2023
Steel City FC’s journey to 5,000 monthly users with a smarter website.
Overview
When Steel City FC was formed through a merger of two clubs in 2021, their website reflected the growing pains of that transition—disorganized, confusing, and difficult to navigate.
As the club grew, it became clear that the site needed an overhaul to better serve its diverse audiences: youth players and parents, adult players, and a growing base of local soccer fans.
With my background as a soccer coach, player, and fan, I understood these distinct needs and developed a versatile, user-friendly site that balanced recruitment, ticket sales, and community engagement.
The result was a streamlined, engaging platform that not only improved user experience but also supported the club’s growth.
Since the launch, Steel City FC's website traffic has more than doubled, with an average of 5,000 active users and 18,000 page views per month—peaking during spring and early summer when the site sometimes exceeds 5,000 views in a single day. Membership has steadily increased, and supplemental programs now consistently reach full capacity.
WordPress
Copy
Design
Strategy
Brand
Challenge
Project Background: Steel City FC is one of the few soccer organizations in Pittsburgh to offer both youth and adult programs. Their original site struggled to communicate the club’s breadth and depth, creating confusion and missing opportunities to engage potential members.
The Problem: The cluttered design made it hard for visitors to find information, while outdated navigation led to missed registrations and frustrated parents. The site needed to serve multiple audiences with distinct needs and goals.
Goals and Objectives:
Develop a clear, cohesive website structure to accommodate all programs.
Enhance the club's online presence to reflect its professionalism and ambition.
Increase engagement, registrations, and ticket sales.
Make the site easy to manage for club administrators.
Process and Insight
I collaborated closely with the club's leadership to map the visitor journey and identify pain points. Our insights revealed three core user groups—youth program families, adult players, and fans—and the need to design intuitive paths for each.
The insight: Simplicity drives engagement. We focused on clear navigation and prominent calls to action for registrations, ticket sales, and event details.
Solution
The redesigned site serves as an accessible hub for all things Steel City FC:
Simplified Navigation: A fixed side menu provides constant access to key pages without overwhelming users.
Distinct Program Sections: Tailored content areas address the needs of youth, adult, and fan audiences.
Engaging Visuals: Dynamic layouts and vibrant images showcase the club's energy and professionalism.
Scalable Infrastructure: Global elements and streamlined templates make future updates seamless.
Results
The website now provides Steel City FC with a professional, reliable online home that supports the club’s growth while offering visitors a seamless experience—whether they’re signing up for a youth program, purchasing match tickets, or learning more about Pittsburgh’s premier soccer club.
Surging Traffic: Website traffic more than doubled, with an average of 5,000 active users and 18,000 page views per month.
Program Success: Supplemental programming now regularly sells out.
Membership Growth: The club continues to see steady membership growth, surpassing 1,500 players in 2024.
Local Performance: Site activity surged locally in Pennsylvania, with 80,000+ page views and 20,000 users in 2024.
Improved User Experience: Parents and players report finding information more easily, reducing administrative inquiries.