This document discusses how to create engaging websites for performing arts organizations. It emphasizes using a content management system (CMS) with a database to easily manage content and maintain consistency. The document also covers designing for mobile, integrating ticket purchasing, donations, social media and search engine optimization. Choosing a CMS requires considering options like open source, commercial, or hosted systems. Project management is important to collect, manage and maintain all the content.

1. Creating Powerful Websites
that Engage Audiences
Michael Slater,
CEO
michael@webvanta.com
888.670.6793
www.webvanta.com

2. Aspects of Website
• Visual design
• Interaction design
• Content structure
• Ticket purchasing
• Donations
• Social media
• Search engine optimization
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3. Technology and User
• In the past few years, the web has become much
more sophisticated
– Visitors expect easy-to-use, engaging sites
– They expect them to work on phones and tablets
– Most 5-year-old designs look dated
• Underlying technology has changed
– Flash no longer recommended, primarily due to iPad
– New opportunities with the latest web technology
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4. Visual and Interaction
• Visual design
– How it looks
– Adapting to changing, diverse content
• Interaction design
– Navigation and browsing interfaces
– Photo and video galleries and slideshows
– Hiding and showing content (tabs, accordions, etc.)
– Ticket purchasing and donations
– Social media and commenting
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5. Content Structure
• Information architecture
– How you structure and organize your content
– How users find what they want (nav, browse, search)
• Design the structure of your content independently
of the pages you will present it on
Performances Events Performers Blog Posts
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6. Building Simple Websites
• Create each page using a web authoring tool
– Software you install, such as dreamweaver
– Hosted service with browser-based tools, such as
SquareSpace or Weebly
• Problems with this approach
– Time-consuming to add pages
– Doesn’t provide features like blog, calendar, database
– Hard to maintain consistency and preserve design
integrity
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7. A Better Way: DB-Driven
• A single “performance” page can serve for all
performances
• The database stores all the details about each
performance
– Your staff enters the information into a form
– No need for technical skills
– No concern for page layout or styling when entering
information
• Layout and styling determined by the single template page
– Painless consistency
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13. Many Ways to Connect
Website
Mobile Site
Database of
Admin
performances
Mobile App
Social Media
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14. Media
• Photos
– Easy to include throughout site
– Display as banners, slideshows, galleries
– Associate with artists, performances, facilities
• Videos
– Host on YouTube or Vimeo
– Embed on your site
– Organize using the database
• Audio
– Can be hosted on your site, with embedded player
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16. Ticket Purchasing
• Use a service focused on this function
– AudienceView, Veritix provide features needed for
reserved seating, etc.
– Brown Paper Tickets, EventBrite for low cost
• A link to purchase tickets is stored in the site’s
database and turned into a button on your site
• Ticketing service will style its pages (more or less) to
look like your website
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19. Taking Donations
• May be handled by ticket purchasing system
• Can easily accept donations via PayPal
– One-time
– Monthly (subscription)
• Consider how you are going to do follow-ups to
donors
– Customer relationship management (CRM) system
– Ticketing special offers
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21. Integrating Social Media
• Link to your Facebook and Twitter pages
• Make it easy for people to share your pages with share
buttons
• Include Facebook “Like” widget to make it easy for them
to like you on Facebook
• Blog posts can be automatically posted to Facebook
and Twitter
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22. Search Engine
• You want to show up prominently in search results
– The art and science of getting there is called SEO
• On-page optimization
– Build the site using best-practice technology, coding, writing
• Off-page optimization (link building and social media)
– Get lots of links from well-ranked sites covering related topics
• Achieving a great SEO position takes an investment and
some time (commit to a 6-12 month plan)
– Once you get there, your site gets lots of free traffic
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23. Choosing a Content
• Lots of choices, so focus on type first
– Software you maintain, on a server you rent space on
• Open Source, such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal
• Commercial, such as ExpressionEngine
– Hosted services provide CMS as a managed service
• Provider handles all the software maintenance, server admin, backups, etc.
• Fewer hassles and lower cost in the long run
• Simple sites: WordPress.com, SquareSpace, Weebly, Wix, LightCMS
• Sophisticated sites: Webvanta, Agility, Limelight, Vae Platform
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24. Project Management
• The heart of a website project is the content
– Be sure you have the resources to collect, manage, and
maintain it all
• Consider outsourcing the writing and collecting of
images, videos, etc.
• Make sure staff is trained in how to add and change
website content
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25. Don’t Neglect Mobile!
• Web access from smartphones is exploding
– Restaurants seeing 30% mobile traffic
• Tipping points are close, within 1-2 years:
– More than half of all phones sold in U.S. will be
smartphones
– More than half of web traffic for entertainment and
hospitality sites will come from mobile devices
• Requires modest additional investment
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26. Tablets Are Semi-Mobile
• Tablets use mobile browsers and touch-based
interfaces
– But are more often used at home
• 10” tablets have desktop-like screen size
– Minor adjustments to desktop site
• 7” tablets are small for desktop site
– May do better with mobile site
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27. Do You Need a Mobile
• Your own mobile app is a great way to connect with
your most dedicated fans
• Provides a semi-permanent place on user’s phone
• Can use the same content as the website
• Multiple platforms to consider supporting
– iPhone/iPad, Android, Windows Mobile
– Phones and tablets
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28. Getting Your Site Built
• Two major services: design and development
– May come from the same or different suppliers
– A quality site is a team effort
– Overall project management is also critical
• Freelancers are least expensive and can be great if
you find the right person
• Web agencies bring a team, and typically a higher
level of sophistication and experience
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29. Getting Started
• Unless you have an expert as part of your team, find
a consultant to work with you to define needs
• Once you have a document that clearly describes
what you need, get proposals
• Be sure you are getting the level of strategy,
technology, and project management you need, in
addition to design
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30. We’d Be Glad to Help!
• Webvanta offers strategy, specification, and site-
building services
• We’ve partnered with Athena Web Design to provide
visual and interaction design for performing arts
sites
• Call Justin at 888.670.6793 ext. 4
– Or email sales@webvanta.com
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