Most clubs already use a Facebook page or a WhatsApp group, and many wonder whether they also need a website. The honest answer is that each tool does a different job. Using the wrong one for a job is what causes the problems: the group chat that is also the club's only record, or the Facebook page that is the only thing a newcomer can find. This guide compares the three and suggests a simple combination.
At a glance
| Job | Website | Facebook page | WhatsApp group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Being found by newcomers searching on Google | Strong | Patchy | None |
| Quick chat between existing members | Weak | Moderate | Strong |
| Posting news and photos | Good | Strong | Moderate |
| Holding permanent information (fees, constitution, contacts) | Strong | Weak | Weak |
| Reaching people who are not already members | Good, if found | Good, if they use Facebook | None |
| You control the content and the data | Yes | No, the platform does | Partly |
| Ongoing effort | Low once set up | Moderate | Can be heavy |
This table is a general view, not a measurement. How well each works depends on your area, your members and how well you use it.
The website: your permanent shop window
A website is the one place you own. It does a few things that the other two cannot:
- It can be found by people who do not know you yet. Someone searching for a club near them may see your site in results. They cannot see inside a private WhatsApp group, and a Facebook page may or may not appear. Our guide to getting your club found on Google explains the basics.
- It holds the answers. Where and when you meet, what it costs, how to join, who to contact, your constitution and safeguarding information. These should not live in a chat that scrolls away.
- It looks established. Funders, councils, venues and sponsors often check for a website before they take a group seriously.
- It does not depend on a platform's decisions. Pages and groups can change how they work, show you to fewer people or be removed, and you have little say.
Its weaknesses are plain. A website does not push notifications, so people have to visit or be told. It also needs to be kept up to date; an out-of-date website is worse than none. Setting it up used to be the main barrier, but a small club's needs are modest: see how to make a club website and what pages a community group website needs.
The Facebook page: reach and sharing
A Facebook page is good for posting updates and photos and for being shared by members. It is free, many people already use it, and events pages are handy for reminders.
Where it falls short:
- Not everyone is on Facebook, and some people actively avoid it. You will miss them.
- Reach is controlled by the platform. Not every follower sees every post, and the rules change from time to time.
- It is poor for permanent information. Opening times and fees buried in old posts are hard to find. Visitors without an account can run into prompts to log in.
- You do not own it. If an admin leaves or the account has a problem, access can be hard to recover. Always have at least two admins.
- Privacy. Posting photos of members, especially children, needs permission, and Facebook's tagging features can expose people. See what to put on your safeguarding page.
If the Facebook page is the only way people can find you, it is worth thinking about the risk. Our guide to moving your club off Facebook covers when and how, and it does not assume you should abandon it.
The WhatsApp group: fast chat for people who already know you
A WhatsApp group is excellent for what it was built for: quick conversation between a small number of people who already know each other. Lift shares, "who is bringing the nets?", last-minute venue changes and "running late" messages all work well there.
Where it falls short:
- It is invisible to newcomers. Nobody can find a private group. People have to know someone to be added.
- Information is buried. Important announcements get pushed up by chat and are hard to find later.
- Everyone sees everyone's phone number when they join a group, unless settings protect it. For a club, that is personal data you are responsible for in some circumstances, and you should have members' agreement. See GDPR for small clubs and charities.
- Moderation is on you. Long or heated threads, people muting the group, and the admin who is asked for everything. Large groups become hard to manage.
- Admin continuity. If the one admin leaves or loses their phone, the group's history and membership go with them.
- Children and safeguarding. Adults messaging under-18s in a group chat creates risk. Your governing body may have rules about messaging juniors, so check them.
WhatsApp also offers broadcast-style features such as channels, but they have their own limits and you should check current functionality yourself before relying on them.
So which should we use?
For most clubs, a combination with clear roles:
- Website for permanent facts: what we do, when and where, how to join, fees, contact, constitution, policies, news archive.
- Email for official messages and the newsletter. See how to write a club newsletter and PECR rules for club emails.
- Facebook page (optional) for photos, event reminders and sharing, with a link back to the website.
- WhatsApp group (optional) for day-to-day chat between members who want it, with a rule that official decisions are also posted on the website or sent by email.
The principle: the website is the source of truth, and the others point to it. A simple test: if the Facebook page and WhatsApp group vanished tomorrow, could a new member still find out when you meet and how to join? If not, you need a website.
Common problems and fixes
- "Everything is in the WhatsApp group." Copy the permanent facts (dates, rules, contacts) to a page on the website and pin a link.
- "One person runs the Facebook page." Add a second admin now.
- "Older members aren't on either." Keep email and, if needed, a printed sheet. Do not make joining or paying depend on one platform.
- "We cannot keep the website up to date." Keep it small. Fewer pages, and a note with an owner for each. Our guide to handing over a club website shows how to share the job.
Getting a website without a big project
A club website does not need to be large. A home page, a "what we do and when" page and a contact or join page cover the first job. Natterio is a free AI website builder for UK clubs: the free plan gives you a live 3-page site on a Natterio subdomain with no card needed, and paid plans start from £7 a month. It is one option; our comparison of free club website builders covers others and says where each fits.
The key is not the tool you choose but that your club has a stable home online that someone other than the current chair can find and update.