Engaging with Audiences Online

Website Development

Whether you are planning on designing a new website or just developing your existing one, here are some useful online resources to help.

 

Online Resources:

  • Guidance for Designing a New Website

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/website-development/

 

  • Designing a New Website: Writing a Brief

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/website-development/

 

  • Introduction to WordPress

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Intro-to-WordPress.pdf

 

  • Things to check when hiring a web designer

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/things-to-check-when-hiring-a-web-designer/

 

 

Managing your Web Presence

You can manage your web presence to ensure that people are able to find your site easily through Search Engine Optimisation. By using tools such as Google Analytics, you can measure how people interact with your website and develop the site accordingly. Please click on the below links to find out more.

Online resources:

  • Let’s Get Real: How to Evaluate Online Success

http://www.swfed.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/HOW_TO_EVALUATE_ONLINE_SUCCESS.pdf

 

  • How do I Know it Works: Measuring Digital Activity

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/digital-strategy-activity/

 

  • Conversation/Destination: Managing your Web Presence for Museums

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/pr-and-marketing/

 

  • Make your Digital Resources Easier to Discover

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/make-your-digital-resources-easier-to-discover

 

  • How do Users find your Content

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/how-do-users-find-your-content

 

  • Make Google Searches Work for You

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/make-google-searches-work-for-you

 

  • Introduction to Google Analytics

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Intro-to-GoogleAnalytics.pdf

 

  • Introduction to Search Engine Optimisation

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Intro-to-SEO.pdf

 

  • SEO in a Nutshell

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/seo-nutshell/

 

 

Using Social Media

Using social media allows you to reach a large, yet targeted audience. There are many online social media channels, the most well known being Facebook and Twitter. Whether you are looking to get started with social media or want to know how you can make the most of your assisting accounts, the below links provide useful advice and guidance.

Online Resources:

  • Introduction to Facebook

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Intro-to-Facebook.pdf

 

  • Facebook for Business

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/facebook-business/

  • Introduction to Twitter

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Intro-to-Twitter.pdf

 

  • Your Guide to Twitter for Business

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/twitter-business/

 

  • Guide to Social Media

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/social-media-2/

 

  • Using Social Media to promote your Digital Collections

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/using-social-media-to-promote-your-digital-collections

 

  • Monitor Links you Post on Social Media

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/monitor-links-you-post-on-social-media/

 

  • Be the Best Business Blogger

http://traceyrickard.co.uk/best-business-blogger/

 

  • Social Media Guidelines – National Museums Scotland

http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/resource_96-Social-Media-Guidelines.pdf

 

  • Social Media How-To Guides

http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/digital-resources/social-media/

 

Getting your Collections Online

By providing details of your collections online, you can increase access and engage new audiences. This can be achieved by utilising your organisations own website or by adding collections informationto other online platforms, such as the Culture Grid, Wikipedia or e-hive. County websites, such as Cornwall Museums http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/, can also provide an online presence for your collections.

You do not need to put your entire collection online to reap the benefits. Instead of putting hundreds of your records online, put your efforts into a smaller number of well researched items that include stories, interesting facts and new insights. Click on the below links for further suggestions and tips.

Online Resources:

  • Putting your Collections Online

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/collections-link/going-digital/collections-online

 

  • Getting your Collections Online

http://www.slideshare.net/dmje/getting-collections-online

 

  • Collections Online: How not to do it

http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Collections-Online.pdf

 

  • Your Search Returned No Results: Getting Museum Collections Online Right

http://www.swfed.org.uk/resource/content-creation/

 

  • Ensuring your Digital Collections Reach Academic Researchers

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/ensuring-your-digital-collections-reach-academic-researchers

 

  • Use Aggregators to Boost your Collection

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/use-aggregators-to-boost-your-collection

 

  • Improve the User Experience of Your Digital Collections

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/improve-the-user-experience-of-your-digital-collection

 

  • Make Your Collection Available for Learning and Teaching

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/make-your-collection-available-for-learning-and-teaching

 

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing draws information from the ‘crowd’. You can ask for contributors to undertake tasks, such as transcribing, researching or describing museum collections. There are also online platforms, such as Historypin, that can be utilised in order to capture user generated content that can then be put it back into your collections management system. Please see below link for tips on using crowdsourcing in your organisation.

Online resources:

  • Tips for Digital Participation, Engagement and Crowdsourcing in museums

http://www.londonmuseumsgroup.org/2013/08/15/digital-participation-engagement-and-crowdsourcing-in-museums/

 

Case Study

  • Museum of London – Transcribing ‘Tallis’ London Street Views’

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/collections-research/research/crowdsourcing/

 

  • V&A – Selecting the best photographs of objects from their collection

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/crowdsourcing

 

Website Development

  • Writing for the Web: A Brief Guide

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/writing-for-the-web-a-brief-guide/

  • WordPress 101

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/wordpress-101/

  • WordPress Editing Guide

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/wordpress-editing-guide/

 

Managing Your Web Presence

  • Google Analytics Definitions

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/google-analytics-definitions/

 

  • Google Analytics Checklist

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/google-analytics-checklist/

 

  • Google Analytics 101

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/google-analytics-101/

 

  • Content Inventory

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/content-inventory/

 

  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 101

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/seo-101/

 

  • SEO Checklist

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/seo-checklist/

 

Using Social Media

  • Museum Blogging Ideas

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/museum-blogging-ideas/

  • Facebook 101

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/facebook-101/

 

  • Twitter 101

http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/twitter-101/

Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterShare on Google+

Collaborative working at the heart of Cornwall’s culture