You are /here

Now it’s time to start paying attention to the visitors as well as the devices they are using. Enter the /here manifesto.

In a Tweet

Based on location, time and date the /here page will serve up as relevant information as possible.

The rules

A page can be called a /here page if it:

• displays different information depending on where the visitor is located physically
• is responsive
• is located at the root address www.yourdomainname.tld/here and no other place

It can also change the information based on a number of other visitor specific circumstances such as the time of day, the date, current weather, season etc. It’s up to you and what kind of information you have.

The here in /here is centered on the visitor and not the company. Imagine getting a call from someone asking “Based on where I am right now in space and time, what’s the most relevant information you can give me?”

That is what you should try to answer on the /here page.

The rundown

1. A visitors needs may vary depending on their location.
2. They can tell us their location.
3. Our ability to help the visitor may vary depending on the date and time of day.
4. We know the date and time of day.
5. Leverage this knowledge by compiling your best guess of what the visitor might need on a page located at www.yourdomainname.tld/here
6. The rest of the web site can remain exactly as it is.

Examples

The Pharm & Drug is a pharmacy with global presence

If a visitor goes to their www.pharmndrug.com/here page they will see a list of their closest pharmacies that are open at the moment. If the one that is closest to the visitor is closed at the moment it could show up, clearly labeled as closed and with opening hours for the next day shown next to it.

The list may in other words vary depending on what day it is and what time it is and where in the world the visitor is located. Some pharmacies might close earlier than others. Other pharmacies might stay open during major holidays. If the visitor is already inside a store they will instead see offers or a plain old inventory list or a barcode to scan at the POS to receive their prescription. (Since they are already at a location we can safely assume that finding a pharmacy isn’t their top priority)

At a restaurant chain the visitor would see the menu once inside the restaurant. A service station might have a queuing system etc. For a city it could provide a list of the closest schools, hospitals and bus stops.

As you see, once you start thinking about /here it's very easy to see its potential.

But it hinges on getting enough of us working on it. We need each other in this.