Exploring Services Provided by Top Italian Museums Websites : What are They Used for?

Even though a number of studies have focused on museum websites, specific studies about top Italian museums and the services provided online have not been found. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature and investigate the online services performed by top Italian museums. The objective is to determine whether these museums have developed their own website, and what kind of services they provide to their online visitors. The presence or lack of services provided was recorded with the adoption of a descriptive approach, based on qualitative content analysis principles. Results are shown in terms of three kinds of services provided (virtual visit opportunities, e-commerce services, and e-relation tools). Results provide managers a mapping of the services provided by their specific museum. Nevertheless, they need to be expanded with further primary research