Visitor engagement Online and Onsite

Rob SteinDeputy Director

Dallas Museum of Art

Flickr Credit ~phineasx

THE MUSEUM VISIT

CAN HAVE MANY

FACETS

FREE-CHOICE

LEARNING

ENTRANCE

Flickr Credit ~aunto

NARRATIVE

Founder of Institute for Learning Innovation

Professor Learning and Science Education at Oregon State University

Research conducted primarily at zoos, aquaria, and science centers.

But also with art museums including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Denver Art Museum

JOHN FALK

WHY FALK?

Flickr Credit ~aunto

• It is simple and easy to understand.• It is fairly well documented in the literature.• It has been tested and used in many museums.• It can be used by more than one department in

the museum.• Falk has developed and tested a simple method

to identify visitors motivations.

BASELINE

MOTIVATION SURVEY

EXPLORER

RECHARGER

FACILITATOR

PROFESSIONALS

HOBBYISTS

EXPERIENCE

SEEKERS

AFFINITY SEEKERS

Results (371 participants)

Experience seekers

Rechargers Facilitators Professiona/Hobbyists

Affinity seeksrs0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%22.4% 21.8%

17.0%

13.5%

2.7%

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ONSITE AND ONLINE VISITORS?

How Can We Make…

2011 Web Stats1M Visits (3.6M Hits) +7%56% (566K) not in Visit 6%58% (580K) not in IN +5%

2011 Museum Attendance381,026 (-11%)

Mobile 8.8% (2x 2010)

DMA Web Stats

• Oct 2011 – Oct 2012• 1M Visits (2.9M Hits)• Time on Site 2:02• Only 18% NOT in Texas• 75% in the DFW Metro• Mobile 23%!• Museum Attendance 485,000

WHAT’S THE ONLINE

Flickr Credit ~aunto

ENTRANCE NARRATIVE?

Flickr Credit ~measter2

WHAT’S THE RIGHT MODEL?

Planning/thinking about a trip to the museum

Searching about specific information

Teacher told me to do this website

Looking for teachers resources or activities

Thought it might be interesting site to explore

Haley-Goldman & Schaller, 2004

Flickr Credit ~measter2

WHAT’S THE RIGHT MODEL?

Gathering information for an upcoming visit to the physical site

Engaging in casual browsing

Self-motivated research for specific content information

Assigned research for specific content information

Ellenbogen, Haley-Goldman & Falk, 2008

Flickr Credit ~measter2

WHAT’S THE RIGHT MODEL?

Using the site to plan or follow up a visit to the physical site

Using the website to locate subject-based information

Accessing the website as part of browsing activities on the Web

Using the website to interact or transact with the museum

Peacock & Brownbill, 2007

Flickr Credit ~measter2

WHAT’S THE RIGHT MODEL?

It seems (at least on the surface) that motivations for visits to physical museums are different than for museum websites:

Experiences, identity-building vs. communication/information seeking

Investment in visiting the physical and virtual museum is not the same

Ellenbogen, Haley-Goldman & Falk, 2008

Google Analytics Is Not Enough

Initial Open-Ended Survey

0%10%20%30%40%

Coded Results from Open Ended Online Motivations n=113

Follow Up Categorical Survey

A Much Better Response

Plan a Visit

Find Specific I

nformation fo

r Pro

fessional R

easons

Find Specific I

nformation fo

r Perso

nal Reaso

ns

Casually

Browse

Make a Transaction

0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%

5:407:09 6:19 5:56

12:00

Online Motivation by Type and Time n=4076

Percent Visits Average time

Plan a Visit

Find Specific I

nformation fo

r Pro

fessional R

easons

Find Specific I

nformation fo

r Perso

nal Reaso

ns

Casual B

rowsin

g

Make a Transaction

0102030405060

Average Time per Page by Motivation Type

time/page (sec)

Visitor Flow

Visitor Flow

Read More

Filippini-Fantoni, Stein, BowmanExploring the Relationship between Visitor Motivation and Engagement in Online Museum Audiences, mw2012

THANK YOU!@rjstein