In the backroom of an old clubhouse, there’s a room full of boxes piled high. To get to the back of the room, you’ll step past boxes marked ‘old photos’, trophies that mark glory days gone by & the box of unsold Christmas merchandise. You’ll look past an old bar that used to host 1st grade kick ons to the early hours and served cold beer to tired faces after a flood…and there you’ll see a nondescript box sitting by itself. It sits plainly off to the side, lid closed and tightly bound. 

When you look close enough you’ll see it doesn’t seem to belong here but your curiosity has you exploring further…written on the side you see the words ‘WEBSITE’. 

And you can’t help but wonder why such an important part of the club sits in such an unused corner of the world… 

It’s a familiar story and it’s one that we’ve come to see time and time again. In clubs of all shapes and sizes. But it’s also no secret that clubs (the world over), of all shapes and sizes, that invest in their own ‘infrastructure’ are the most sustainably successful. Infrastructure, it shouldn’t be misunderstood, takes on many forms and not just the physical but also the digital form.

With limited budgets, there are often competing priorities when it comes to how club funds are invested each year. But the opportunity that sits within a club’s website should not be overlooked as a stepping stone to growing success and financial stability.

A common misconception is what is the clubs ‘owned’ infrastructure. 

The lines are blurred

The reality is at this point, we can’t easily separate the perception of social media as an asset vs our own website as an asset. Indeed, we have built our social proof around the stories we share on social media and for many clubs the perceived size is tied to how many followers they have. 

But a social media feed should be seen as the grand stand and not the digital clubhouse itself. It’s limited in its functionality and it’s not a platform we will ever be in control of.

Much the way social media has been intended, posts and stories are fleeting and hard to find when you want to spend an indulgent window of time getting up to date on what’s happening at your local club. Instead, WhatsApp groups are bursting with an overflow of notifications trying to find out the latest, and this is often done so at the risk of a message being lost (or lost in translation!). All the while, social media platforms continue to tailor their algorithms to finesse who sees (and who doesn’t see) a message based on the needs of their business.

A social media feed is very distinctly your ‘earned’ asset, it is not your owned asset. 

The limitations of 3rd party platforms

There are a plethora of third-party platforms to support event ticketing, game-day communications, and merchandise sales, but the question to ask is, in utilising this platform, am I directing people away from my club? And if the answer is yes, then it’s worth reassessing if there’s a way you can achieve the same outcome by bringing people into your club, your club website. 

This is precisely why we created Clubland – a comprehensive platform that keeps everything under your club’s roof. With Clubland, you maintain complete control over your digital presence while gathering valuable data insights to guide future decision-making. Every interaction, from ticket sales to merchandise purchases, happens within your club’s digital space.

Websites can’t be built and not maintained

Like any building, traditional websites can’t be built and then left. They need regular tending to – updates, site maintenance, and security checks – particularly if you’re a club that has an online store and thus takes on consumer data. Many clubs undertake website upgrades without considering how the website will be maintained, leading to costly rebuilds every few years.

Clubland solves this challenge by providing continuous updates, maintenance, and security measures as part of our service. Your club’s digital presence stays fresh, secure, and current without requiring additional technical expertise or resources from your team.

The storytelling opportunity is immense

The local community values clubs, and the local community looks to the club for updates. But when community members are not in the social media channels of choice (and less and less are!) messages may go unheard and unseen. The natural first and best place for those broadcast communications is a club website. Supported by amplifying that message through your earned channels (social media).

Clubland’s platform is built with storytelling at its core. Whether it’s long-form articles about club history, short announcements about upcoming events, or showcasing sponsor partnerships, our platform makes it easy to create, organise, and share your club’s story. Just like the physical walls of your club capture honour boards and photos of great moments, Clubland’s digital walls preserve and celebrate your community’s legacy.

Your digital clubhouse awaits

So, as you pick up that box in the back of the old clubhouse marked ‘WEBSITE’’, ‘ you turn and head out, stop by the trophy cabinet to reflect. Grab a few of the unsold stubby coolers. Scoop up the photo album, and as you walk through the room full of memories, think more about the idea that has come to mind…how does one bring this great place to life using the digital walls you already own?

With Clubland, you don’t have to figure it out alone. We’ve built a platform that understands the unique needs of clubs, combining easy-to-use tools with powerful features that grow with your community. It might just be the start of the greatest chapter your club has seen yet.

Ready to bring your club’s digital presence out of the back room? Email enquiries@clubland.net.au to learn how we can help.