While social media seems to be the go-to place for information lately, your club website is still a vital piece of your marketing strategy.
Updated, professional websites are more likely to build trust with current and potential members than poorly designed or outdated ones. Also, a properly updated website allows everyone to find vital information without needing to email or call with a question.
How can you assure that your website is giving prospective and current parents what they need? A few simple tips will move you in the right direction.
Anticipate Questions
What are the top questions you receive about your club? Whatever they are, the answers should be easy to find on your website. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on your home page, but your navigation should be such that anyone can quickly guess where to find the answer.
Share How to Reach You
Where are you located? What’s your phone number? Adding your contact information to the footer of your website allows people to quickly reach out.
Add Social Media
While your website is important, its likely social media is where you routinely share updated information, photos and stories. Place your social media icons on your home page, or better yet, in a universal header or footer so your fans can follow.
Mobile First
Is your site mobile-friendly? Have you looked at it on your phone lately? In 2019, 52% of website traffic came from mobile phones, and that number will only increase. For the USA Volleyball website, 59% of traffic in 2019 was mobile. Most low-cost web services have mobile-readiness built in, so if it’s time to update your website, always think mobile first.
Work on Accessibility
Web accessibility supports inclusion for people with disabilities. There are simple steps you can take to improve the accessibility of your site, and doing so opens your website to a valuable audience segment. For instance, use alt text for all images, limit your use of color in certain instances, and use headings where appropriate.
Changing your site to help people with disabilities better find information is a new venture for many small organizations, but help is available online. Check out UC Berkeley’s Top 10 Tips for Making Your Website Accessible as a start.
Pro Tip: Not only do alt tags, headings and other improvements open your website to different populations, but they also make your website friendlier to search engines. This will help your club’s site appear higher in search engine results.
Keep it Current
You have a lot on your plate as a club director, and sometimes updating the website is the last thing on your mind. Try setting a weekly time to briefly go through your website and update items where possible. Visitors to your site will notice that you are doing your best to provide the most accurate information.
Need more advice? Contact us at digitalmedia@usav.org, and we’re happy to work with you to improve your site.