Drew McManus recently wrote in his blog Adaptistration about the best (and worst) websites of 2006. Check out his complete list of the worst websites here. Check it out–it is a fascinating read. It is amazing to see some of the problems that many orchestra websites have, such as the inability to make online donations. The Los Angeles Philharmonic sold 73% of their single tickets online last year, but they have no system to accept online donations. What kind of craziness is this? Every other blog I visit has a “donate” button on it, but the L.A. Phil can’t get it together enough to put this system in place? This is unbelievable, especially given the obvious heavy usage of their website by their patrons.
Many orchestras obviously make their websites a priority, and it is reflected in the excellent content management system and user experience. Drew singled out the Nashville Symphony’s website as the best recent orchestra website, and it certainly is a polished and attractive experience. Check out the Nashville Symphony’s website for yourself here.
Having a quality website didn’t come cheaply for the Nashville Symphony. Drew states in his recent post:
If you pump enough money into a website, at the very least you will likely end up with something that looks good. However, according to Michael, they ended up getting much more for their money than they initially expected.
“The cumulative price for all of the start-up work, the special seating module, and content creation came to approximately $220,000,” said Michael. “Out of that figure, the seating module alone cost $70,000 and although it wasn’t a necessity, we decided it was worth pursuing. The good news is we expect annual maintenance from here on out to cost approximately $35,000.”
Much of the start-up work was to integrate the new website design with Tessitura, an enterprise-wide, integrated system for marketing, development, and box office management. According to Michael, if Nashville already had Tessitura integrated into their previous website, their start up costs would have been closer to $75,000.
Come Fly With Me
What exactly is a seating module and why did it cost $70,000? Simply put, the seating module is the most impressive adaptation of the traditional seating chart I’ve ever come across. It’s cool, entertaining to use, and oozes an unmistakable techno-panache. Better yet, it goes a long way toward alleviating the stereotype that everything connected with orchestras is old, unimaginative, and stuck in the 1960’s. All of this should conspire to have an especially powerful impact on new ticket buyers.
The Nashville Symphony makes their website a priority, and it shows.
technorati tags: Adaptistration, Drew, McManus, Nashville, Symphony, website, best, worst
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I’m glad you pointed out the LA Phil ticket sales. If what they reported is accurate I think they are missing out on a great deal of additional revenue by not accepting online donations. Even if those donations are mostly under $100 single gifts, it’s worth having the function installed. It will also help them bring in a little extra revenue toward the annual campaign every year and encourage single ticket buyers to develop a regular donation habit. – Drew McManus
I have for sale Jojn Juzek upright bass , string length 42 3/4 “. Excellent cond. $15,000.00 – cira 1930
Pullman 3/4 Bass $18,000.00 – 1972
French style Bass 1895 – $25,000.00
Laminated and more fully carved. In Nashville a short time.
Nice violins too. Some student cellos
thanks, Gary Ritter 248-719-0174 music1406@aol.com
I have for sale John Juzek upright bass , string length 42 3/4 “. Excellent cond. $15,000.00 – cira 1930
Pullman 3/4 Bass $18,000.00 – 1972
French style Bass 1895 – $25,000.00
Laminated and more fully carved. In Nashville a short time.
Nice violins too. Some student cellos
thanks, Gary Ritter 248-719-0174 music1406@aol.com
Gary Ritter Strings.com 734-449-4021
I have been looking around many symphony websites lately and the Nashville Symphony Page was actually a lot better than most. The difference a great Symphony website makes over a hard to navigate one must make a large difference in donations and ticket sales in the long run. A study could easily be done to see how much is lost based on the website. Thanks for the post. Also, Gary Ritter seems to have to “great strings”.
The Nashville Symphony is a well-known symphony that plays beautiful music and the guitar playing is very beautiful as well.