JCA Enhances Patron Web Experience at Oregon Shakespeare Festival

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- "We wanted to give our patrons the best web experience ever," said Amy Richard, Media and Communications Manager at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). "When people visit our theatre they can feel the theatricality, artistry, diversity, and commitment to the arts. We wanted our patrons to get a piece of that each time they visited our website." In 2010, OSF realized that they were in need of a new website. Their old site had reached its capacity. It didn't support Tessitura Version 11 and couldn't accommodate the demand-based pricing changes that they were making. Their eight-year old site had turned into a compilation of added parts with no underlying content management system (CMS) and was quickly becoming difficult to manage.

OSF hired JCA and The Swift Collective to rebuild their website from the ground up. Chief among their goals was the desire to increase sales of plays and non-play activities, increase membership and donations, and implement a robust CMS. JCA was able to implement an improved purchase path experience and significantly enhance the website's Select-Your-Own-Seat (SYOS) function with dynamic seating maps that were more flexible and adaptable than on the previous site. JCA also integrated the site with Tessitura. In the past, OSF's 12-step purchase path caused some customers to abandon their purchases in frustration. The new purchase path, designed and engineered by Swift and JCA, features a mere five steps. Simplifying this process for customers was critical. OSF sells roughly 60% of their presale tickets online and even marginal improvements in drop-off rates can result in a significant gain in sales.

With JCA's help, OSF has improved their patrons' web experience. Patrons can now find out information about pricing and seat availability, and add backstage tours, lectures, and performances into their carts all before logging in. OSF is pleased with this new functionality and with the work that JCA has done. "I speak for the entire team when I say I am 100% confident in JCA's expertise and technical knowledge," said Amy. "We continue to fine-tune the site and listen to user comments about their experience."

About OSF: The Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival is among the oldest and largest professional regional theatres in the country. Located in Ashland, Oregon, OSF offers an eight-month season with a wide-ranging playbill, including Shakespeare, American classics, musicals, contemporary works and world premieres. Its productions have been recognized nationally. OSF offers concerts, park talks, post-show discussions with the actors, and educational programs for students, teachers and playgoers.