Resort Website Updates Can Influence Travel Decisions

Travel destinations need to highlight timely web content

As much as I love skiing, I have limited free time to pursue my favorite winter sports. My decision to hit the slopes usually depends on a convergence of child care, work flow and ideal conditions. I’m kind of particular about good snow and tolerable weather.

Current web content influences my decisions

I have a list of ski resort web sites that I check regularly for the latest snow conditions and webcam views. Snow conditions are ‘go-no go’ indicators for skiers like me:

• Good snow = good to go
• No snow = no go

Show me the snowfall

My favorite ski resort sites are very forthcoming with the snow reports. The site designs allow for frequent content updates – recent storm totals, current pictures, forecasts – all posted right on the home page. The best sites treat this content like it’s the most important breaking news in the world. And it is, to me. Nine times out of ten, these are the resorts that get my business.

Four feet of snow, buried under number of lifts

Sure, the other resorts have snow reports, too. Buried somewhere in a second tier navigation list, between ‘Season Passes’ and ‘Social Networking,’ there’s a link to some stats about the number of trails and lifts, total skiable acreage... Ahh, there it is: new snow... I wonder what the stock market’s doing today?

Fresh, day-old, what’s the difference?

To be fair, great ski resorts are great whether there’s new snow or not. Modern snowmaking can deliver a passable ski season even when Mother Nature balks. And die-hard skiers just go every day, conditions be damned. But for my precious few days on the slopes, I want it all: fresh natural snow, comfortable weather and, preferably, midweek crowds (or absence thereof).

Highlight your updates for travelers like me

So, here’s a tip for resorts of all types, from an impulsive, picky, fair-weather traveler: If you get new snow – or if the fish are running, the cherry blossoms are in bloom, the tournament is on, or the opera is in town – put it on your web site’s first page – because it’s that important to me or someone like me. And I’ll be there as soon as my schedule opens up.