In today’s digital age, an up-to-date club website is more than just an online presence—it’s the backbone of your club’s communication, engagement, and growth.
A Rugby club’s website is one of the most important tool’s it can use to support the marketing, access, and connection of the club with it’s local community.
In a time where potential players, sponsors and spectators live on their phones, the ability to engage with a Rugby club via it’s website is of vital importance. A club that doesn’t have a website is operating much like a retail shop in a shopping centre with blacked out windows and no doors, trying to sell products – It makes things harder than it needs to be, while missing out on many opportunities.
Club websites allow Rugby clubs to attract players, amplify sponsor messages, highlight club history, highlight contacts for those wishing to engage with members of the club, share fixtures and results, store documents and increase the validity of the club. See below some example of how your club can use it’s website to support its operations.
All Websites should have easy to find information on how to contact the club. This could be the email of the club President, Director of Rugby or a general club email that acts to manage all online enquiries. Clubs that don’t have up to date contacts miss the opportunity to convert interest in the club to become players, volunteers or partners with the club.
Clubs who share their news via their website develop greater connections with their online community and can start to shape the external perception of the club with certain stories and news pieces. The club website can be a great way to recognise the efforts of players, volunteers etc via news articles also, meaning “news” can be great recruitment and retention tools.
Clubs can use their website to highlight the variety of people that engage with the club including players, volunteers, coaches, spectators etc. A healthy image gallery shows diversity in subjects and looks to mirror the local community around the club. Image galleries should also highlight key events and history from the club, bringing news articles and events to life via imagery.
Clubs can increase their available asset’s by using the club website to amplify Sponsor information. This can include a dedicated Sponsors section within the website, the use of website banners to promote sponsors, the naming of sections of the website etc. The benefit of a website for sponsorship is also the ease at which assets can be updated without the need of purchasing physical signage, training tops, tear drop banners etc.
Clubs should share within their website current and upcoming fixtures and results. Not only is this a great way to manage fixtures and ensure people know where they are playing and when, the display of results can generate strong digital traffic, especially if the results are updated live.
Club websites can also act as a great place to store documents that may include policies, club constitutions, club rules etc. By having key documents easily accessible by the community there are reduced barriers in place for Club members to have the most up to date information.
If your club doesn’t have a website there are many independent website developers in the marketplace. All Rugby clubs throughout Australia can create a website for Free through Rugby Xplorer by reviewing the below videos.
Rugby Xplorer - Website Setup video
