How much did you pay for your martial arts website design

[JowGaWolf]

I originally got out of the website design game due to all of the competition out there and because many people like to use the "Do it yourself" website design services that are out there. I've been thinking about hoping back into the game as I have seen some really terrible websites lately. The number of martial arts websites that aren't mobile friendly or that freezes during loading is just crazy.

But before I try to tackle this market, I would like to know what some of you have paid for your martial art website. I would also like to see your website as well. To see what you got for your investment.

If you made your own website, with WordPress or Joomla, then how interested would you be in having access to ready to go Martial arts templates that are designed specifically for these systems?

Thanks

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I made the website for my gym: Four Seasons Martial Arts

It's WordPress, free hosting, free theme. The only thing I pay for is the domain name, $18/year.

I don't actually like a lot of the specific "martial arts school" themes I see out there. They look cheesy to me and make it difficult to find the information I'm looking for. I just want a clean design which allows me to put the relevant info out there in an easy to read format. For that I'm pretty happy with what I have.

 

[ShortBridge]

I originally got out of the website design game due to all of the competition out there and because many people like to use the "Do it yourself" website design services that are out there. I've been thinking about hoping back into the game as I have seen some really terrible websites lately. The number of martial arts websites that aren't mobile friendly or that freezes during loading is just crazy.

But before I try to tackle this market, I would like to know what some of you have paid for your martial art website. I would also like to see your website as well. To see what you got for your investment.

If you made your own website, with WordPress or Joomla, then how interested would you be in having access to ready to go Martial arts templates that are designed specifically for these systems?

Thanks

I did mine myself and I'm thinking ahead to a new design (I am no designer). Mine is all HTML5/CSS3 and fully responsive. In another thread you and I bantered about the utility of something like Joomla to provide some non-public facing functionality in the background and I would be interested in that.

www.shortbridgeaa.com

 

[Steve]

I did this one. PhantomBjj.com. Nothing fancy, but looks okay on a phone, tablet or computer, and has some easy ways to add content like twitter feeds and such.

 

[Headhunter]

I personally believe martial art club websites are becoming obsolete in my area at least. Any recent gym or school I've found has been through Facebook. It's more accessible as all you need is a search on it and it can be updated easier and used to promote better and has an automatic function where people can message you and can post photos and videos and statuses for promotion for the place and to update what's happening with the place

 

[Steve]

I don't know. We get 5 to 10 contacts per week through the email form on the website. Facebook is important, but I don't think they do the same things.

 

[ShortBridge]

My experience matches Steve's and we live in a tech heavy part of the country. I have a FB page, but it appears to drive traffic to my website vs the other way around. It probably depends on who you are trying to reach.

I did look at my site analytics today though and my traffic is about 60/40 mobile to computer.

Personally, I've avoided Facebook since just before the election. I've logged in a few times to check things like that and then slink quietly away.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I personally believe martial art club websites are becoming obsolete in my area at least. Any recent gym or school I've found has been through Facebook. It's more accessible as all you need is a search on it and it can be updated easier and used to promote better and has an automatic function where people can message you and can post photos and videos and statuses for promotion for the place and to update what's happening with the place

That appears to be generational. Some folks prefer to find via the web (okay, via Google), while others find via Facebook. I don't think the websites will be obsolete, though. They simply aren't "enough", as they once were.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I personally believe martial art club websites are becoming obsolete in my area at least. Any recent gym or school I've found has been through Facebook. It's more accessible as all you need is a search on it and it can be updated easier and used to promote better and has an automatic function where people can message you and can post photos and videos and statuses for promotion for the place and to update what's happening with the place

When I was looking for a new school, I got very frustrated by the schools that only had a facebook, and no website/limited website. Facebook doesn't give me all the information that I want, or at least I have difficulty finding it on there. No clue if this is true elsewhere, but for me a website is a must (while searching for a new school), facebook is give or take.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I personally believe martial art club websites are becoming obsolete in my area at least. Any recent gym or school I've found has been through Facebook. It's more accessible as all you need is a search on it and it can be updated easier and used to promote better and has an automatic function where people can message you and can post photos and videos and statuses for promotion for the place and to update what's happening with the place

We have a Facebook page too, but the website has more information (schedule, instructor bios, information about arts taught, etc.) Facebook is better for listing special events, etc, but the web site is better for easy access to relatively static info.

I don't know how many new students find us on Facebook vs our web site, but we get a consistent average of a bit over 100 views a day, typically referred from relevant search terms like "BJJ Lexington Ky", so I know someone is using the site.

 

[Headhunter]

When I was looking for a new school, I got very frustrated by the schools that only had a facebook, and no website/limited website. Facebook doesn't give me all the information that I want, or at least I have difficulty finding it on there. No clue if this is true elsewhere, but for me a website is a must (while searching for a new school), facebook is give or take.

Well it shouldn't be hard to find if it's done properly as it has a maps page on it that shows you where it is on most I've seen

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Well it shouldn't be hard to find if it's done properly as it has a maps page on it that shows you where it is on most I've seen

The location is not all that I am looking for online. I'm also looking for the schedule, the arts offered (if it's multiple), what the classes are like, who the instructors, and what the instructors qualifications are. Also the general price, although thats not in websites a lot either. Granted, I will probably find out most of that information once I actually visit, but if I'm looking at 3 or 4 schools, I'd rather figure out which one is most appealing before I spend an hour going to each one (or going and finding out they're not open because their schedule isn't online, which happened multiple times)

 

[JowGaWolf]

I made the website for my gym: Four Seasons Martial Arts

It's WordPress, free hosting, free theme. The only thing I pay for is the domain name, $18/year.

I don't actually like a lot of the specific "martial arts school" themes I see out there. They look cheesy to me and make it difficult to find the information I'm looking for. I just want a clean design which allows me to put the relevant info out there in an easy to read format. For that I'm pretty happy with what I have.

Your theme isn't mobile friendly. Does it affect how many people contact you through the website?

 

[kuniggety]

Your theme isn't mobile friendly. Does it affect how many people contact you through the website?

Works just fine on my iPhone...

 

[JowGaWolf]

I personally believe martial art club websites are becoming obsolete in my area at least. Any recent gym or school I've found has been through Facebook. It's more accessible as all you need is a search on it and it can be updated easier and used to promote better and has an automatic function where people can message you and can post photos and videos and statuses for promotion for the place and to update what's happening with the place

I've noticed this trend as well. I'm not a big fan of using Facebook to take the place of school website. I wouldn't recommend it for any that runs a business or organization.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Works just fine on my iPhone...

I'm on an android phone. Android makes it look like a mini version of what we see on desktop or laptop computers.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Works just fine on my iPhone...

I got on my desktop computer and check to see if it resized as I browser window and it it didn't resize. Here's another way to test if your website is mobile friendly.
https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly

 

[Steve]

I got on my desktop computer and check to see if it resized as I browser window and it it didn't resize. Here's another way to test if your website is mobile friendly.
https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly

That's a cool tool.

 

[Steve]

I did mine myself and I'm thinking ahead to a new design (I am no designer). Mine is all HTML5/CSS3 and fully responsive. In another thread you and I bantered about the utility of something like Joomla to provide some non-public facing functionality in the background and I would be interested in that.

www.shortbridgeaa.com

What would you use joomla for?

And Jow ga, you have a typo on your front page. Times are chaning.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I did mine myself and I'm thinking ahead to a new design (I am no designer). Mine is all HTML5/CSS3 and fully responsive. In another thread you and I bantered about the utility of something like Joomla to provide some non-public facing functionality in the background and I would be interested in that.

www.shortbridgeaa.com

That's a really long list.
I'll start with the quick answer. This links contains extensions that can be used to add features to Joomla. Joomla! Extensions Directory
Once on the page you can click on the areas that interest you to see the options available. Once you see something you like, I may be able to tell you more about it and how it would help your school or some other non-martial art plan that you have.

The biggest advantage of WordPress and Joomla is that they both allow you to easily manage website content and to increase the functionality of the website without having to know HTML5 or CSS3. Joomla and WordPress handles this for you. This means that more time can be spent on managing the website and adding content.

I really don't know where to start because there is so much that can be done. I recently updated my website and added new features.
www.jowgakfa.com
Here are the features that website has.

• Animated Banner
• Newsletter with statics (example, shows how many people opened my newsletters).
• Advertising Banners
  
• Tables and charts
• Online store (not up and running yet)
• Online Event Booking
• FAQs
• Media Library (image, video, audio)
• Online Donation
• Online Membership Subscription (so students can pay for classes online)
• Services Booking (allows me to offer private classes. People pick a date and I show up).
• Project Management System.(helps me keep organize with projects that I work on without schools)

It might not seem like a lot but these things are valuable for those who visit the website. I didn't need to know much HTML beyond posting a youtube link.

Here's an example of my FAQS, Free Trial Sign Up, Calendar and Location Map
Free Kung Fu Classes
http://www.jowgakfa.com/kungfu/martial-arts-classes/free-trial-period
Class Schedule. This is running off an excel table.
Jow Ga Kung Fu Georgia
http://www.jowgakfa.com/kungfu/jow-ga-kung-fu-academy-locations/jow-ga-kung-fu-georgia-usa
This is a comparison chart that I made to compare Jow Ga kung fu with other Martial Art Systems /Schools in our area. It's not a Bar Chart and I think people will find it useful. The charts were make so that people can find a Martial Arts that fits what they are most interested in.
Martial Arts Comparison Charts
http://www.jowgakfa.com/kungfu/martialarts-articles/31-martial-arts-comparison-charts