2012/06/19

Increase visitor interpretation, interaction & education?

Funding issues?

Many Museums and other heritage sites have issues with funding for visitor services that are aimed at interpretation, education and interaction. Museums often say that it is a continuous battle between wanting to offer all the visitor services there are and finding a way to fund them.

Why not change the way you are thinking? Try adding a visitor service which enhances a visitors experience, educates them, interprets objects and creates an interaction during their visit, all whilst increasing your income.

Guide ID has developed a platform which does this. The online tour editor can be updated daily, this gives you the flexibility to have daily or weekly changing audio messages. You will be able to use this to promote other elements within your organisation that generate revenue for you. For example, you can add promotional messages about special offers in the shop or café, a message about up and coming events like new exhibitions or tours and ask visitors for a donation. These short audio messages can be recorded in house. This will not only increase revenue is these areas, but also create return visitors.

The Guide ID financial model is also based on not having any large upfront investments, that would require special funding. You just pay per tour that is used by a visitor. If you rent the tour, you can cover the fee within the amount charged to visitors. Or you can give the tour to all visitors and raise you entrance fee by a small amount to cover the fee per tour. Another option, if you do not have an entrance fee, is to use the flexible promotional messages to create extra income to cover the tour fee.

At the end of the day it means you can add a great visitor service which pays for itself and even creates a new revenue stream. So no upfront funding needed. The upfront costs like studio recordings or branding can even be covered within the fee per tour or can be billed at a later date, whatever suits your organisation. Which means you can start at any time of the year and budget for it at a later date.

All of the above can be done with the Podcatcher audio devices and the free matching App. The rest of the platform elements are not charged for, they are just a part of the platform. So you get all the hardware, software, analytics(visitor/tour feedback) and support for free.

Click here, to hear an online audio sample.

Click here, to see when the next UK walk-in / showcase is.

If you would like more information or would like an appointment with our UK Business manager then please contact us or send an email to mitchellbrown@guideid.com