Recently, Culture24 Action Research Project Let’s Get Real held a conference in Bristol where it launched the tremendously insightful report ‘How to Evaluate Online Success?’ Report, findings & recommendations.

I’m still reading the in-depth report but a few things I’ve found so far:

• Measure quality or value, rather than use usage online.
• Some institutions outsource their Google Analytics to a third party.

Future Trend:

• Mobile traffic was, for every museum, growing rapidly.
• Automated shortening of URLS to t.co in August 2011 will allow for better reports on Twitter-based traffic.
• Very few organizations set up goals in GA.

Analysis:

• Search traffic was still the main avenue visitors used to find sites (another reminder of the importance of SEO).  This was picked up on when discussion lead to importance/useage of homepage in today’s society.
• Mobile traffic is growing.  Institutions need to move this priority from back burner to front burner.

Social media:

• Social media should be renamed Engagement strategy – social media only works when you engage with the followers.
• The formula for Facebook engagement, while looking like something out of Quantative Maths, really is a simple breakdown that is very easy to follow. (Kudos to the designer of the formula though!).
• Simply having a social media strategy is not enough – strategy needs to be ‘targeted and effective’ eg not written with business hat on.

As always, throughout the conference, there were a lot of tweets.  I pdf’d majority of them here with some of my favorites being:

#c24lgr @tomux If you aim for the moon and only get half way that is still impressive (Love this statement).
#c24lgr @tomux Be engaged and be involved in the community.
#c24lgr You’re always in beta at best <~ so true! Need a working document but not many get to end goal.

The following blogs and links are must reads:

• Katie Smith
• Huge Wallace
• B Hunter
• List of all tweets

Thanks to all involved in the conference including the fabulous Jane Finnis, Rosie Clarke and the whole Culture24 team.