The Case for E-Commerce and Online Ticketing Integration for Museums: A Deep Dive into Optimizing Visitor Experiences with HubSpot

Museums today are transforming from static repositories of history into dynamic cultural destinations. But with this evolution comes a pressing need to streamline operations, enhance visitor engagement, and optimize revenue streams. E-commerce and CRM integration are at the heart of this transformation.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) partnered with Nonprofit Tech Shop to transform its ticketing and CRM systems, setting a new standard for museum operations. 

In this blog, we spotlight MNHS’s journey and explore how integrating HubSpot CRM with e-commerce platforms can help museums streamline operations and create unforgettable visitor experiences.

The Problem with Legacy Systems: Why Museums Need a Modern CRM 

Legacy systems like Tessitura were once the gold standard for managing museum operations, but in today’s fast-paced digital landscape, their limitations have become glaringly apparent. While they may offer basic functionality, these platforms often fall short when it comes to meeting the complex demands of modern museums. 

Here’s why:

1. High Costs Without High Returns

Managing legacy systems is not only time-consuming but also expensive. At MNHS, the annual tech costs soared to $462,000. This included maintenance fees, integration expenses, and the operational burden of patching together outdated tools. These high costs cut directly into the budget that could be used for mission-critical activities like community outreach, exhibit curation, and educational programming.

2. Fragmented and Siloed Data

Modern museums rely on seamless communication between ticketing, donor management, and marketing tools to deliver cohesive visitor experiences. Legacy platforms often require third-party integrations that result in fragmented data, forcing staff to manually reconcile information across multiple systems. This inefficiency not only wastes time but also increases the risk of errors—an issue MNHS experienced firsthand.

3. Fragmented and Siloed Data

Legacy systems like Tessitura can be notoriously complex, requiring extensive training and specialized knowledge just to complete routine tasks. At MNHS, this steep learning curve hampered productivity, as staff members struggled to navigate an outdated interface instead of focusing on engaging visitors and growing the museum’s impact.

4. Limited Scalability

As museums expand their programming, reach, and audiences, they need systems that can scale with them. Legacy systems often fall behind in this regard, forcing organizations to invest in piecemeal solutions that only exacerbate the inefficiencies. For MNHS, the inability to scale their platform meant struggling to keep up with increased demands, particularly during high-traffic seasons or major events.

5. Missed Opportunities for Growth and Engagement

With limited data accessibility and slow processes, legacy systems often prevent museums from leveraging valuable insights. At MNHS, this led to missed opportunities for donor engagement, membership growth, and personalized visitor experiences. Instead of being proactive, the staff was left reacting to problems caused by their outdated tools.

The Impact of Legacy Limitations

The challenges MNHS faced weren’t unique—they’re emblematic of a broader problem affecting museums everywhere. 

When a system creates operational bottlenecks, it doesn’t just hinder day-to-day workflows; it stifles the very mission of the institution. Museums exist to connect people to culture, history, and knowledge, but without the right tools, those connections are harder to forge and sustain.

This is why many organizations are recognizing the urgent need to replace legacy systems with modern, integrated solutions like HubSpot.

Key Features that Make Hubspot a Game-Changer

1. United Platform

• Cross-Platform Integration: HubSpot’s compatibility with tools like Shopify, Eventbrite, and Stripe ensures a seamless workflow across ticketing, payments, and CRM. This flexibility lets museums enhance operations without costly system overhauls.

• Enhanced User Experience: Staff experience reduced training time with HubSpot’s intuitive interface, and visitors benefit from a seamless ticketing and admissions journey.

• Scalability for Future Growth: HubSpot scales to handle increased ticket sales, larger membership programs, and expanded operational needs, making it ideal for museums preparing for long-term growth.

2. Real-Time Reporting

HubSpot’s reporting tools are tailored to museums, providing actionable insights at a glance.

• Customizable Dashboards: Create dashboards that display key metrics like ticket sales, attendance trends, and donor engagement in real-time.
• Visitor Behavior Analysis: Track visitor preferences and behaviors to inform exhibit planning and personalized marketing.
• Agile Decision-Making: Use live data to pivot strategies during campaigns or events, optimizing outcomes without delay.

Building Deeper Connections Through HubSpot

When it comes to museum marketing, HubSpot is an absolute powerhouse for forging meaningful relationships.
For MNHS, the implementation of HubSpot transformed how the institution engaged with its diverse audiences, streamlining operations while deepening connections.

Let’s break down how HubSpot makes this possible—and why it’s a game-changer for cultural institutions.

Addressing Common Pain Points: MNHS’s Challenges

Before adopting HubSpot, MNHS faced several obstacles that are all too familiar for museums:

• Fragmented Data: Donor, member, and visitor information was scattered across disconnected systems, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for engagement.
• Manual Processes: Renewing memberships, acknowledging donations, and promoting events required heavy administrative workloads, slowing response times.
• Limited Personalization: Without cohesive data, MNHS struggled to deliver tailored campaigns that resonated with individual audiences.

By leveraging HubSpot, MNHS overcame these pain points, creating a centralized system that fostered both operational efficiency and meaningful interactions.

How HubSpot Helped MNHS Build Stronger Relationships

1. Self-Service Portals:
HubSpot enabled MNHS to offer secure, user-friendly portals where members could update their profiles, manage memberships, and review ticket purchases. This empowered members to engage on their own terms while reducing staff workload.

Impact at MNHS:

• Members enjoyed exclusive access to event pre-sales and member-only discounts, strengthening loyalty.
• Staff saved significant time by eliminating routine administrative tasks, reallocating resources to strategic initiatives.

2. Automated Membership Renewals:
MNHS automated its membership renewal process with HubSpot, sending personalized reminders that included tailored offers, such as discounts on upcoming events or thank-you messages for ongoing support.

Impact at MNHS:

• Membership renewals increased by 20%, stabilizing revenue and reducing churn.
• Members felt valued, as renewal messages highlighted their specific contributions and interests.
  
  3. Behavior-Driven Campaign Personalization:
  With HubSpot, MNHS could track visitor behavior—like ticket purchases, event attendance, and donation patterns—and use that data to craft targeted campaigns.

Impact at MNHS:

• One-time ticket buyers received offers to become members, increasing conversion rates.
• Loyal visitors were invited to exclusive behind-the-scenes events, fostering a deeper connection to the institution.

Driving Insights with Data

One of HubSpot’s most impactful features for MNHS was its analytics, which offered a window into visitor behavior and organizational performance:

• Adjust Promotional Strategies: MNHS used real-time analytics to refine campaigns mid-launch, boosting attendance and engagement.
• Visitor Demographics and Preferences: By tracking trends, MNHS could tailor programming to meet audience interests—offering family-focused events, for example, during school breaks.
• Quantify Marketing ROI: HubSpot made it possible to measure the exact impact of promotional efforts, helping MNHS allocate resources efficiently.

Ready to Elevate Your Museum’s Digital Strategy?

E-commerce and CRM integration are no longer optional—they’re essential for staying competitive and mission-aligned. HubSpot offers a proven pathway to streamline operations, engage visitors, and grow revenue.
Discover how your institution can achieve similar results. Dive into our detailed case study on the MNHS transformation and take the first step toward a future-proof strategy.

👉 Read the Full Case Study Here

Curious how HubSpot can transform your museum? 
Let’s chat—Nonprofit Tech Shop is one conversation away!