I’m an admitted museum junkie. I can walk the halls of any art, history, or science museum for hours. I love to learn and museums provide an opportunity to engage with things greater than me. I want to pass this love of learning on to my kids so we visit museums when we can. They love going to the Cincinnati Children’s Museum because they can interact with the exhibits. They have a dedicated Kids’ SPACE; Science, Play, Art, Creativity, and Exploration.
In many ways business websites also act as a virtual museum of sorts. They house information, some that mirrors relics, and are meant to serve the purpose of education. The problem is companies don’t create sites that engage.
People visit your website because they’re seeking information. But people choose to stay on a website because they discover there’s more to learn. Adults, like kids, are naturally curious. Anything developed for a child, be it a toy, show, or establishment, is designed to harness that creativity. Why is it we assume adults are myopic when approaching self-education? Why is a company’s central information repository, a website, designed without imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight? It’s as if we want people to leave our site. “Here’s the information you were looking for, now calls us if you’re interested in learning more”. It doesn’t work that way. We’ve all seen the stats, Gartner states that 70% of the buying process occurs before a sales rep is engaged. Don’t you want your website to compensate during 70% of that journey?