Make it easy to book museum tickets
Your museum may have a ticketing system for visitors to book online or alternatively pay at the entrance, either way make sure you make it super easy. Online ticketing can be hard to navigate and if there are too many steps etc it may put a visitor off purchasing a ticket from you. Our advice here is simple, keep it simple. Collect the basic information you need, add a gift aid step (if you are eligible) and keep the payment screen easy to navigate. In 3 simple steps you can start the visitors journey off the right way. If you have your point of sale for ticketing at the entrance to your attraction, then we offer the same advice. Make sure your EPOS is reliable and easy to use so that your staff can promptly serve visitors whilst capturing all the data they need for Gift Aid or Memberships.
Accessible for all
You probably know who your target visitor type is, maybe a family with young children who visit during school holidays when exhibitions change or maybe an older generation who visit frequently as an escape to their favourite culture or hobby. Once you know who your target visitor is you can tailor your marketing to other visitor types that might not usually visit your museum. A deterrent for some families wishing to visit museums maybe a concerned that they are not ‘family friendly’. They may feel that the silent, hands off approach is not suitable for them so decide not to visitor your museum. Therefore if you want families to visit you must make it well known that you are family friendly – shout about it.
Even if your entire museum isn’t geared towards children try making some child friendly spaces or hand on exhibits to make the whole gang feel welcome. You may be opening yourself up to a whole new market. Sell family passes through your EPOS or create memberships with great family discounts to be used in onsite cafes or food outlets to encourage your visitors to really make it a day out.
Time to get social
Social Media is a great way to connect with your visitors. It opens up a channel of communication like no other. You are able to have conversations with your audience and engage them with interesting posts and facts. With a predominately younger audience this could be a great way to reach out to a new type of visitor. A presence on social media could simply comprise of promoting special events, where by you write posts linking to your website where users can purchase event tickets online for your exhibits. You may wish to go further and provide virtual tours of exhibitions or film staff/volunteers talking about your history or exhibits. Any way you choose to use Social Media can help you reach a wider audience and attract more visitors.
Good reviews!
Everyone loves to share great days out with family and friends. Lots of visitor attractions rely on word-of-mouth recommendations for return visits. Local museums may have annual pass holders who get discount for family and friends or simply want to bring visiting relations along for a fun day out to their favourite attractions. Your museum should focus on providing a great visitor experience at every touchpoint, from online ticketing and fast service at point of sale to well stocked gift shops and great service in cafes or other food outlets. It’s the little things that matter, so allow your volunteers or staff more time to focus on sharing their knowledge and passion for your exhibits and less time learning how to use EPOS and till systems. Simple to use donations stations or barcode ticket redemption from online ticket sales are just a few of the ways you can help improve your visitor experience and attract more visitors to your museum.
If you would like to find out more about how VisiSoft can help your museum with EPOS and Ticketing, please contact us to book a free demo or learn more on our dedicated Museums page.
