Last month I wrote about the increase in people using mobile phones to browse the internet, 3% of web traffic in the UK is now from mobile phones, and half of that comes from iPhones.
These users are more likely to be looking for information on the go, and that includes searching for venue information such as what is on and how to find you.
With this in mind, my agency Sumo have been working on an off the shelf mobile friendly website for a museum, this doesn’t go in to pages of collection information, but does have the basics which people are looking for on the go.
Above is a picture of the same website, the first is how an iPhone would see this on it’s smaller screen, you need to hunt around to find the information you need to make a visit.
The version on the right is the mobile friendly test site based on the first website, the content management system on this allows museum staff to add as many exhibitions and events, as well as about us and visitor information.
This mobile friendly website is meant to be a low cost off the shelf solution for the rise in mobile phones for museums, and those accessing the museum via a smart phone would be automatically redirected to the mobile friendly website.
You can try the test website out here on an iPhone or smart phone and compare finding information on this to browsing the full museum website on your smaller screen.
I’d be really interested in anything you think we need to add in to make this work as well as possible, without overloading it with features.
I think it is important to allow the visitors to experience the museum on the website.
Check out the virtual version of Vrouw Maria Maritime Museum at: http://www.vrouwmaria.com/C3_SouthWest.php
An other thing that might be useful is a Walk-description from the entrance to a specific ShowCase, see http://www.onlinevisit.se/farsta.se/walkpath.php for an example.
Both works fine in iPhone and ok in other Phones with large Screens.
/Fredrik
Looks interesting, but how much is low cost?
Hi Terrance
It will cost £600 (British Pounds)
Jim
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The Solution Jim is describing looks good, and I think it would be every site-owners obligation to optimize for different screensizes and user types.
The initiative to make it a standard solution is very good!
The cost of the Virtual WalkPath I spoke about is based on photos from the real or virtual model of the actual museum and is depending on the size of the Museum. Current pricing is based on number of places to walk from and to. Approximately 150 GBP/place, which also includes the virtual walkpaths. Please contact http://www.onlinevisit.se for specific questions etc.
All the best
/Fredrik