How to market your football club: your club website

Last Updated on: 11th October 2024, 04:17 pm

Nowadays, having an online presence is an absolute must. It is one of the most effective ways to help grow your team. Football fans use the internet to connect with their teams throughout the year and, to keep them engaged, you need to make your club available. Social media platforms are a great way for clubs to connect with their fans but those accounts should come second to a dedicated club website. Having your club website should be a must for any football club and, thankfully, there are so many easy ways to set one up.

Why is a club website so important?

The main reason for starting your club website is visibility. Imagine you’re a new fan who is looking for information on your club. What would they find if they Google you? Having your club website would get you a better position in search engine results pages and make it easier to find. This will open up countless opportunities. Being more visible online will have the benefit of bringing in new players, new fans, new sponsors, and new volunteers. If people can find you online then it increases the chances of engaging with you in real life.

Additionally, having a club website will make you look professional. Having a sleek, user-friendly, and up-to-date website, will increase your credibility as a club. This will appeal to potential sponsors and, again, increase the chance of bringing in new people to your club.

A good club website will also help engage your current players, volunteers, and fans. Use your website to keep your players and club members up-to-date with any news. With chat and email features, it is an easy way to connect with your teams in one go. A website can take a lot of hassle out of your everyday communication.

Website or social media?

Whilst I won’t deny that social media is an important part of any club’s marketing strategy, it should be used in conjunction with your club website. Social media should be for connecting with and reaching fans and your club website should be used to keep them engaged. Your website should be able to tell supporters more about your team, let them know what you have to offer, and let them know when your fixtures are.

Unlike social media, you have complete control of your club website. You get to decide what you post and what your fans get to see. Social media feeds are driven by algorithms that mean your content might not be getting viewed by everyone you need/want it to be. You are also limited to the platform you are posting on. Having your website means you have the main focal point for your fans. They will always know where to look first for new content and club updates.

Things to remember

As with everything you do for marketing purposes, your club’s website should speak about you as a brand. Obviously, your club badge should be a prominent feature as should your club colours. You don’t want there to be any doubt about whose club site this is. You should also be sure to feature the following:

• An easy to read homepage
• A simple user interface and responsive design
• News section to keep your fans up-to-date
• Upcoming fixtures
• Recent results
• Recent photos or videos
• Links to all social media account

You want to make sure that your website not only stands out but offers people something. It needs to provide relevant information to players, members, and fans in a way that is easy to use.

Content

When it comes to adding to your site, it’s most important to keep it up-to-date. Good content is the main driving force and will help you improve your position in search engine results pages. Although, this will obviously depend on your skills and availability. If you are struggling with time or aren’t confident with writing, then you can always reach out to volunteers. Are there any wannabe writers in your community who you could call on? Maybe your local college has an abundance of students who want experience with copywriting? Use your social media to call out for help and you’ll be able to create content that will engage your fans.

Photos and Videos

When it comes to website content, there is no denying that viewers engage more with video and imagery than they do writing. If you have the time and budget to create your own team video and photographs then this will help the appeal and look of your site. With advances in camera technology and editing software, it doesn’t take much to produce some professional-looking photographs. To start with, you can even rope in your friend and their decent phone camera. Or maybe you know some local amateur photographers who would be willing to take some photos for you that they can use in their portfolio?

However, you manage it, creating a few decent team shots as well as action shots from the pitch will give your website more character and more appeal to users. If they are more engaged with the content they will spend longer on your site and learn more about you as a club.

Club+

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t setting up a club website a real hassle? Not at all. At Pendle Sportswear, we think it’s so important that every club has its own site that we are offering to set you one up for FREE. Our Club+ platform is the perfect solution for every football team. We bring you the definitive platform to manage your club, communicate and interact with players, parents and club officials. Available on all devices, the platform is simple to use and manage.

After we get all of your details, we will set up your Club+ for you and then give you all the tools you need to keep it up-to-date and working for you. Available on all devices, the platform is easy to use and simple to manage. It includes plenty of features that will make running your club easy and fun in a cost-efficient way.

Your Club+ website makes it easy to organise your players, chat with other members, and select your team for upcoming matches. The fixtures and results pages will keep everyone in the know about your matches and the gallery gives you the chance to show off some of your great on-pitch photos or videos. We also link your Club+ to your SignOnline and Club Shop so it’s even easier for your players and fans to get where they need to.

 

If you would like more information about Club+ you can check out our handy video guide or check out an example for yourself.

Or register your interest in setting up your very own Club+ by clicking the link below.