Shopify in the Arts and Culture Sector

Organisations in the arts and cultural space may not have adopted digital technologies as quickly or readily as in other sectors. But this is changing, as the benefits and potential that digital channels bring to the arts and cultural space starts to be realised.

Today in the arts and culture industry, having a strong digital presence is key to garnering interest and spreading the word about what it is you do. This also allows people to directly engage with you, offer support and purchase things they like which your organisation offers.

For any modern arts and cultural entity, having a digital platform that stands out from the crowd is vital. But your online channels must also reflect the organisation that you are. In the arts and cultural space, this is typically achieved in a visually-engaging and statement-making way.

When it comes to websites then, arts and cultural organisations need a platform that meets their criteria from both a visual and practical perspective. The website needs to look good, but also to enable the organisation to do what they need to in the online space in order to reach their desired audience in an effective way.

If you are considering your options when it comes to a new platform for your art and culture website, Shopify should be on your radar. A Shopify culture website or Shopify art store could be the ideal option for you to pursue.

In the latest Un.titled blog, we talk you through why Shopify could be the perfect fit for your needs.

What Shopify brings to the table

With more than 2.1 million daily users, and over a billion orders processed to date, Shopify is without doubt a big player in the ecommerce space. But arts and cultural is not all about getting the big bucks in. A natural consideration of arts and cultural organisations is always going to be the visual components mentioned above, along with any ecommerce sales or ticket booking facilities. Fortunately, Shopify is able to deliver on this front too, with prebuilt themes that can either meet requirements straight away, or be optimised and sculpted by design and UX experts and tailored to your branding and visual style.
We have written about some of the best Shopify themes for arts and cultural before, so be sure to familiarise yourself with some options here.

A phone with the words start your business on the screen

Optimising Shopify effectively

Themes are a big part of what Shopify does, and some arts and cultural organisations may have it in their head that this means things are rigid and inflexible.

But Shopify sites can in fact be optimised in a truly effective way. With the right UX and design team at the helm, arts and cultural organisations can benefit from a website that is optimised to meet many of the specific requirements they have as a business.

In the arts and cultural space specifically, this can help aid specific behaviours that you would like your site visitors to perform. This may be the purchasing of products from your online shop, buying tickets for events or exhibitions, or another action that is beneficial to your aims.

A woman looking at paintings in a gallery

A seamless fit

An additional consideration here is the ease with which any new platform can integrate with your current systems.

If your arts and cultural organisation uses an ERP system, a CRM system, a ticketing system, or other elements of a wider digital ecosystem, then the platform you select for your website needs to be able to integrate effectively with this.

Fortunately, when it comes to Shopify, integration is a relatively straightforward process to complete for those with expertise in this space.

Un.titled + Shopify

Shopify can be the perfect platform for organisations in the arts and culture sector looking to get moving on their digital journey. At Un.titled, we have worked with a number of clients to help them harness the potential of the Shopify platform

Un.titled led a project with the Sir John Soane Museum which saw us migrate, upgrade and custom develop an online ecommerce offering on the Shopify platform within the museum’s wider Drupal website. This project spanned the event programme, including timed entry to ticketed events (using the BTA Shopify app with some custom development on top), as well as online retail store.

The Shopify ecommerce element of the site was designed by Un.titled’s experts in such a way that it offered an experience that is consistent with the existing Drupal website. We also moved an outdated Amazon Webstore to Shopify, and completed an integration of Shopify with the wider Drupal website.

Un.titled helped bring about a 100% increase in annual ecommerce revenue, as well a 70% increase in online event bookings. Add to this the win that we secured in the Best Online Shop award from the Association for Cultural Enterprises, and it is fair to say that the project has been a successful one.
Some suitable alternatives

Of course, there are other platform offerings out there that can meet your needs.

Drupal and BigCommerce are two of our favourite web platforms, with a host of benefits available from each. These platforms tend to cost more, but do bring some advanced capabilities.

Whatever your preferred option, Un.titled’s team of consultants are in the perfect position to offer guidance and support. We have worked on projects featuring Shopify, Drupal and BigCommerce, so rest assured you will be in safe hands.

A screenshot of The Culture Trust Luton website on a laptop and tablet device

Get your project off the ground with Un.titled

With a number of in-house experts with vast experience across consultancy and project roadmapping, the Un.titled team is in a fantastic position to support you in reaching your digital goals.

To start a conversation, simply get in touch with our team of experts. We will be delighted to discuss things with you and get your project moving in the right direction.