Pimp My Web Site: Tech Tools to Redesign and Reinvigorate Museum Web Sites on a Budget by Layla Masri and Emily Grossman April 17, 2009

What’s changing and where are we going? The good Social media on the rise Redesign attracts attention User-generated content encourages more web visitors The bad Current state of economy Museum donations down, postponing exhibits The ugly Rising costs to redesign museum website Smaller museums may not be able to afford costs for a full redesign

The good

Social media on the rise

Redesign attracts attention

User-generated content encourages more web visitors

The bad

Current state of economy

Museum donations down, postponing exhibits

The ugly

Rising costs to redesign museum website

Smaller museums may not be able to afford costs for a full redesign

New Solutions Many cost-effective ways to make changes CSS based changes/redesign Sharing tools for content distribution Social networking tools/user-generated content Changes with the largest ROI are best Free/low cost Adds to and encourages community involvement Easy/fast to implement

Many cost-effective ways to make changes

CSS based changes/redesign

Sharing tools for content distribution

Social networking tools/user-generated content

Changes with the largest ROI are best

Free/low cost

Adds to and encourages community involvement

Easy/fast to implement

Key to understanding the icons New Solutions Free One time/yearly cost <= $100 Over $100 Less than 30 mins 30 mins to 1 hour Over 1 hour Limited Moderate Complete Cost Implementation time Community Involvement

Key to understanding the icons

Redesign CSS is key to inexpensive and fast “redesign” Allows updating of site look without having to modify pages Retains all currently existing content/site architecture Ideal requirements for a distinctly new design include: External stylesheets Few/no in-line style attributes Majority of the layout cannot be table-based Styling “hooks”

CSS is key to inexpensive and fast “redesign”

Allows updating of site look without having to modify pages

Retains all currently existing content/site architecture

Ideal requirements for a distinctly new design include:

External stylesheets

Few/no in-line style attributes

Majority of the layout cannot be table-based

Styling “hooks”

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Case Study: The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) CSS refresh has REAL advantages: 1/4 of typical redesign cost 1/3 of typical redesign time

CSS refresh has REAL advantages:

1/4 of typical redesign cost

1/3 of typical redesign time

Content Sharing Options Over 65% of web traffic is for social networking Shared content increases its value, builds branding & boosts search engine ratings Most options are very quick to set up and easy to maintain by novices

Over 65% of web traffic is for social networking

Shared content increases its value, builds branding & boosts search engine ratings

Most options are very quick to set up and easy to maintain by novices

Content Sharing Options People want to share things! Give them lots of avenues to do so: RSS Distribution Widgets Image and video slideshows

People want to share things! Give them lots of avenues to do so:

RSS

Distribution

Widgets

Image and video slideshows

Content Sharing Options : RSS Quickly push out content to keep visitors in touch with your institution Accessible through a variety of devices (phones, other sites, desktop) Quick to set up and easy to maintain

Quickly push out content to keep visitors in touch with your institution

Accessible through a variety of devices (phones, other sites, desktop)

Quick to set up and easy to maintain

Content Sharing Options : RSS Services: Feedforall: one time 40$ fee Ponyfish: varies, free to 60$/yr

Services:

Feedforall: one time 40$ fee

Ponyfish: varies, free to 60$/yr

Example: Ponyfish RSS Admin Feed outputs

Content Sharing Options: Distribution Page-level tools to allow visitors to share content across blogs, social networks and e-mail Brings traffic back to your site to increase site popularity and enhance search engine ranking Provide metrics and analysis to see how content spreads

Page-level tools to allow visitors to share content across blogs, social networks and e-mail

Brings traffic back to your site to increase site popularity and enhance search engine ranking

Provide metrics and analysis to see how content spreads

Content Sharing Options: Distribution Services: AddThis: free, multi-language support ShareThis: free, customized setup AddToAny: free, share and subscribe plus tied into Google Analytics

Services:

AddThis: free, multi-language support

ShareThis: free, customized setup

AddToAny: free, share and subscribe plus tied into Google Analytics

Example: AddThis Distribution Tool

Content Sharing Options: Widgets Pull and push real-time content from 3 rd party sites without manual updates Examples: countdown clock, timer, calendar, banner ads and videos Create updatable exhibit ads, collections news and events listings for your museum site that can also publish to other sites

Pull and push real-time content from 3 rd party sites without manual updates

Examples: countdown clock, timer, calendar, banner ads and videos

Create updatable exhibit ads, collections news and events listings for your museum site that can also publish to other sites

Content Sharing Options : Widgets Services: Clearspring: free, leader in widget development, stats, 80+ social networking sites access Widgetbox: free, very similar to Clearspring Widgenie: free to 50$/month, widgets can contain imported data and be further customized with pay service

Services:

Clearspring: free, leader in widget development, stats, 80+ social networking sites access

Widgetbox: free, very similar to Clearspring

Widgenie: free to 50$/month, widgets can contain imported data and be further customized with pay service

Example: Clearspring widget admin

Example: Clearspring widget

Content Sharing Options : Image Slideshows & Video Showcase collections, event happenings, tours of physical spaces and other important visual museum elements Challenge – balance sharing with upholding museum branding within external image/video tools Solution – use tools that allow direct embedding of assets on your site

Showcase collections, event happenings, tours of physical spaces and other important visual museum elements

Challenge – balance sharing with upholding museum branding within external image/video tools

Solution – use tools that allow direct embedding of assets on your site

Content Sharing Options : Image Slideshows & Video

Example: Flickr Pictobrowser Image Slideshow

User-Generated Content and Community Engage and enlarge your audience by giving them a sense of identity and ownership: Interact with online and physical visitors Raise awareness of mission, collections, events Connect with members and event attendees Build appreciation for collections and curatorial niche

Engage and enlarge your audience by giving them a sense of identity and ownership:

Interact with online and physical visitors

Raise awareness of mission, collections, events

Connect with members and event attendees

Build appreciation for collections and curatorial niche

User Generated Content and Community Social Networking Platforms: KickApps: free includes ads, 100$-300$ monthly removes ads Ning: free, similar to KickApps, integrates with Facebook, event calendars

Social Networking Platforms:

KickApps: free includes ads, 100$-300$ monthly removes ads

Ning: free, similar to KickApps, integrates with Facebook, event calendars

Case Study: Ning site example

Case Study: Ning site example

Case Study: Ning site example

User-Generated Content and Community Embedded Social Networking Features: Google Friend Connect free, commenting/ranking tool and community membership Kampyle free, content ratings and feedback management

Embedded Social Networking Features:

Google Friend Connect free, commenting/ranking tool and community membership

Kampyle free, content ratings and feedback management

Case Study: Google Friend Connect

Case Study: Google Friend Connect

Before you start pimpin’ … Technology should fit the needs of the project Explore and test user needs and pick tools that cater to them Aim for low cost/high return on investment

Technology should fit the needs of the project

Explore and test user needs and pick tools that cater to them

Aim for low cost/high return on investment

Questions? Presentation Resources and Links: mw.beancreative.com Layla Masri Emily Grossman [email_address] [email_address] (703) 684-5845 ext. 201 (703) 684-5845 ext. 205

Presentation Resources and Links: mw.beancreative.com

Layla Masri Emily Grossman

[email_address] [email_address]

(703) 684-5845 ext. 201 (703) 684-5845 ext. 205