The museum compared to other institutions
How much trust do museums enjoy compared to other organizations? Museum employees should be pleased.
Is a native museum app still up to date today? What about the usage figures? How many resources does such a project require - and what are the alternatives?
Whether it’s AR, audio guides, or scavenger hunts: Many museums developed their own solutions for their institutions and were caught up in the app craze. Even smaller museums developed supposedly customized solutions or opted for third-party offerings. But how often is such an app downloaded? And how often is it used?
In the majority of cases, a museum’s own app is only of short-term interest to visitors. And even during a museum visit, the potential of museum apps is rarely tapped: A study concluded as early as 2017 that while 93% of museum visitors brought a smartphone with them, fewer than 2% had a museum app installed. That is, not just the app for the museum they were currently visiting, but any museum app at all.
When we consider that the average app loses 77% of its users within 3 days of download, the outlook is bleak. Several other studies show that proprietary native apps are not a good investment. As early as 2016, industry magazines like TechCrunch were discussing the so-called “post-app world.” And numerous blogs wrote about why museum guides deliver such a poor user experience. By 2025, we can assume that even fewer visitors will want to download apps.
In the last 10 years, a dedicated app was often the prestige project of museums that had their finger on the digital pulse.
We show 5 reasons why you should do without one today.
Low download rates: Many museum apps are rarely downloaded, which often doesn't justify the investment.
High development costs: The development and maintenance of an app is expensive and resource-intensive. The maintenance costs in particular (at least 10% of the initial development costs per year) are too often underestimated.
User preferences Visitors prefer quick and uncomplicated interaction with content and the use of their own devices. In other words, without downloading.
Digital transformation: The digital landscape is changing rapidly and museums need to remain flexible in order to keep up with current trends.
Alternatives with the latest technology: But what alternatives are there to your own museum app? The answer: web apps (websites) offer similar functions and are cheaper to maintain. There are no download hurdles and the technology is always up to date.
Web applications, also known as web apps, are software solutions that are accessed and used via a web browser. This gives them many advantages: In contrast to conventional museum apps, web apps do not have to be installed on the visitor's end device. Instead, they are hosted on a web server and can be used from anywhere (even in offline mode). Here are some advantages of web apps:
Platform independence: Web apps work on different devices and operating systems. Users can use them anywhere there is an internet connection and a browser.
No downloads required: Unlike traditional applications, users do not need to install or update any software. A simple QR code scan provides access to the content.
Easy updates: Updates and changes can be implemented quickly with a web app. All users have immediate access to the latest version, which ensures greater flexibility.
Embedding and access: Web apps for museums can be easily embedded in or connected to other digital offerings, such as websites, newsletters and social media. Because they work like a website, they are accessible to people with disabilities by developing accessible features (e.g. screen readers, sign language, transcription, etc.).
Cost efficiency is another major advantage of web apps. In any case, it is worth taking a user-centered approach and regularly updating the content. So do yourself - and especially your visitors - a favor and look for a solution without downloads or queues.
How are great audio experiences created?
