Pick your platform!
The best platforms according to your website goals.
Now you have a clear goal and a domain set up, you have the hard task of picking a platform. It’s easy to get option paralysis and settle for the most well known or familiar choice, but stick to your goal. If you are building a community, you will be after a platform that has communication, with signup tools and member management at the forefront. Businesses, such as a retailer, on the other hand, will be after a platform that allows product & service management. This is pretty daunting so we have helped to narrow it down for you depending on your goal.
Our website builder is a great place to start if you are looking for sports catered option, however here is our breakdown of the best platforms according to your goals/website function.
For businesses:
Shopify is the perfect platform for business-focused goals. It has great tools for retail and marketing. Product management is the backbone of Shopify, but if you have a service that requires commerce management, look no further.
IDEAL FOR: Sport Retailers & Services
For communities:
There are a number of platforms specifically designed for clubs & organisations. A google search for website platforms in your region should help you find the local options for you. If you have other clubs and schools nearby, see if they are also using a platform like this, as it could be a great option and a great way to have the same system as other clubs.
These platforms usually provide some solutions that are more tailored for your specific needs as a basketball club. However they are usually not as simple to set up and design by a non-professional as other platforms – so if you’re after a DIY solution, these may not suit. All of these providers offer setup and support packages at pretty reasonable prices. There are definitely benefits to being a part of your local ecosystem, but sometimes it’s worth taking a risk and trying a different solution, and you might just stand out.
Other examples include:
sporty.co.nz
Sportsengine.com
Sportsplus.app
Teamsnap.com
IDEAL FOR: Clubs & Organisations
For the look:
Squarespace and Wix are the go-to here. Both platforms are extremely popular in the design world and their simplicity and ease of use make a simple site very manageable and effective. They both have a wide range of templates to choose from that are a great place to start. You can pick one and swap out your brand and imagery, and be up and running in no time. If you have a bank of great imagery these platforms are great for producing a visually driven website.
IDEAL FOR: Photographers, Athlete Profiles, Sport Services
For niche organisations:
For those with niche goals and technological know-how, you can save a lot of website costs by creating a WordPress site, however, this takes expertise. WordPress sites are highly customisable and often need to be designed and coded and can be very tricky. This is not for the faint of heart.
IDEAL FOR: Sports Tech
For organisational help:
Less of a website platform, but a great tool to work in tandem, Tidy HQ is a Membership organisation platform, and could be part of the solution for you. Website platforms often have plugins that can help with different types of management, but sometimes tools like this are best and leave the website to do what it does best and bring in members.
Did you know? Selecting a platform is Step 3 of our Quick-start Guide for getting your .basketball site online.
