The Internet is one of the most effective marketing tools available to you. Your website is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week promotion machine.

A great website allows you to interface with your customers and potential customers. You can use your site to inform your audience of events, sell tickets and merchandise, even provide a virtual community that allows your patrons to interact with you and each other.

You can also use the Internet to conduct research on your audience — directly, through polling, or indirectly, by capturing information on how they navigate your site.

Your Website Enables You to:

• Build awareness of the organization.
• Help with new audience development.
• Position the organization in the community. 
• Promote and market 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
• Answer questions from current and potential patrons which frees up staff. 
• Provide another means for customers to contact you.
• Can be updated quickly with changes in programs, schedules, activities.
• Save money on postage, mailings, brochures.

Arts marketing on the Internet complements other marketing activities. Include your website address in other promotional pieces/advertising.

Tips for Effective Arts Website Management

• Define goals: What is the purpose of the website? What do we want people to do when they are there? 
• Respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Unanswered e-mail turns off a potential patron, ticket buyer, or donor. 
• Use the website to build an e-mail list: Generate leads for e-mail marketing by placing a prominent link to join your newsletter list. 
• Keep navigation simple and intuitive: Use labels, such as "calendar," "buy tickets," "children's concert series." Avoid acronyms.
• Use graphics and streaming media intelligently: Keep graphics simple. Web image files should not be too big because it slows down the time it takes your page to load. Remember, not everyone has high-speed Internet access. 
• Measure and analyze site traffic: Use web tracking software that gives more than "hits" information. This will help "fine tune" the website. 
• Keep site updated: Outdated information will discourage the audience. The press will check the website for current information. 
• Put basic information up front: Address, directions, parking information in a prominent location on website. 
• Test site with your patrons: Ask a few to "buy a ticket" or "check on next week's concert" to learn about the ease/difficulty of using the site. 
• Market the site - don't just say it exists: Selling tickets online represents a strong reason to visit the site. 

To Pro Bono or Not to Pro Bono your Website?

• Website should be professionally produced. 
• Pro bono work is the first to be eliminated during economic downturns or when staff is reduced. 
• Website should be under your control. 
• Website needs constant care and maintenance.