In this episode, Amy takes the visitor journey one step further by zooming in on the touchpoints, the individual moments where visitors actually interact with your museum, online and onsite. From search results and “Plan Your Visit” pages to ticketing, front desk greetings, evening events, and follow-up emails, she shows how each touchpoint shapes the story visitors tell themselves about your museum.

Links from the Episode:

1. Listen to the last episode on “What’s Your Visitor Journey?”
2. Want to talk about your museum’s visitor journey? Book a Call.
3. Museum Digital Assessment

More Free Resources for Museums:

1. Getting Visitors Through Your Museum’s Doors: Building Connection in a Noisy World ebook
2. Museum Planning Calendar
3. Museum Metrics Template

About the host:

Amy Kehs is a brand strategist and communications expert for museums. She has owned Kehs Communications since 2000 and has worked for the most renowned and well-loved museums in Washington, D.C. Her goal is to ensure that museums thrive into the next century and she hopes people will come to love museums as much as she does. Her proven process sets up proactive communication habits for museums, cultivating relationships with visitors who will want to return and bring a friend. Want to talk more? Click this link to book a call.

What if, just a few small tweaks to your visitors' touch

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points, could turn once was enough

into we can't wait to return.

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That's where we're talking about today.

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Let's get started.

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Hello and welcome to

Love My Museum podcast.

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I'm your host, Amy Kehs

and I love museums.

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So last time we talked about the

visitor journey as the path that

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visitors take with you before, during,

and after their visit to your museum.

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And then that the visitor experience

is how that journey feels to them.

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And today we're going to zoom in even

closer and talk about the touch points

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along this journey, along this roadmap.

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These are the individual moments.

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Where visitors interact with your museum.

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That could be online, it can be.

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On site and then after they leave, if

the journey is the whole story, the touch

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points are the individual scenes that

make that story memorable or forgettable.

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You can also think of this journey

like a map, and that the touch

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points are your opportunities

to interact with the visitor.

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We're going to walk through a few

concrete example journeys, and then

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look at some simple but really powerful

ways to improve those touchpoint.

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Okay, so what are these touchpoints

really, let's start with a really

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clear, practical definition.

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A touchpoint is any moment where a visitor

comes into contact with your museum.

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So that can be seeing your

building as they drive by finding

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your website in search results.

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scrolling past an Instagram post.

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Clicking your plan, your visit page

on your website, buying a ticket

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talking with your friend desk staff,

reading a label in one of your exhibit

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galleries, using the restroom at your

museum, getting a follow up email.

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Reading a membership renewal notice,

all of those are touch points.

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Your visitors don't divide these into

marketing, operations, education.

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They just experience them as one

continuous flow of impressions

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that they have about your museum.

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And some touch points matter

a lot more than others.

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There are moments that really matter.

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Usually the first few

minutes of contact and then.

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That last impression.

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So those moments can determine

whether someone decides, oh yes,

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I would definitely come back here,

or, okay, check the box, been

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there, done that once was enough.

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When we get intentional about these

touch points, we're asking what does

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this moment feel like for the visitor?

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Is it clear?

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Is it welcoming?

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Is it aligned with our mission?

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Our vision or is it

confusing and intimidating?

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Or maybe it's just flat.

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So let's give some examples of.

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some visitor journeys.

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So imagine it's a parent,

they have two kids under 10.

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It's a Saturday morning.

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The weather is a bit iffy.

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Everyone's a little stir crazy, and

they're searching for something to do.

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Their journey might start

with a Google search.

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Things to do with kids

near me or things to do in.

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Your city.

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Maybe they see your museum's

name, a star rating your opening

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hours, a couple of photos.

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And so questions that they're

silently probably asking at this

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touch point is, are you open today?

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What's the price?

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Does this look kid friendly?

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And.

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Honestly being a mom and remembering

having kids this age, is it worth

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getting everyone in the car?

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Because even that, that, that's

a whole thing right there, right?

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So improvements that you can think

about and that you consider when you

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are mapping out and when you're thinking

about these visitor touchpoints, make

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sure that your hours, your address,

your pricing are accurate and consistent

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everywhere Choose photos at these

touchpoints that clearly show families

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and kids having a good time and spaces

that feel welcoming and not intimidating.

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Empty gallery photos are aesthetically

beautiful, but they are not helping

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the person who's trying to plan

their visit and make your short

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description speak directly to them.

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Hands-on art and science for curious

kids and their grownups would

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be a great caption for a photo.

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Okay.

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The next touch point is your website

homepage and your plan, your visit page.

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Imagine that person is clicking

through to your website.

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They do not want to dig

for basic information.

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They're looking for today's hours,

ticket prices, parking, or transit

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options, whether they can bring a

stroller, is there food available, or a

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place to sit and eat our packed lunch?

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Is there anything for my kids to do?

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If your homepage is all mission

statements and press releases, you've

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missed The moment Some improvements

that you can make is to put a plan your

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visit button above the fold, bright

button right at the top of your website.

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When they push that button, they

go to a page that has everything

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that we just talked about.

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It's not in the navigation

bar, it's not along the side.

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It's not three quarters

of the way down the page.

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Even if you still have that information

and all of those places have the

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button, on that page, add a simple.

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Visiting with kids and then link some

practical information or list some

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practical information and maybe suggest

like a one hour or two hour itinerary

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and be really explicit about amenities.

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Are strollers allowed?

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Do you have changing

tables in the bathrooms?

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Are there quiet spaces?

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Do you have a cafe?

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Are there snack policies?

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The next touch point.

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Is going to be online ticketing.

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Next, they might decide to buy tickets

ahead of time, so their questions

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might be, how many steps is this?

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What are time slots that are available?

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What's the total cost going to be?

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Are there any hidden fees?

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So improvements that you can think

about are keeping the ticketing

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process as short and clear as possible.

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Making sure that ticketing

information is everywhere.

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All of the places that we've talked about

use plain language, not internal jargon.

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Show the full price early in the process

so that they're not surprised at the end.

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And if you can offer a simple

family or kids option so they don't

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have to do all of the mental math.

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And then the next touch point is

their arrival, their first five

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minutes to getting to your museum.

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So they've made it.

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They've driven, they've parked, they've

wrangled the kids and the snacks, and

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they're walking up to the building.

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This is a huge moment.

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Think about what they encounter.

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Is there clear signage from the parking

area or the sidewalk, the entrance?

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So improvements that you can make here

is to make your entrance path obvious

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and friendly, and use clear, simple

signs, museum entrance tickets this way.

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Welcome, if possible.

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Have a staff member or volunteer who's

visible and ready, who's smiling and

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has just a really simple greeting,

hi, is this your first time here?

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And in those first minutes,

families often will need bathrooms.

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Is there a place for

them to put their coats?

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A sense of where do we start?

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Make those answers easy to find.

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And try to answer them

before they even have to ask.

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A lot of families might decide in those

first 10 minutes whether this will be

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a place that they come back to, if the

touch points are confusing or cold.

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They may power through the visit,

but they probably won't return.

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Okay, so let's talk

about a second example.

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Here's a another example of a

visitor's journey, let's say.

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This is like a date night or somebody

that is coming to one of your events.

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So let's shift our mindset

to this different persona.

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Maybe it's a couple or a group of friends.

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They're coming for an evening event.

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Maybe it's a late night opening

or a concert or a special program.

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Their journey might even begin with

a social media post or an email or an

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event page, and then buying the tickets

and then coming to the event itself.

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So let's zoom in during the

during visit touch points.

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Maybe the touchpoint is they get

a confirmation email, they've

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bought the tickets, great.

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The confirmation email is the touchpoint,

and we often treat it as boring

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admin, but it's actually a really

powerful moment to set expectations.

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What do they need from that email?

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They need the basics, the time, the date,

the address, anything they need to bring.

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They need clear arrival instructions,

where to park, what entrance to use.

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When do doors open?

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They need a sense of the vibe.

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Is this formal?

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Is it casual?

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Is it family friendly?

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Is it going to be quiet, reflective,

or more social and lively?

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So improvements that you can make here.

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Rewrite your confirmation emails so

that they sound like a friendly host.

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Here's what to expect when you arrive,

and here are a couple of things you won't

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wanna miss, or we are so glad you're going

to be joining us for this special night.

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Add a short note about accessibility,

so elevators, quiet spaces,

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coat checks, things like that.

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And then include one or two insider tips.

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Maybe there's a great photo

spot, a highlight to check out.

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Will there be refreshments?

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And then the next touch point

is the check-in and welcome.

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So on the night of the event, when

your guests arrive, maybe they're

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dressed up, maybe they're a little

unsure if this is their kind of

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place and when what they encounter

is signage or a lack of it a line.

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Or no line staff at the door

or nobody there to tell them

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where to go or what to do.

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And also the energy of the lobby.

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So improvements that you can make is

make check-in visually obvious, Signs and

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staff that are ready to direct people,

you can reduce the number of decisions

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that they have to make right away.

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A quick cheerful script, like welcome,

you can check in over here, and then

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we have a code check to your left and

there's refreshment straight ahead.

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Something like that does wonders.

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Think of this moment like opening

the front door of your home.

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When you are hosting a get together

or a party, you are setting

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the tone for the whole evening.

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And especially if this is like an

after hours event or something that

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they've bought a special ticket for.

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some improvements that you can

make is to design one or two

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intentional wow moments, something

that's immersive, surprising, or.

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Different than if they were to visit

the museum during a regular day.

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the third touch touchpoint is.

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The exit, that last impression.

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So at the end of the event,

small things really stick.

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Was it easy to find the exit?

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Is there a friendly, thank you for coming?

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Are people leaving with something?

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Maybe it's a postcard or it could

just be a prompt to come back.

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Please come back and visit us,

or we hope we'll see you at

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next month's after hours event.

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Some improvements you can make here

is just adding a simple branded,

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thank you for coming sign, or a staff

member at the door saying goodbye.

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Make it easy to get to parking

or transit without confusion.

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This last touch point often shapes

how they're going to talk about

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the event and if they're going to

come spend time with you again.

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Okay, so the last visitor journey.

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Example

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There's a tourist and somebody who

lives down the street from you.

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For the tourist, this might

be a one-time experience.

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Their touchpoints after they leave could

include, thank you for visiting email,

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a survey request, seeing your social

media posts afterward, the glancing

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at the keepsakes they bought, and so

improvements you might make is to send

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a thank you email that includes a couple

things you can, you might enjoy from home.

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So it could be a video, a blog post.

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Behind the scenes content,

maybe on a YouTube channel.

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Invite them to follow you on social,

to keep that connection alive and

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then make it easy to leave a review

and emphasize that this review

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really does help your museum.

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Now for the local visitor, the

post visit, the after the visit

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journey is often about deepening.

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A relationship.

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So touch points might include a follow

up email with upcoming events that

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maybe are related to what they saw,

a membership invitation and asking

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them to sign up for your newsletter.

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So improvements that you can make is to

segment your follow up where possible.

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If you know someone came to a

family program, invite them to the

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next one, really try to segment.

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In your email marketing as much as you

can to make it a more personal and more

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personalized experience for members.

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Make sure that communications feel

like a relationship and not just a

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string of asking them to do things.

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If someone has a membership with

you, they are high on your VIP list.

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Okay.

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So those are a few examples of

what it looks like to be analyzing

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these visitor journey touchpoints.

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I hope that was helpful.

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I hope it got you thinking.

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Your homework from this episode

is to choose one visitor type

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and one part of their journey.

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List the touch points, and then

pick a couple to improve on in the

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next month If you give this a try, I

would love to hear what you find out.

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Send me an email and let me know how

it goes, and if this is something

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that you would love some help with.

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I have a service called the Museum Digital

Assessment, where we take a look at your

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online digital presence, that before the

journey part of your visitor experience.

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I will leave the link for more

information in the show notes,

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and that's all for today.

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Thanks so much for listening.

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If these two episodes have been helpful,

I would love it if you would share

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them with a friend, leave a review.

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it helps other museum

professionals find this podcast.

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Till next time, I'm Amy Keys.

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Thanks so much for joining me.

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I'll see you next time.