We've had a paper register for the entire life of the museum (10 years). I just started as the director in September, but what I see in those registers looks like data gold to me. One of our projects for this year is to get one of our staff to take the dates, city, state, etc. and put it into a spreadsheet or our Salesforce database. We are in Arkansas, but it's apparent that we have lots of visitors from Illinois and Missouri. That tells me that investing advertising dollars in those places is worthwhile. We don't have as much traffic from Oklahoma, which geographically is surprising, but this tells me something important. I need to investigate a bit about why we don't have as much OK traffic and consider my outreach and marketing for our neighbors.
I also track (rather informally) the traffic patterns of our visitors from our cash register, but it could also be done through the guest register summaries as well. If I can accumulate some of the past years' data, I'll be able to tell that the week between Christmas and New Years will be busy for us, but the week before Christmas is dead. That helps us with our programming, scheduling, etc.
Because we're a historic house museum, it feels nice for people to sign our guest register. It feels like they've been invited to a nice event. :)
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Angie Albright
Director
Clinton House Museum
Fayetteville AR
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2017 05:11 PM
From: Kathy Johnson
Subject: Guess registers
We ask for where people are from and compile the information annually. We have used this information on grant applications in our community to show how high the percentage of local visitors we have. This has helped us to receive several local grants since we have been able to show we are serving our local community.
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Kathy Johnson
Director
Flagg Township Museum
Rochelle IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2017 03:11 PM
From: Andrea DeTarnowsky
Subject: Guess registers
Our guest register has spaces for date, name (optional), zip code, first visit (Y/N), how they found out about us (options to checkmark sign, news, internet, brochure, recommendation), number in group, would they recommend the site to your friends (Y/N), a space to provide their email if the y would like to receive information about programs and activities, and a space for comments. We don't worry much about collecting much in the way of demographic information with the guest book, because that data is collected electronically when visitors pay their admission.
The zip codes and checked information are compiled each month into a database to help inform marketing. Any emails collected are added to MailChimp so any interested visitor can receive electronic newsletters and program/event information (MailChimp also requires a zip code for verification). Staff members read the notes section for visitor feedback, although it's value in that area is very limited--we do regular visitor surveys and we do surveys during every event and program. I guest (ha!), for us, it's one tool among many.
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Andrea deTarnowsky, Historic Site Manager
T.C. Steele State Historic Site
Indiana State Museum & Historic Sites system
Nashville IN
Original Message:
Sent: 01-06-2017 09:46 AM
From: Jennifer Niemi
Subject: Guess registers
Do you use guest registers, for them to sign in where they are from? If so, what do you ask them to share (name, city, zip, etc.)? And what do you do with that information?
Our site has been gathering DATE, NAME, CITY, STATE & ZIP literally forevever (since late 1920's) and then the filled registries get stored to never be looked upon again. We are trying to figure out if we can use the information for something useful or if we should just scrap the whole practice, as in its current state it's quite useless information.
Thanks,
j.
Jennifer Niemi
Program Manager
Split Rock Lighthouse
Minnesota Historical Society
3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd.
Two Harbors, MN 55616
Intercultural Development Inventory, Qualified Administrator
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
"Inclusion requires transformation of the institution rather than simply adding in the excluded." S.M. Miller, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Boston University