Museum Websites and Museum Visitors: Before and After the Museum Visit

Abstract

This article presents results from an exploratory survey (administered to more than 1200 visitors at nine different online museums) that addressed questions about the role of museum websites in the lives of museum visitors. The results provide details about the use of museum websites before and after the museum visit, and indicate that online visitors frequently use museum websites to complement their visits to physical museums. The article helps museum researchers and professionals better understand the cyclical relationship that exists between museums and museum websites, and provides strategies for supporting the changing information needs of museum visitors before and after museum visits.