Regional heritage and cultural center dedicated to preserving living history across a 23-acre campus of working historic structures, exhibits, genealogy archives, and community events
Build a full-featured website to grow membership, generate e-commerce revenue, and make the center's unique physical offerings accessible and monetizable online — then run targeted digital advertising for the annual heritage festival
WordPress with WooCommerce, WooCommerce Memberships, Matterport 3D virtual tours, drone footage production
Connected TV (CTV/OTT), Programmatic Display, First-Party Addressable Targeting, Spaceback Social Amplification
The Challenge
A living history campus spanning 23 acres — with a historic church, a working blacksmith shop, a genealogy archive, a gift shop, venue rental facilities, and more — was functionally invisible online. Their existing web presence couldn't support memberships, sell merchandise, manage event registrations, or give potential visitors a sense of what awaited them on the grounds.
The mandate was ambitious: build a digital platform capable of serving every audience the center attracts — casual visitors, active members, genealogy researchers, event organizers, and prospective wedding renters — while giving the small staff a system they could actually manage day to day. Then, separately, design and run a digital advertising campaign for the annual heritage festival.
The Platform
We built the site on WordPress with WooCommerce, chosen for its flexibility and the staff's ability to manage it independently post-launch. Revenue-generating capabilities were built in from day one, not retrofitted.
Integrated with Printify for print-on-demand merchandise — shirts, hats, and more — with full cart, checkout, inventory management, order tracking, and automatic member discount application.
Four tiered membership levels powered by WooCommerce Memberships — gated content, automatic renewal reminders, member-only store discounts, and a seamless online sign-up and renewal flow.
Interactive multi-view calendar with event filtering, RSVP functionality, and integration with Google, Apple, and Outlook. Automated event reminders sent to registered users before each event.
Immersive Matterport tours of all major historic structures, gated to paying members — a compelling upgrade incentive and a genuine digital extension of the in-person campus experience.
Online reservations for weddings and private events, with an availability checker, package customization, and direct links to virtual tours so prospective renters can explore the space remotely.
Member-gated genealogy library with appointment booking for research consultations, an on-site archival catalog, and integration with external genealogy services.
The Membership Architecture
Designed to serve every audience — from casual web visitors to deeply engaged lifelong members — with a clear upgrade path and meaningful benefits at every level.
General site access — events calendar, basic info, gift shop browsing, and venue inquiry.
Newsletter, event reminders, and limited calendar features for regular visitors.
Full 360° virtual tours, genealogy archive access, member store discounts, and exclusive content.
Full CMS access, analytics dashboards, e-commerce reports, and complete event management.
Bringing 23 Acres to Life Online
A comprehensive two-day production shoot captured the campus in full — Matterport 3D tours of every major structure, narrated self-guided tour videos triggered by on-site QR codes, and sweeping drone footage of all 23 acres used in the "Plan Your Visit" section.
Structures captured in the virtual tour:
- Historic Church — Catholic Replica
- Historic Church — Protestant Replica
- Period Residences
- Heritage House & Music Museum
- Pioneer Homestead
- Log Crib & Barn
- Sawmill
- Czech Newspaper Museum
- Kopecky Gift Shop
- Blacksmith Shop
- Community Hall
- Main Center & Museum
A heritage institution's physical collection is irreplaceable — but it shouldn't be invisible to the 99% who haven't visited yet.
The Festival Campaign
After launch, we designed and ran a five-week digital advertising campaign for the center's annual heritage festival. The campaign ran across streaming TV (CTV/OTT) and programmatic display, using ZIP-level geographic targeting and first-party data to reach cultural enthusiasts, families, and heritage community members throughout the region.
Total impressions
- Streaming TV via ZIP-level CTV — Roku, Hulu, Pluto TV
- First-party addressable display on mobile & desktop
- Retargeting of past attendees & website visitors
- :15/:30 video creative and banner ad production included
Total impressions — 38% more reach
- Everything in the standard plan, plus:
- Spaceback social amplification — festival social content repurposed as programmatic display ads
- Expanded CTV coverage across the broader region
- Continuous optimization and reporting throughout campaign window
The Results
The center now operates a fully independent digital platform — with ongoing support from our team — and a festival advertising playbook it can build on year over year.
- Full Digital Ownership — All website files, content, and assets remain property of the center. Staff were trained on the CMS and can manage day-to-day updates independently.
- Membership Revenue Unlocked — The tiered system — gated to 360° tours, genealogy archives, and member pricing — created compelling incentives to join and renew at higher levels.
- Festival Campaign Success — The enhanced digital campaign delivered 310,000+ targeted impressions across streaming and programmatic display, driving measurable awareness leading up to the event.
- Virtual Access, Real Engagement — Immersive 3D tours of 18 locations, drone footage, and QR-triggered audio guides gave the campus a digital life that drives both memberships and in-person visits.
The Takeaway
This engagement demonstrates what a true full-service relationship looks like in practice. Strategy, production, development, e-commerce, content, and media — all from one team, built around a single coherent vision for what the organization needed to accomplish online.
The result isn't just a website. It's a digital infrastructure that generates revenue, grows membership, and keeps the center's story alive for people who may never have found it otherwise.