When old-timers sit at the bar holding forth about how much things have changed, there?s often more than a pinch of exaggeration involved, writes Kieran Cooper. But one major change really has taken place in the past 10 years, with the development of the world-wide web and the subsequent explosion of the Internet.
The relationship between the arts and the Internet has been an interesting one. In the early days of the web, a number of arts organisations were breaking new ground. In 1994 Bill Thompson worked with the ICA in London to undertake what he believes was the world?s first webcast, building a website in real time and attracting visitors to the chat room from all around the world. Subsequently, in 1995 Cambridge Arts Theatre and Cinema were among the first to develop arts listings websites and experimented with an email newsletter. Others followed, often taking advantage of the in-kind sponsorship offered by start-up online publishing companies wanting to add arts organisations to their portfolios. These sites, which would look extremely basic by today?s standards, were essentially electronic versions of printed material (now known as ?brochureware?) but they succeeded in delivering information to a wider range of customers than ever before.
It now seems unthinkable for all but the smallest organisations to be without a website. Unfortunately the expectation in the minds of both administrators and customers as to what a site should provide raises two issues of concern. Firstly organisations are setting up websites without thinking through the process by which they can be regularly updated. Many sites are frequently out of date, or else the updating diverts huge amounts of staff time away from other tasks. Secondly, there has been a major shift in website technology. The majority of professional sites are database-driven so that the pages are generated dynamically whenever someone wants to read them. This makes sites easier to use from the customer?s point of view, as well as easier to update. These database-driven sites have raised users? expectations, and sites built in standard HTML are starting to look old-fashioned; but most arts organisations are not in the position to spend the necessary £6,000 or so on a new-style sites.
So what next for the arts on the Internet? When online ticketing became a reality in 1998, the arts were at the leading edge, though few organisations rushed to sign up for ticketing in comparison with the number who first published websites. Online ticketing is now on the increase and in the US, where Internet use is generally a year ahead of the UK, some 25% of ticket sales are made online with most of the customers being new bookers. The whole area of customer relationships is already being enhanced by the Internet as people seem happier to email rather than put pen to paper. Whilst this may cause difficulties for marketing departments having to find time to respond to all these enquiries, the benefits of closer relationships with customers are clear.
As to where the Internet will be in another 10 year?s time, pull up a bar stool, buy me a drink and I?ll tell you about the old days??
Kieran Cooper is a Director of Catalyst Arts, a consultancy firm, specialising in IT and marketing t: 01225 340340 e: kieran@catalystarts.com
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