Museums play a critical role in preserving culture and history, and in today's digital age, having a strong online presence is just as important as its physical space. A successful website can offer a closer look at exhibits, collections and other important details, but there are certain tools and features that can help create a more engaging digital experience for users. 

Thinking about a website redesign of your own? In this post, we’re covering 10 important components every museum website needs to succeed.

Clear and intuitive navigation is a lifeline for any website. From your top nav structure to the links and calls to action throughout, be sure your website is easy for visitors to find what they're looking for—and do what you want them to.

A quick and responsive design will make or break your user experience. Be sure to optimize for different screen sizes and devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, so users can easily navigate your site no matter where they are or what they’re using.

From virtual tours and interactive maps to online exhibitions and multimedia content, interactive website features will keep users actively engaged. Look for ways to draw them in with experiences like the one we created for the Field Museum. Our team built a fun feature that allows visitors to have an entire conversation with a titanosaur named, Máximo—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Including a calendar of events with upcoming exhibitions, events, and collections gives you an added opportunity to keep visitors informed and engaged while helping you increase foot traffic faster.

With easy options to become a member or donate, you’re allowing visitors to actively support your museum and your programs while creating a sense of community around your mission.

Linking your website to your museum's social accounts can greatly amplify your online presence and visitor engagement. Our team integrated Instagram feeds in the Field Museum and the National Museum of Women in the Arts to give visitors a closer look at their activity and spark conversation around their different events and exhibits.

Blogs are a great way to share news, updates, and stories about your museum, its collections, and the people who make it possible—all while positively impacting your SEO. By regularly publishing new content, search engines are more likely to identify your website as an authoritative source of information, further increasing visibility and traffic. 

It’s more important than ever to ensure website accessibility to all visitors, including those with disabilities, by following ADA compliance. This means your site is designed and coded in a way that allows users with visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive impairments to access the content and functionality of the website.

Highlighting your exhibits and collections with important details and high-quality photos will increase user interest and the likelihood for them to visit your museum sooner. Have your own exhibition content managing system? It’s possible to integrate museum database systems so that it pulls the information directly into your website and only needs to be updated in one place. We executed this with the Detroit Institute of Arts and gave users access to over 60,000 pieces of artwork.

The ability to purchase tickets online is a must. Integrating your site with a third-party ticketing system can offer a more seamless checkout experience without the long lines and a big increase in ticket sales as a result.

A beautiful, fully functioning, and immersive website plays a critical role in promoting your collections, exhibits, and events—and incorporating these essential components will have you better equipped to succeed by helping you bring your museum experience to life online. Want some website design inspo? Check out our blog on the Best Museum Websites to Inspire Your Next Redesign.

Looking for a website redesign for your museum? Our team can help.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help transform your museum experience online and off.