Why You Should Avoid Free Museum Database Software
May 15, 2019
Almost all museums have database software that helps them store data, track transactions, and support their daily ticketing and memberships. There are, however, a number of different software providers out there at varying prices and of varying qualities.
Some of these software providers offer free museum database software to their clients, and with costs for marketing, curating, and all the other aspects of running a museum, this might seem like an attractive offer. Actually choosing to support your museum with free database software would, however, be a big mistake.
Your database software will not only support all of your online and in-house transactions, but it’s going to be a central part of your marketing strategy and long-term business plan. It behooves museums to invest in powerful, state-of-the-art software to make sure they can run their venu at maximum capacity.
This article is going to chart the dangers of using free museum database software and why your museum should stay away from them.
Free Museum Software and Lack of Support
When implementing any new technology to your business, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’re going to come across problems along the way. Whether you’re running into update issues, technical difficulties, or human error, you’ll need the ability to call your software provider and get the support you need, when you need it.
If you opt for a free museum database software, you run the risk of not getting the valuable support you need in a timely fashion. Some software providers don’t offer any support at all while others might provide it with a charge. And if the software’s quality isn’t up to par, this means that you might be charged several times throughout the year to get support on a sub-par program.
On-site Servers and Difficult Free Museum Software Setup
One of the main issues with databases today is their dependence to on-site servers. This means that the museum has to maintain and monitor the hardware that stores all of their information. With on-site servers, museums need someone handy at all times in order to manage software updates and monitor any technology developments.
Additionally, setting up these servers might prove to be a more difficult task than they seem, especially without support from the provider. Again, museums will have to have someone on site or pay for someone to come and set up the hardware. With cloud technology made available today by leading database software companies, museums can circumvent these challenges and ensure their data is stored safely away from their venu and available to access any time or day of the week.
Free Museum Software and Scalability
If you run a large museum operation, have any intention of growing your museum, or like to work with third party partners, then scalability will be an essential part of management. Having the capability to store, track, file, and process thousands of transactions, ticket sales, memberships, contact details, and other valuable pieces of information is an asset that all museums, large scale or not, want to have at their disposal. The larger your museum is, however, and the more information you’d like to gather to develop future strategies, the less likely a free museum database software will be able to support your museum.
Even with smaller museums, if you want access to all of the valuable metrics that you help you learn about what your customers are interested in, then you want the right database and CRM to give you those insights. Free museum databases don’t always provide you with the ease and accessibility that top providers will.
Interface and Database Use
There’s no reason to having an ATS, CRM, or software database if it’s impossible to navigate or read. Top providers ensure that their interface is sleek, smooth, and easy to use for everyone involved. From the ticketing staff to the managers and marketing team, you want your database to be accessible and enjoyable to interact with.
If you go with a free database provider, there’s a good chance their interface will be overly complicated, clumsy, and aesthetically lackluster. For those not involved in the tech world, introducing new technologies can be difficult as is. You should ensure that your employees, managers, and other museum staff can manage and access their technology with as little hassle and as much joy as possible.
ACME’s technology provides museums with a simple, thorough, and easy-to-use technology. Our all-in-one software is based on advanced cloud-based technology that gives museums all of the access, flexibility, and scalability that they’ll need to do their jobs with confidence.
ACME’s ticketing software can be used on almost any digital or mobile device, and all of our hardware is ready to use straight out of the box. We simplify things for museums by enabling automatic updates, and our support team is ready to help 7 days a week. Simplify your software needs and try the free ACME demo today.