2007 Canadian Orchestra Website Review: Rankings & Scores

Between 9/25/07 and 9/27/07, 14 professional Canadian orchestra websites were examined and ranked by how well they presented their concert schedule, sold tickets, provided organizational information, facilitated making donations, and on overall content and functionality. Overall, the average Canadian orchestra website score increased from 56.01 in 2005 to 64.03 in 2007, which means they improved by 14.31 percent since their last evaluation in 2005…

Overall Rankings

Keep in mind, the websites were not examined on the subjective basis of color schemes, graphics, or other aesthetic qualities except in cases where those elements interfered with functionality. You can find a complete list of criteria here.

Much like the previous orchestra website reviews, this year's results dispel conventional wisdom which dictates smaller budget organizations are at a disadvantage when it comes to designing an orchestra website. Instead, focusing on the core elements, as detailed in the review criteria, will increase the likelihood of designing a worthwhile website.

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Detailed Scores

Although the Overall Rankings are everyone's favorite, you'll find the most value by sifting through the Detailed Scores. Here is where you'll find every orchestra's score broken down by category and compared to the 2007 Canadian Orchestra Website Review average. Click an ensemble's name to view their detailed score:

1. Calgary Philharmonic
2. Edmonton Symphony
3. Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
4. National Arts Centre Orchestra
5. Orchestra London Canada
6. Orchestre Metropolitain
7. Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal
8. Symphony Nova Scotia
9. Thunder Bay Symphony
10. Toronto Symphony
11. Vancouver Symphony
12. Victoria Symphony
13. Windsor Symphony
14. Winnipeg Symphony

Tomorrow's installment will examine grading trends as well as stack up how the Canadian organizations did against their U.S. counterparts.

Comments

[Michael]

I think the Toronto website looks fantastic and I love their podcasts.

[Rob Gold, Director of Marketing, Windsor Symphony Orchestra]

Drew,

Thank you again for a fine review of Canadian orchestra websites. You concentrate on measurable plusses and minuses, rather than subjective impressions about the look and color of these important tools.

Unfortunately, you caught the Windsor Symphony Orchestra right at the starting stage of a major redesign. We had three phases for this, and only the first -- getting the 2007-08 concert listings up in time for our September 10th single ticket on sale date -- was completed at that time.

I am happy to report that we have now completed Phase Two, and we are very pleased with it so far. This includes on-line ticket buying (with exact seat selection) for all concerts, complete program notes, maps to concert venues and parking, news releases plus concert reviews, and many other useful tools for our customers.

We are not done yet. We have to add musician bios and photos, add on-line subscription purchasing for next season, on-line donations, and complete an extensive collection of interacvtive tools for our education programs. We want to create direct communications between our web visitors and our musicians. A major associated project is to build an e-mail listing of both customers and web visitors. Another project is to create a web page for our CD sales and a very extensive collection of music and arts related weblinks (including Adaptistration.com, I promise).

The amazing thing about all of this is that it has been a 100% in-house project. Pretty impressive for a $2.1 million orchestra on a very tight budget.

So, yes, your low review for the website you visited earlier was right on target, but we are happy to note that the vast majority of our new design is now in place. I would like to encourage your readers to visit our site at www.windsorsymphony.com to see how far we have come.

Rob Gold
Director of Marketing
Windsor Symphony Orchestra