1. Change the interaction with your visitor
In the past, contact with your visitor mainly involved broadcasting. You placed an ad in a newspaper or bus shelter and didn’t know what your visitor thought of it. Now, that contact is two-way. Your visitor can find you just as easily as they want to communicate with you. Think, for example, of online reviews and social media responses.
Of course, it requires extra work to maintain that contact. At the same time, it’s an opportunity: you better understand what your visitor wants from you. Moreover, through digital channels, you can better determine which communication works: you can see it immediately by the number of likes on a post.
By seizing these opportunities, you can build a strong network of visitors. They become more than just buyers of your product: they become ambassadors of your brand. Ask loyal visitors, for example, to play a role in your programming or invite them to be part of a focus group. By giving them a platform, you strengthen the bond. If you don’t, you miss important opportunities to connect visitors to you.
Look, for example, at retailers who have successfully implemented omnichannel* strategies, where physical and online reinforce each other or even create a unique experience. Coolblue, for instance, was once only an online store, but now this chain can be found in shopping streets across the country. These showrooms, pickup points, and service centers all in one add a lot to the visitor’s experience.
*Omnichannel: aligning online and offline channels to improve the visitor experience.
2. Keep adapting your product or service to changing needs
Some products and services fit very well in a world without the internet but have suddenly become much less relevant in today’s digital world. Think, for example, of renting a physical DVD at a video store or reading a newspaper on paper.
Companies adapt to this changing world. Videoland was acquired by RTL Netherlands in 2013, leading to the closure of hundreds of video stores, and is now a streaming platform. Many newspapers now offer – or even exclusively – digital versions. This also caters to visitors’ need to have access to movies or the latest news anytime, anywhere.
As a cultural institution, ask yourself what your visitor’s needs really are and how a digital version of your product or experience aligns with that. Think, for example, of the e-book and audiobook platform of the library or the digital tools museums use to give visitors a preview of the experience awaiting them. Some institutions take this on a grand scale, such as the virtual museum of Naturalis and the online collection and background stories of the Van Gogh Museum. This also serves visitors who can’t easily visit your physical location, for example, because they live far away or have mobility issues.
For reassurance: cultural institutions are unlikely to quickly abolish their physical offerings. The strength of a museum, theater, or library lies precisely in the on-site experience. See digital possibilities mainly as an addition or enrichment, both on-site and beyond. However, it is important to be prepared for changing visitor needs, as digital developments can suddenly shift the world significantly.
3. Turn competitors into partners
More and more successful companies are platforms. They don’t offer products or services themselves but give others the opportunity to showcase their products. Think, for example, of accommodation site Airbnb, taxi platform Uber, and online marketplace Etsy.
The strength of these companies: they have a completely different business model. What local taxi company could have imagined fifteen years ago that a tech company would become its biggest competitor?
So, when you think of a company that offers something similar to your organization, don’t immediately think in terms of competition. Could this also become a partner? How can you work together and thus create more value for the visitor? And how can you save money and time by doing so? If you don’t, you risk being one of the few companies operating alone in the future.
4. Use data strategically
Years ago, we had little insight into our visitors’ wishes and behavior. At most, we kept track of visitor numbers and sent out surveys. The rise of digital technology has changed that. Now, we have a lot of data at our disposal: from the number of clicks in newsletters to the number of stars on review platforms.
Sometimes, you can drown in all that data. That’s why it’s important to bring structure to it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York collected 100,000 email addresses in a short time by having visitors fill in their details in exchange for free Wi-Fi. These details provide valuable insights into who exactly visits you. When you take the time to analyze the data, you can discover patterns in visitor behavior. When do tourists visit your museum? Which theater performances interest young people? You can tailor not only your offerings but also your marketing and communication to these insights. You’ll need this data – even in the future – to align your product with the audience of tomorrow.
5. Experiment and learn
Of course, you can choose to only show your product to your audience when it’s completely finished. Digital technology offers the opportunity to do things differently. Did you know that Booking.com conducts about a thousand experiments simultaneously? This way, they can rapidly improve their platform and help you book a hotel or apartment as quickly as possible.
Of course, you don’t have to conduct a thousand experiments simultaneously. However, thanks to digital technology, you can quickly collect feedback from your customer. Which social campaign resonates best? Which name fits your performance best? Present different versions to your audience and see what they choose. If you don’t, you miss important opportunities to improve your product.
Author: Anne van den Dool
More articles per topic
