A website is more than just a digital storefront for a National Governing Body (NGB), it’s the hub of operations, communication, and engagement. It needs to serve athletes, members, clubs, and stakeholders while embodying your mission and values. Getting it right isn’t just an option – it’s essential.
Here’s a comprehensive playbook for creating a website that helps your NGB thrive.
Your members, clubs, athletes, and stakeholders are the lifeblood of your organisation. Involve them early by seeking feedback on your current website and understanding their needs for the new one.
Hosting focus groups is a great way to create a safe, open environment where people can share their opinions. This collaborative approach ensures the final product resonates with your audience and meets their expectations.
Your website should immediately convey who you are, what you do, and why it matters to your audience. We call it having a ‘killer one-liner’! This clear proposition, showcased prominently on your homepage, can highlight the benefits of getting involved or becoming a member. Whether your focus is on growing grassroots participation, supporting elite athletes, or maintaining governance standards, make your message obvious and compelling. A succinct mission statement or tagline can solidify this and leave a lasting impression.
Getting this right is crucial for boosting engagement. When users land on your website, a clear and concise proposition helps them quickly understand your role and decide if they’re in the right place. This clarity not only enhances the user experience but also encourages visitors to explore further, driving meaningful interactions with your site.
Your National Governing Body’s website should mirror your organisation’s brand identity – its tone, visuals, and values. Use consistent colours, typography, and imagery that align with your organisation’s mission. This coherence strengthens your brand, builds trust, and ensures visitors immediately recognise who you are.
We call this ‘True Reflection Design’ – a phrase that we’ve coined, which ultimately means that your website should be a true reflection of your brand and, if anything, elevate your position in the market.
An NGB website serves diverse audiences, from those ‘new to the sport’ looking to join a club to existing members/professional athletes managing their profiles or stakeholders seeking governance information. It’s important to spend the time and map out these user groups and the user journeys they will likely take on the website. Identify the goals each group will have when visiting your site and design pathways that are intuitive and efficient.
Referring back to the 1st point, you may opt to include your members and stakeholders in this process to hear what they use the website for, and the typical user journey they would take.
NGB websites often need to house vast amounts of information – event details, rules, governance documents, club portals, and more. However, cramming all this into the main navigation bar is a common pitfall. Instead:
A well-structured navigation system ensures your website is user-friendly and avoids overwhelming visitors.
A good starting point is to break down the topic into the following areas:
Your website is a prime space for generating revenue from partners and sponsors. Designate areas for sponsorship banners or advert placements to help promote partners and sponsors. Make these spaces prominent, yet tasteful, ensuring they don’t detract from the user experience. When done correctly, these opportunities can create a steady income stream while strengthening relationships with key stakeholders.
We don’t recommend giving this space over to 3rd party display adverts, as you will lose some control over which ads are placed on your website. Therefore, the opportunity here is to negotiate advertising deals with new and existing partners.
To make this as valuable as possible to your partners, ensure your website has the relevant tracking in place so that you can report back to them on the effectiveness of the adverts.
Effective workflows are vital for managing the repetitive tasks that NGBs handle, such as event licensing, membership renewals, and other administrative processes. By defining these workflows and integrating them into your website, you can automate time-consuming activities and reduce the manual workload for your team.
For example, systemised workflows for event licensing, automated membership renewals, and integrations with your membership platform or CRM. Implementing these automations not only boosts operational efficiency but also allows your team to focus on higher-value activities.
With mobile devices accounting for over half of web traffic, and in some instances far more than that, your website must look and function flawlessly on smaller screens. Yet for NGBs, taking a mobile-first approach is non-negotiable. Think about participants checking event details, accessing competition schedules, or reviewing results – all while they’re out and about, not sitting at a desk.
Designing mobile-first means prioritising layouts and functionality for smaller screens, ensuring easy navigation, quick load times, and responsive forms. By focusing on mobile usability, you’ll meet the needs of your members and stakeholders, and create a website that’s accessible wherever they are.
Creating an accessible website isn’t just about compliance – it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can engage with sport and your organisation. Our passion for accessibility is reflected in our vision statement:
Our vision is for everyone – regardless of demographic, gender, ethnicity or location – to have access to facilities and services that promote an active, healthy and fun lifestyle. We do this by working with sports and leisure organisations, helping them to up their digital game.
Sports should be for everyone, and your website should reflect that inclusivity. Comply with web accessibility standards (e.g. WCAG 2.2), ensuring all users, including those with disabilities, can navigate and interact with your site.
This includes optimising for screen readers, providing alternative text for images, and designing forms and navigation that are easy to use for individuals with disabilities. An accessible website promotes inclusivity and demonstrates your commitment to serving all members of your community.
To explore this topic further, catch up on our webinar, Website Accessibility for a More Inclusive Experience, where we discuss actionable strategies for making your website accessible.
Your website should act as the go-to source for the latest news, events, results, and updates for your particular sport.
Many NGB websites rely on external platforms for tasks like checking results, registering for events, or renewing memberships. While this might seem like a quick fix, it creates a fragmented experience, pulling users away from your website and diluting your brand authority.
By integrating these functionalities directly into your website, you can create a seamless, unified user experience. For example, embedding event registration or membership renewal tools ensures users stay engaged with your site, where they’re more likely to explore other resources, updates, or commercial opportunities.
Not only does this improve user satisfaction, but it also reinforces your website as the central hub for all activities related to your sport. Modern platforms and integrations make it easier than ever to streamline these processes while keeping users connected to your NGB.
Once your new website is live, the work doesn’t stop. Regularly monitoring its performance is essential for ensuring it remains effective and user-friendly. Use analytics tools to track user behaviour, page performance, and traffic sources. This data can guide you in refining the user journey, optimising the user experience, and addressing other performance issues.
To take this a step further, consider leveraging our Insights service. This tailored solution provides an in-depth analysis of your website experience, uncovering actionable recommendations to improve the performance. With insights into what’s working and what isn’t, you can make data-driven decisions to enhance user experience, increase engagement, and maximise commercial opportunities.
By embracing continuous improvement, your website can stay aligned with evolving user needs and industry standards, ensuring it remains a key asset for your national governing body.
Building a website for your NGB isn’t just about creating an online presence; it’s about crafting a digital experience that serves your community, represents your values, and supports your mission. By following this playbook, you’ll be well on your way to launching a website that’s as dynamic and impactful as the athletes and stakeholders you serve.
Need help turning this vision into reality? Contact WebBox to discuss your requirements so we can help you Get Digitally Fit.
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