4 Preconditions for Successful Online Offerings

You see how your audience is changing and know that you can engage and captivate a digital audience. In short, you are getting started with online offerings. What should you take into account? And what are good examples? Just like with a physical exhibition or show, a number of basic factors also determine the success of the experience online.

In this article, you will find the 4 preconditions for digital offerings, with tips on how to use them successfully.

6 min. read11 feb `24

Knowledge & Inspiration

This article is based on research conducted by the research agency Motivaction commissioned by DEN.

The research contributes to DEN's task of gaining insight into the urgency of a shared digital space where cultural audiences and cultural offerings meet. With this, we aim to accelerate and future-proof the digital transformation of the sector. Research was conducted into the desires of the online cultural audience and their experience of online culture.

Why Online Offerings?

The cultural audience is becoming increasingly diverse. Younger generations in particular expect offerings tailored to their world. Online, you can make this happen. You can digitally personalize your offerings, catering to the individual and building a relationship with your visitor. Moreover, digital offerings provide new possibilities for content creation, interaction, and experience. They can stand alone or serve as an addition to physical visits, for example, as extra information or an introductory podcast.

What does your audience expect from online offerings? Learn about the cultural audience of the future, dive into the differences between researched target groups or explore the Cultural Target Group Model.

The 4 Preconditions for Successful Online Cultural Offerings

But what makes online offerings successful? DEN conducted research into the experience of online cultural offerings among culture enthusiasts. It revealed that, regardless of the specific target group, a number of preconditions play a role in the experience of the offerings.

The platform must work flawlessly
A condition that simply must be met for the experience to be enjoyable is the proper functioning of the online environment. As a user, you don't want to encounter issues with the 'user interface'; it should be intuitive. Think of short loading times, user-friendly navigation, and good image quality. Nothing pulls a visitor out of their experience more than loading icons, pixelated images, and unclear navigation. Visitors also expect a good search function, logical structure, and not too much information at once. The smoother the user experience, the more the visitor can enjoy the content.

Tip: Always have your online experience built by an experienced web agency. They can advise on UX, design, and accessibility. Together, you can maintain the balance between artistic value and user-friendliness. Looking for inspiration? Opera Vision, Rijksstudio, and Google Arts & Culture show how it’s done.

The offerings provide something extra; they are more diverse, broader, or personalized
Where a physical museum literally hits the limits of its location, the possibilities online are greater. Online, you can showcase offerings that precisely match the needs of the individual visitor. Just like streaming services, music channels, and podcast platforms, you can collect information online about the interests of your users. This allows you to feed them with offerings that match these desires.

Example: Through Collectie connectie by Museum Arnhem, you can create a personal gallery by selecting three favorite paintings, showing more works that match your preferences. This way, visitors can discover new culture based on their own choices. Each painting is accompanied by explanations and information.

Surprising digital functionalities are used
The digital domain offers many possibilities that do not exist offline. By utilizing these online possibilities and functionalities, an extra dimension is provided online that compensates for or even makes one forget the missing aspects of physical culture (such as the social and tactile aspects).

Tip: Make your online offerings truly distinctive by creating a product that cannot physically exist. Think of AI and AR technologies to add an extra layer or performances by artists in the metaverse. For example, watch the 21 Pilots concert in Roblox.

The online environment is interactive
Where physical culture is characterized by its social and often collective nature, online it is possible to personalize the experience. Imagine being able to watch the same performance from a different perspective each time... In the theater, you would pay for five different tickets, but online this option exists. Let digital visitors switch perspectives, for example, by viewing in close-up, from the balcony, or even backstage. Imagine being able to choose your own perspective in the venue from home, such as a view from the balcony or up close in the audience.

Example: An example of such an experience from multiple perspectives was Ghost Orchestra in a digital Notre Dame. A virtual 360° concert. Think also of gamification.