Table of contents
Key takeaways
- Your website is the front door - a new family deciding whether to register will check it before they call, email, or show up at a session
- The three things every club website must answer in under 30 seconds: what sport, how to register, and how to contact someone
- Mobile-first matters - over 70% of parent traffic to sports club websites comes from phones
- A website that hasn't been updated in 6+ months signals that the club may not be active
A parent in Kitchener searched "youth soccer near me" on her phone at 9:30 PM on a Tuesday. She found three clubs within driving distance. The first had a website that loaded slowly, showed last season's schedule, and had a registration link that went to a 404 page. The second had no website at all - just a Facebook page with the last post from April. The third had a clean site with a "Register Now" button on the homepage, the current season's schedule, and a contact form that worked.
She registered with the third club. Not because it was the best club. Because it was the only one that looked like it was still operating.
Your website is the first impression for every new family who searches for your sport in your area. If it's outdated, confusing, or broken, they won't call to check. They'll go somewhere else.
The 30-second test
Open your club's website on your phone. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Can a first-time visitor answer these three questions?
- What sport does this club run? (It sounds obvious, but some club websites bury the sport name under organisational history and committee photos.)
- How do I register? (Is there a visible button or link, or do they have to dig through three menus?)
- How do I contact someone? (A phone number, email, or contact form that actually works.)
If the answer to any of these is no, that's your first fix.
The full checklist
Content
- ] Current season information. Schedule, fixtures, training times, and locations for the current season. Not last season. Not a placeholder.
- ] Registration link. Visible on the homepage. Not buried in a submenu. Working - test it yourself, on your phone, right now.
- ] Contact information. A working phone number, email address, or contact form. Someone monitors it and responds within 48 hours.
- ] About the club. Brief history, mission or purpose, and the age groups or programmes offered. Two paragraphs is enough.
- ] Location and facilities. Where do you train and play? A map or address. Parking information if relevant.
- ] Fees and what's included. Parents want to know the cost before they enquire. If you can't list exact fees, give a range.
- ] News or updates. Something that signals the club is active. A recent post, an announcement, a photo from the current season.
- ] Policies. Link to your safe sport policy, codes of conduct, and privacy policy. Funders and PSOs check for these.
Technical
- ] Mobile-friendly. Over 70% of visitors will be on phones. Open your site on three different phones. If it's unreadable, slow, or requires pinch-to-zoom, it needs fixing.
- ] Load speed. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights (free). If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile, you're losing visitors.
- ] Working links. Click every link on the homepage and key pages. Broken links - especially a broken registration link - cost you members.
- ] HTTPS. Your site should show the padlock icon in the browser. If it says "Not Secure," your hosting provider can usually fix this for free with a Let's Encrypt certificate.
- ] Search visibility. Search for your club name on Google. Does your website appear first? If not, make sure your site has proper page titles and a Google Business Profile.
Accessibility
- ] Text readability. Is the text large enough to read without squinting? Is there sufficient contrast between text and background?
- ] Alt text on images. Screen readers need descriptions of images. If your site builder supports alt text, add it to key images.
Common problems and fixes
"Our site is a free WordPress.com or Wix site and it looks dated"
For most community clubs, a free or low-cost site builder is perfectly adequate. What matters is that the content is current and the registration link works. Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com all offer templates that look professional on mobile. The cost of a decent template and a custom domain (yourclubname.ca) is typically $100-200 per year.
"Nobody maintains the website"
Assign one person. Not the president - they're already overloaded. A parent volunteer, a committee member, or a senior player who's comfortable with technology. The maintenance commitment is about 30 minutes per month: update the schedule, post a news item, check links.
"We use Facebook instead of a website"
A Facebook page is better than nothing, but it's not a substitute. Facebook doesn't appear reliably in Google search results. A visitor who isn't on Facebook can't see your page easily. And you don't control Facebook - they can change how pages work at any time. A simple website with your key information plus a Facebook page for community interaction is the right combination.
"Our registration is a PDF form"
This is the single most impactful change you can make. A PDF that a parent has to download, print, fill in, scan or photograph, and email back is a barrier that costs you registrations. Online registration through a platform like TidyHQ lets families register and pay on their phone at 10 PM on a Tuesday - which is exactly when parents make these decisions.
Measuring what matters
You don't need analytics expertise. Two metrics tell you whether your website is doing its job:
- Traffic to the registration page. If your registration page gets visited but few people complete registration, the problem is the registration process. If few people even reach the registration page, the problem is your site structure or navigation.
- Enquiry response time. How long does it take to respond to a contact form submission or email? Track it for a month. If the average is more than 48 hours, you're losing potential members.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a club website cost?
For most Canadian community clubs, $0-$300 per year. Free options (WordPress.com, Google Sites) work for basic needs. A custom domain ($15/year) plus a paid Wix or Squarespace plan ($100-200/year) gives you a professional-looking site. You don't need a web developer for a community sports club site.
Should we have a separate website or use our PSO's club page?
Both. Your PSO's platform gives you visibility within the sport's ecosystem. Your own website gives you control over the message and appears in local Google searches. Link between them.
How often should the website be updated?
At minimum: at the start of each season (schedule, fees, coaching staff) and whenever something significant changes (venue, contact person, registration status). Ideally, a brief news post every two to four weeks to signal that the club is active.
References
- Google PageSpeed Insights - Free tool for testing website speed and mobile usability
- Google Business Profile - Free listing that helps your club appear in local search results
- Let's Encrypt - Free HTTPS certificates to secure your website
- SIRC - Digital communication resources for Canadian sport organisations
- True Sport - Communication and outreach resources for community sport clubs
Header image: Globe and Banjo by Jean Metzinger, via Art Institute of Chicago
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