Northampton Judo Club
est. 1982
User-focused website design for
established sports club.
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“The results have exceeded our expectations.
In 2020 Northampton Judo Club commissioned the design and build of a new website from Matt Woch at AKW design. In the free initial consultation, I was immediately impressed by the attention to detail shown by Matt and his approach to fully understanding how our club worked and its marketing needs. This attention to detail was reflected in the final version of the website and I think it captured the essence of our club and what our ambitions are for it.
The other impressive thing about the website is the way it integrates data capture and provides an easy way of assessing the impact of the site and how we need to tweak it to be more effective. The results have exceeded our expectations - in the first quarter since the website went live the club has received 300% more inquiries than previously in the same time period which has resulted in encouraging rates of new junior and senior membership enquiries even during the lockdown.
I would have no hesitation in recommending akW dezign as the full package for both marketing and supporting business development.
Brian Atkins, Chair
Crafting a bespoke, on-brand website
From the very beginning of the project, our main goal was to communicate the benefits of judo as a sport and translate it into an informative, easy-to-navigate website.
Another objective was to present the Northampton Judo Club and their rich history of success and beautiful community behind it.
Mutual benefit and growth
The Northampton Judo Club was founded in 1982 by Brian Atkins and up to this day, it promotes sports and defence techniques for both adults and junior members. Moreover, the club and its’ members are committed to spreading awareness and the philosophy of judo that can be implemented not only during classes but also in every aspect of life.
Working with NJC was a great privilege for akW.
Sport for everyone,
website for everyone
Our mission was to create a website that is user-focused, easy to navigate and responsive on every device. Additionally, we wanted to smoothen the journey of the visitors and provide them with an easy way to find the information needed and contact or submit the free trial class booking.
Website accessibility was another (yet equally important) component of the project we focused on. We assured an equal experience for visitors with permanent or temporary disabilities and those relying on screen readers.
Cheerful and informational
The overall website was created in black & white tones with red accents, taking inspiration from the original logo of the club. However, for the kids’ section, we decided to go 180°and create a page and experience that suits the engaging and educational experience juniors obtain during the classes.
"What can I say, it’s brilliant. Well done. I have never seen this content which is aimed at parents on any other judo website. You have described the Judo philosophy in such a great way.
Dave Tompkins, co-founder.
Memberships and data tracking
On top of the UX-focused web design, we implemented a monthly membership set-up that automated the collection of the class fees.
Additionally, we assisted NJC in creating easy-to-follow processes to track the subscriptions and attendance of club members.
Accessible and fun
The biggest task for us was to understand the club’s values and rich history and transfer it into a functional website. We aimed to present the story and the community behind the club and educate about judo not only as a sport but also as a philosophy.
With two trained groups in mind - both senior and junior members, we created a website with amplified accessibility for people of all ages making sure that the readability and high contrast between the background and the font are achieved.
It was crucial to create a design that encourages all members to acquire knowledge both about judo itself, but the club, its’ members and a strong community of like-minded people.
Senior pages:
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Junior pages:
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Modern and clean design for an established judo club
We provided Northampton Judo Club with an accessible yet fun website that details their history and the strong and caring community they create.
Above all, the website educates about the advantages new members get from joining the club and practising judo. In the first quarter since the new, improved website went live, the club reported a swooshing 300% increase in enquiries, compared to the previous period.
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