Best Club Website

The Brief

The reality was that the existing website was falling well short of reflecting this reputation. It was cumbersome to navigate, resulting in users not finding information quickly enough, if at all. Analytics showed a very worrying trend of 51% of visitors leaving within 10 seconds. The website was attracting approximately 5,000 visitors a month. Of this, a significant 38% were new visitors, so we needed to engage with and capitalise on this footfall, whilst crucially ensuring the new site still worked for existing members.

The Response

First and foremost, by positioning Windlesham as the inclusive Club that it is, we were able to appease existing members and attract new ones. Taking inspiration from the websites of the Top Ten golf clubs in the UK and Ireland, we carried out a full competitor review and audit of the site. A flexible multimedia communications space formed the centre of the home page, which was capable of housing rich media and video content.

With the consolidation of all touch points in one focused site, the website certainly conveyed Windlesham’s inclusive personality. Analytics revealed that the member’s page was the most popular page, so we made it a focal point. The website is easy to navigate, as just two clicks will bring you to any page on the site. We migrated the already successful blog to enrich the site content, whilst the full integration of the club’s social media channels increased engagement as they are easily shared and enjoyed by the site’s users. The site also enables bookings for not only golf rounds and lessons, but also Custom Studio bookings, Pro Shop sessions and restaurant bookings (via Favourite Table).

The Results

The new site saw over 8,000 visitors in December 2014. With an average of 7,750 visitors per month since its launch, there has therefore been a significant 55% increase in web traffic. The public’s engagement with Windlesham’s social media channels increased, leading to more profitable dialogue, and ultimately the Club increased its market share. The amount of content on the site that is being consumed by visitors, from the blog to the social media output, has increased markedly.

The end of 2014 saw the UK’s licensed club industry acknowledge the vast improvements of the new website, as Windlesham was bestowed with the 'Best Club Website of the Year' award at the prestigious annual Club Awards.

In the judges’ words: “Everything about the club and its offering is reflected in its website, which is both engaging and user friendly.” That’s exactly what we were aiming for.