In today’s digital world, having a website is essential for any business or organisation looking to be successful. This is also stands true for non-league football clubs, who are often competing against football league clubs for attention and support from their local community. A well-designed website not only helps your club to stand out from the competition, but it can also serve as a valuable tool for engaging with fans, promoting your team, and building a strong online community. In this blog post, we’ll explore the various ways in which a website can benefit your non-league football club to stand out online.
Why is a website important for a non-league football club?
Having a website is important for a non-league football club as it give them a platform for the club to communicate with its fans, players, and other stakeholders. It can be used to share important information about the club, such as fixtures and results, news and updates, and information about the club’s history and values.
Beyond a basic website, the club can generate revenue through online ticket sales, merchandise sales, and other forms of commercial activity. It is an essential tool for a non-league football club to effectively communicate and engage with its audience, and to promote and grow the club’s brand.
What webpages should a non-league football club have on their website?
Creating a comprehensive and well-structured website is crucial for non-league football clubs to effectively communicate with their fans, players, and community. The specific webpages that should be included on such a website can vary depending on the unique needs and goals of the club. However, it is essential to prioritize pages that can be consistently updated and maintained to ensure the information remains current and relevant. Building a massive website with outdated webpages defeats the purpose of having an online presence.
Let’s delve into the essential webpages that a non-league football club should consider including on their website:
Homepage
The homepage serves as the front door to the website, providing visitors with an overview of the club and its activities. It should be visually appealing and engaging, featuring the latest news, fixtures, and results. The homepage is a perfect place to showcase upcoming events, important announcements, and highlights from recent matches.
Fixtures and results
This page should provide detailed information about the club’s upcoming matches and past results. It is crucial for fans and supporters who want to plan their attendance at games. The fixtures and results page may include dates, times, opponents, locations, and even links to purchase tickets.
News and updates
A dedicated page for news and updates keeps fans informed about the latest happenings within the club. This page can cover a range of topics, including major developments, new signings, coaching staff changes, community initiatives, and general club announcements. Regularly updating this page helps build a sense of community and engagement.
Club information
The club information page should offer a comprehensive overview of the organization. It can include the club’s history, its values and ethos, notable achievements, and details about the club’s founders or key figures. This page provides an opportunity to showcase the club’s unique identity, facilities, and any community involvement initiatives.
If you have the resources and capacity to maintain additional webpages, the following options could be considered:
Ticket sales
An online ticket sales page can greatly enhance the convenience for fans. It should provide detailed information about ticket options, prices, and the process for purchasing tickets online. Collaborating with a third-party ticketing platform, such as TicketPass, can simplify the ticketing process and ensure a smooth user experience.
Merchandise
If the club sells merchandise, having a dedicated webpage for this purpose is essential. The merchandise page should showcase available items, including jerseys, scarves, hats, and other team-branded products. Visitors should be able to view prices, select sizes, and complete purchases online. Partnering with an established e-commerce platform can streamline the merchandise sales process.
It’s important to note that the inclusion of these additional webpages should only be pursued if there is a dedicated team behind the website to keep them updated. Failure to maintain accurate and relevant information can undermine the credibility of the club’s online presence.
Ultimately, the specific webpages a non-league football club includes on its website should align with its unique needs, goals, and available resources. Regularly reviewing and updating the content on these webpages is crucial to ensure visitors are provided with up-to-date information and a positive user experience.
Additionally, beyond these essential webpages, non-league football clubs can consider incorporating other features to enhance their website. These may include player profiles, match highlights, photo galleries, video content, sponsorship information, a club shop, fan forums, and links to social media channels.
Remember, a well-designed and regularly updated website serves as a powerful tool to connect with fans, attract new supporters, and foster a sense of community. Investing time and resources into building and maintaining a professional online presence can contribute to the long-term success of a non-league football club.
Marketing Strategies for Your Club's Website
There are a number of ways that a non-league football club can promote itself online, depending on its specific goals and resources. Some strategies that a non-league club might consider include:
Maintaining an active and up-to-date website
We have talked about the important of having a website and what webpages you should have on it. However, it is important that you keep the website up to date. There is nothing worse than visiting a clubs website to look at the latest fixtures to find that they are two years old.
The key to this is to only build a website that you can maintain. If you are a small club with a few volunteers, start small. The website can grow as you progress as a club. Focus on a few key items and do them well.
Utilizing social media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be powerful tools for promoting the club and engaging with fans. The club should regularly post updates, news, and other content on its social media accounts, and encourage its fans to follow and interact with the club online.
As seen with events at Twitter towards the end of 2022, Social Media platforms have their ups and downs. The non-league football community has always been strong on Twitter. It is a great place to find out what is going on at various clubs; whether it is real time match reports, or fixture postponements.
In the US, there is already a partial ban on TikTok in certain areas such as Military and Government. It also looks like a total ban may be on the cards.
The key with using Social Media is to remember that the objective is always to push traffic to your website. The website is the one thing that you control so all paths should lead there.
Sending newsletters and email updates
If the club has a database of email addresses for its fans and stakeholders, it can use email newsletters and updates to keep them informed about the club’s activities and events.
Having an active mailing list is key. As mention above, the Social Media landscape is constantly changing. By having a mailing list, you have a communication channel that you control and is not at the whim of a billionaire owner.
Leveraging local media
Local newspapers, radio stations, and other media outlets can be a useful way for the club to promote itself and get the word out about its activities. The club should try to establish relationships with local media outlets and submit press releases or other information about the club’s activities.
Participating in online communities
There are likely to be online communities and forums dedicated to football in general, and non-league football in particular. The club should try to engage with these communities and share information about the club and its activities.
Using Your Club's Website to Attract Sponsors
As a non-league football club, attracting sponsors and partners can be a key part of ensuring the financial stability and success of your organization. Potential sponsors and partners will be visiting your website to get a sense of your club, and your website needs to portray an image of a club that they can work with – and more importantly, spend their money on sponsoring.
To this end, it is that it easy for these organizations to learn about sponsorship opportunities and get in touch with your club. This can be achieved through the creation of a dedicated “Sponsorship” page on your website that outlines the different sponsorship packages and benefits available. You should also consider including a contact form or email address on this page so that potential sponsors and partners can easily get in touch with you to learn more or express interest.
Showcasing your current sponsors and partners serves as social proof to potential sponsors and partners that your club is a reputable and desirable organization to partner with. You can do this by including logos and links to your sponsors’ and partners’ websites, as well as any testimonials or quotes about your club from these organizations.
In addition to the above, there are a few other strategies you can use to attract sponsors and partners through your website:
- Offer exclusive content or perks to sponsors and partners: Consider offering your sponsors and partners exclusive content or perks on your website, such as behind-the-scenes videos or access to special events. This can help to make these organizations feel valued and encourage them to renew their sponsorship.
- Utilize social media and email marketing: In addition to your website, make use of social media platforms and email marketing to promote your sponsorship opportunities and engage with potential sponsors and partners.
- Attend industry events and networking opportunities: Attend industry events and networking opportunities to meet potential sponsors and partners in person and promote your club and sponsorship opportunities. You can then follow up with these contacts through your website and other online channels.
These are a few ways that your website can help you to build partnerships with local companies. These partnerships can provide crucial financial support and help to ensure the long-term success of your club.
The Best Platform For Your Football Club Website
There are a number of dedicated football club website builders available such as Pitchero or My Club Pro. Whilst these make it easier for you to build your football club website, they all tend to look the same.
Our preference is to use WordPress along with the SportsPress plugin. This gives you full creative control over your football and allows you to stand out from the crowd.
How We Can Help
We hope you found this look into how important a website can be to a non-league football club useful. Remember, start with a simple website with a couple of pages which can then grow as your club progresses.
We have been working with Binfield FC, a step 4 club playing in the Isthmian South Central division and won Best Website for our work with them in the Football In Berkshire awards.
If you want to discuss how we can help your club develop their online presence, then drop us a message via the form below.
