The Indiana State Museum faced a series of challenges in optimizing its website for improved functionality and impact. Since its original build in 2019, the site had become stagnant, limiting its ability to meet modern user expectations. While it maintained strong SEO and visibility, it fell short in guiding visitors through a buyer’s journey that would drive meaningful actions, such as ticket purchases or engagement with exhibits. Competing departmental priorities often conflicted with user needs, further complicating efforts to improve the site.

Additionally, the museum had to balance the unique business requirements of its central Indianapolis location with the need to integrate 12 historic sites into a cohesive digital ecosystem. Stakeholder expectations added another layer of complexity, as goals like increasing attendance, enhancing visibility, and boosting the museum’s institutional stature weren’t aligned. Finally, limited funding precluded a complete rebuild, necessitating creative and resource-efficient solutions to address these issues effectively.

To address these challenges, Fuel VM adopted a strategic approach focused on innovation, collaboration, and balance. Testing new marketing channels allowed the team to explore fresh opportunities for engagement and growth, while a unified approach ensured that all 12 historic sites and the central Indianapolis location operated as a cohesive digital ecosystem. The marketing strategy was carefully crafted to serve the best interests of all stakeholders, delivering solutions that balanced the diverse needs of the museum’s departments, visitors, and broader organizational goals.

The strategic efforts yielded fantastic results, including a significant increase in paid attendance across the museum and its historic sites. Web traffic surged, boosting brand awareness and solidifying the museum’s online presence. Additionally, the museum achieved greater visibility throughout the state, strengthening its reputation as a cultural and educational hub in the region. The website rebuild transformed the Indiana State Museum’s online presence, driving measurable growth in sales activity and audience engagement. Online ticketing saw a dramatic increase, with users arriving at the shopping cart more than doubling—a 107% rise. Overall web sessions grew by 32.46% year-over-year (Jan-Nov ’23 vs. ’24), translating directly into increased paid ticket attendance, which rose by 24.8% during the same period. Additionally, the updated site attracted higher-quality regional traffic – which is more likely to convert – ensuring a more targeted and effective digital strategy.