Creating a website

A website can be a really powerful way to let people know about what your club can offer them. 

However, with so many free digital marketing options out there, it’s worth spending some time to decide how a website fits into your marketing strategy. If you think about your website like a shop window, it is important to make people stay and explore more. You need to be prepared to keep it current, up to date and give people the information they want and need.

Is it right for your club?

Think about the pros and cons before you invest your time and energy into developing a website for your club:

Pros

• Can be accessed by anyone, anytime and anywhere
• Ideal for promoting your club - show who you are, what you do and how to get in touch with you
• Communication centre - share good news or any important updates from your club, it can be a focal point for your social media channels (e.g. social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube)

Cons

• Targeting the right people - unlike some other forms of marketing it is difficult to make sure you reach the right people and don’t get lost amongst the mountains of online information
• Maintenance - with your website being open 24/7 it is important to make sure it is working well, up to date and with new content so people know that it is active
• Creativity - thinking up interesting content on a regular basis can be challenging, see our content tips below

Getting started

There are a number of platforms which you can use to start building your own club website, that are ‘open sourced’, which put most simply means they are free of charge. It’s worth exploring the wide range that are out there, for example wordpress, drupal  or umbraco. Do keep in mind that even though they are free, it does take time and commitment to get it right. We’re always interested to hear about more good examples of club websites. If having a website has made a difference to your club, and you want to share your story, get in touch clubmatters@sportengland.org.