, the one that says “This Car Climbed Mount Washington.” When they finally plan the trip, one question rides along from day one. Will the weather on the highest peak in the Northeast even let them go up?
The answer is waiting on a website before they ever leave the driveway.
- It tells the truth about today. Right under the photo on the Mt. Washington Auto Road homepage, a green bar read, the day we looked: “Tuesday, October 6th, the Mt. Washington Auto Road is currently open to Treeline for cars and on hold for motorcycles.” Treeline is partway up, short of the summit, and the couple knows that before they turn the key.
- A date makes it believable. “Open!” can sit on a website for months. “Tuesday, October 6th” tells you this is about today.
- It lets people decide for themselves. Partway up a mountain may still be worth the drive, or they may wait for a clearer day. Either way, nobody finds out at the bottom of the road with a carful of disappointed people.
- One thing I’d change. A merchandise ad shares that same green bar. I’d give the welcome its own space and move the ad somewhere else.
Why this matters to you
Every business has its own version of that couple. It might be the family driving to your inn for an anniversary, or the customer who takes the afternoon off to come to your shop. When something changes, telling them first is part of the welcome. One honest line at the top of your homepage tells people you were thinking about them before they ever got there.
Jason Schlosser is the founder of ji design. He’s spent his career building businesses in hospitality, where he fell in love with the combination of marketing, design, and the art of making people feel welcome.
That experience shapes how he thinks about websites today: they should feel welcoming, build trust, and make it easy for people to take the next step with your business.
