Cetrix Blog

Most museums are aware that ticket sales are the life blood of all museums..Despite this, surprisingly few museums have a way to sell tickets online. Even though online ticket sales now dominate the sales landscape for events such as concerts and theaters, most museums have yet to create their own online ticket sales portals. For instance, in France, 30-50% of museums still expect visitors to purchase tickets at the door (See Secutix). Of course, an online ticket sales portal requires branding. Museums cannot just put up a website and expect visitors to find it. Instead, you must brand and advertise your website so potential visitors can find it in a way that builds a relationship between the museum and each individual visitor. That requires a digital presence that is unique, individualized, and global.

Museums: Challenges

The digital revolution has brought with it a host of amazing opportunities for its users, and consequently has created a new breed of consumer. The expectations of consumers have also been transformed somewhere along the route. Museums are one such group striving to meet the challenges kindled by this new wave of digital expectations from their visitors, whilst at the same time struggling through both budget constraints and restrictive legacy systems.

Cultural institutions around the world are looking for ways to update their collections for the digital age. Today’s patrons, trustees, and donors demand new digital experiences. Art museums are especially hit due to the nature of their very not-digital displays. They all need the benefits of digital technology to survive, ensure the democratization of culture, keep open spaces for dialogue, and to allow for the free exchange of ideas and knowledge. However, museum system software can challenge even the best of them. Despite the challenges, there are still good reasons why institutions such as the Minneapolis Institution of Art (MIA) are finding success with their digital initiatives.

Last year, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami welcomed over 150 thousand visitors through its doors, of which almost 30,000 were young people. It comes as no surprise that the Institute was justly proud of these figures as it placed it in the top tier of world-class cultural institutions. However, there was a dark cloud looming over the Institute’s apparent success; increases to their marketing budget was not filtering through to their profits, and alarm bells were beginning to sound.

Digital technology transformed our world in ways we would not even imagine a decade ago. Over the past decade, organizations from every industry dealt with the increasing digital expectation of their patrons, trustees, and donors, and museums are no different. Museums around the world made strides to implement technology into their displays, some more successful than others. They all want the many benefits digital technology can give them including the democratization of culture, open spaces for dialogue, and the free exchange of ideas and knowledge. However, the transition can challenge the best of us, especially the art museums.