Besides online gift shops here are a few other ways to generate income on a
museum web page.  We don't have a online store yet and I do emphasize the
word yet.
Museum membership
Summer camp enrollment
Workshops
Research Book Sales (Don't compete with Amazon)
Summer camp example-
http://www.asu.edu/clas/anthropology/dvrac/summercamp.htm
We have created pdf files in Adobe Acrobat so that we don't deal with
issues of credit card transmission over the internet and the information
must be sent by fax or snail mail.  Overall, the response hasn't been huge,
but it is just one more way to solicit to a different audience.  Our
greatest response has been from advertising summer camp and we get e-mail
year round request information for this wonderful program.
We permit people to use a variety of methods to respond; pdf, our phone
number is every where, regular email addresses, and I created some CGI  so
that people may enter their address and we will snail mail them an
application. if you are going to do the pdf route make sure you have a link
to adobe so people may download the reader. (It's Free!)
Don't discount the income that comes from people visiting your sight on the
internet and then being lured to the real thing. We have had several people
say they came out after they saw our web site and have even had a couple
people say they used our site to plan their trip to Arizona. (We have a
niche with petroglyphs in Arizona and provide links to other sites.)
We also solicit for volunteers over the internet.  This is a great idea
because you are finding people who have a general interest in your topic.
The time they contribute is valuable and you may find someone like a
retired photographer who is willing to offer their services.  I can't tell
you what a wonderful resource you have at your fingertips.
Katie Edlebeck
Deer Valley Rock Art Center

Jenni Swenson wrote:

> Does anyone have evidence of their Web site generating extra income for
> their museum? I would appreciate any examples!  Please reply off list
> to: [log in to unmask]