Designed to provide additional information about how each orchestra fared in the reviews, the detailed scores drill down to provide data for each of the six categories. Additionally, the average score for each category is provided so as to provide an additional frame of reference for how well each group performed.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Perhaps the most valuable component in this installment is the inclusion of responses from an open-ended essay question in the surveys orchestras completed as part of the reviews which provides the opportunity for each group to include any additional information they feel is relevant to their respective website. As such, those essay responses are provided via tooltips in the following charts, orchestra names with an asterisk (*) indicate those with additional information.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE NEGATIVE SCORE?
One category in particular sticks out this year in that it was possible for an orchestra to obtain a negative score. In the Mobile Platform category, orchestras received points for providing the ability to access most recent events on the landing page, purchasing single tickets for upcoming events, and the degree to which the site was optimized for the respective platform (Smartphone or Tablet).
At the same time, negative points were awarded for issues that produced broken links or interfered with functionality via the above items, such as Flash or similar troublesome elements. Likewise, a smaller amount of negative points were possible if rotation between portrait and landscape orientations interfered with the same elements.
As a result, if a site garnered the maximum number of negative points from the negative score elements and minimum number of points from the positive score elements, the sum produced a negative balance.
Granted, it didn’t happen often but a few groups did manage to fall into that worst case scenario for one sub-category or another and one group, the Baltimore Symphony, fell into that for both, thereby producing an overall negative category score.
Interestingly enough, the sub-category which produced the most negative point values was the Tablet OS platform section. Although sub-category scores are not provided here, they are available for all categories via a subscription to Adaptistration Premium (2011 data should be available by the end of this week).
SURVEY RESPONSES
Each year, orchestras in the review are invited to complete an optional survey designed to provide readers with information about each orchestra’s website that go beyond the items included in the review, such as ticket sales information and design details. The groups below have graciously provided that information for public review.
The Venture Platform
One of the byproducts from conducting the Orchestra Website Reviews for so many years, listening to so many marketing and IT professionals pinpoint their frustrations with developing an online presence, and working directly with numerous groups on these efforts is a precise knowledge of what arts organizations need to improve their endeavors. Over the years, I’ve searched for a way to bring all of this together by creating a system designed especially for performing arts organizations and over the past season that goal was finally achieved with the release of The Venture Platform.
I am enormously proud of what Venture has to offer and I firmly believe it will have a positive impact on how performing arts organizations will successfully present their concert schedule, sell tickets, facilitate making donations, provide organizational information, and utilize dynamic content on a platform that’s designed especially for their needs.
Read more about Venture and how it relates to the Orchestra Website Reviews in the disclosure section from Monday’s evaluation criteria article.
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Hello,
We would like to be included in your survey next year. Allentown Symphony Orchestra is a Group 4 orchestra by League criteria w/ budget of $2.4 million.
HI Sheila, the only other requirement is the orchestra must have a CBA and be a part of either ROPA, ICSOM, or IGSOBM. If you folks meet that final requirement, I’ll be happy to add you to the 2012 review. Just let me know.