Shownotes
Before visitors ever walk into your museum, they visit your website, check your hours on Google, scroll through your Instagram posts, or skim a TripAdvisor review. That’s your digital front door and in this noisy world, it matters more than ever. In this episode, Amy explores how your digital presence shapes first impressions and offers practical ways to make it more welcoming, accurate, and aligned with your in-person experience.
Links from the Episode:
- Museum Digital Assessment: Use code SUMMER100 for $100 off until August 31, 2025.
- Download a free copy of the ebook: www.lovemymuseum.com/ebook
- Listen to the rest of the series: https://www.lovemymuseum.com/podcast/summerbookclub
- https://www.lovemymuseum.com/podcast/everybody-knows-your-name
- https://www.lovemymuseum.com/podcast/communitymuseum
- https://www.lovemymuseum.com/podcast/uniquestory
- https://www.lovemymuseum.com/podcast/an-amazing-visitor-journey
More Free Resources for Museums:
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.
Transcripts
Today we're opening your museum's digital front door and
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:taking a look at what visitors see
when they first encounter you online.
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:It's time to make your virtual welcome
as strong as your in-person one.
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:Let's get started.
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:Hello and welcome to the
Love My Museum podcast.
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:I'm your host, Amy Kehs,
and I love museums.
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:I'm also a brand strategist and
communications expert for museums,
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:And this episode is part of our
summer book clip series where
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:we're walking through the key ideas
inside my new free ebook, getting
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:Visitors Through Your Museum Stores
Building Connection in a Noisy World.
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:if you haven't downloaded the ebook
yet, go ahead and grab a free copy.
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:You'll find the link in the show notes,
and each podcast episode this summer is
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:designed to give you practical, doable
ideas that you can apply right away to
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:help your museum's audience and deepen.
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:That community connection.
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:In our last episode, we talked
about mapping out the full visitor
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:journey from the moment someone hears
about your museum to the experience
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:that they have in your space, and
then also what happens afterwards.
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:And this week we are zooming in on.
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:What happens before they walk through
your doors, your online presence?
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:Because for most of your visitors,
your digital front door is the
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:first one they encounter, and it
could be what makes or breaks their
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:decision to come see you in person.
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:So what do I mean by a digital front door?
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:It's all of the places online.
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:Where someone might find your
museum for the first time.
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:Could be your website,
your social media pages.
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:Maybe it's a Google listing.
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:It could be review sites like
Yelp or TripAdvisor, maybe
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:even community calendars.
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:It's.
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:That first impression, and just like
in person, that impression matters if
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:your digital front door is welcoming,
easy to navigate and up to date visitors
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:feel more confident about visiting you
in real life, but if it's confusing
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:or if it's outta date, they might just
decide to skip the whole idea entirely.
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:Your digital front door sets expectations
and it's also proof of life, right?
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:If I go to a social media page
and you have them posted in over
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:a year, I might question if you're
still open, if you even exist.
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:So how you show up online helps people
decide whether your museum is for them.
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:Whether they should spend
their time to visit you.
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:Also, if they're planning an outing for
a group of people, say out of town guests
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:or a family fun day, and they aren't
getting a good gut feeling that you know
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:what you're doing online, they might be
worried and investing that time with you.
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:In person and look for something
that seems a little more put
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:together, something that is going
to take care of them better.
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:It gives people a sense of what
kind of experience they'll have
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:when they show up at your museum.
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:So let's talk a little bit
about what people actually want.
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:When they land on your website or when
they find you on social media, first and
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:foremost, they're looking for that basic
information and as detailed as possible.
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:So hours admission address, parking
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:I was working with a client recently
who has a beautiful free museum,
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:but because their website didn't
mention admission anywhere, visitors
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:weren't sure if there was a fee, and
that uncertainty can be a barrier.
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:A simple note that says admission
is always free, goes a long way
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:in removing that hesitation.
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:Another museum I worked with kept getting
people knocking at the wrong door.
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:It turned out the signage was
maybe a little unclear, and their
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:website didn't have an explanation
about which entrance to use.
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:It was an easy fix and
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:it made a really big difference in how
welcome people feel before they even.
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:Stepped inside.
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:People also might wanna
know, do you have parking?
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:That makes a big difference.
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:If I know when I get to a museum
there's going to be parking,
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:that's a pretty great relief.
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:But also if there isn't going
to be parking, I would love to
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:know that ahead of time too.
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:And I would also love information
on where I should park.
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:How am I supposed to get there?
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:Is there a parking garage?
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:The A block over?
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:Do you validate for parking?
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:Is there, just first come
first serve, street parking.
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:All of that information, answers,
questions that are in their minds.
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:Okay.
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:What else are they looking for?
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:Clarity on what to expect
when they get there.
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:Is the museum kid friendly?
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:Is it accessible?
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:How long does a typical visit last?
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:Your website should be organized so that
it has the most UpToDate and accurate
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:details about all of these things.
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:People will lose trust quickly when they
find outdated events or broken links.
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:Let's talk for a minute
about your visuals.
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:Photos that give a sense of what the
space feels like and who it's for and
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:what they'll see is so helpful when
visitors are trying to plan their visit.
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:What images do you use on your website?
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:Do they align with your brand?
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:Are they current or accurate,
or are they outdated?
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:And the last thing I want you to
think about is mobile accessibility.
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:More than half of your visitors are
probably viewing your website on their
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:phones, and if it doesn't load well.
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:Um, they're probably going
to start looking elsewhere.
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:Another thing I want you to start
thinking about is your tone.
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:What kind of brand voice are you using in
your social media posts on your website?
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:Does it match the kind of experience
that visitors can expect on site?
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:Does it feel approachable?
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:All of this helps shape your
identity before anyone ever
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:sets foot in your museum.
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:If you're feeling a little
overwhelmed by all of this or you're
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:not really sure where to start.
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:That is exactly why I created
the Museum Digital Assessment.
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:It's a simple but comprehensive
review where I take a look at your
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:digital presence, and then I give
you honest, actionable feedback.
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:I've linked it in the show notes,
so I'd love for you to check it out.
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:Now, let's talk about where I
see a lot of museums get stuck.
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:The good news is that.
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:These are easy to fix.
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:The first is those outdated websites.
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:If your site hasn't been updated in
years, visitors might assume that
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:the same is true for your exhibits.
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:Make sure you've got accurate hours
and mission prices, current programs.
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:And the second thing that I see
is that information is buried.
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:Can visitors find your hours and
location within a few seconds?
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:If they have to dig, they might give up.
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:I help museums update their
website content using the latest
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:marketing research and strategies.
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:One of my favorite resources,
is a book by Donald Miller.
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:Called Marketing Made Simple.
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:And finally,
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:another place where I see museums
get stuck is they spend a lot
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:of money on a website that might
look pretty on the desktop,
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:but.
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:If you try to look up the website on
a phone, the site doesn't load or it
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:doesn't make any sense when it loads.
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:And you're losing potential
visitors before you even see them.
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:Okay, so what is your
action step for the week?
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:This week I want you to do a quick
digital audit of your museum.
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:Pretend that you're a first time visitor.
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:Google your museum and go through
the steps that they would.
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:Can you find your website easily?
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:Are your hours and emissions prices clear?
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:If you're free, is that clear as well?
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:Do the images give a good
feel for what's inside?
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:Do you have a brand voice that's
consistent and inviting through
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:your website and social media posts
and that email marketing piece?
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:Does everything work
well on your phone and
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:even better.
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:Ask a friend or a family member outside
your organization to go through this
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:exercise and tell you what they noticed.
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:You might be surprised by what stands
out and what questions they have,
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:And if that still feels overwhelming,
here are three really quick wins that
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:you can do today with no tech help.
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:If you want a vast way to improve your
digital front door, you could, number one,
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:make sure your hours address an admission.
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:Or on your homepage,
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:number two, post a welcome message on
your social media pinned post or or a bio.
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:And number three, add a current photo
of your lobby or exterior so that
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:visitors recognize it when they arrive.
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:You don't need a perfect flashy,
all the bells and whistles website.
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:Just a clear, helpful one that
matches the great experience that
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:people will have when they visit.
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:If your digital presence feels
a little behind, that's okay.
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:This is about progress, not perfection.
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:And if you're looking for a little help.
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:Just let me know.
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:We can talk about that
museum digital assessment.
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:I will put the link in the show notes.
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:I've also included in the show
notes a discount code to get $100
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:off of a museum digital assessment.
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:That code is good through
the end of August.
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:It expires at midnight on August 31st.
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:What I really want you to remember is that
that digital front door is often the first
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:impression that you give, and it's worth
taking the time to make it a good one.
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:I want it to be clear and
current and welcoming and really
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:helps people feel excited.
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:I'm ready to come and visit you and
that consistent digital brand voice is
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:going to help you build trust before
they even walk through your doors.
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:There are just two more episodes left
in our summer book club series if
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:you're not caught up on the series.
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:I've also linked all of the
other episodes in the show notes.
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:Check out the Museum Digital Assessment
if you're ready for a little extra
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:help, and remember to use that code to
save $100 through the end of August.
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:Our next episode is all
about media relations..
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:Thanks so much for listening.
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:I'll see you next time.
