A Facebook group is a fine place to start a club, but most clubs outgrow it. Posts get buried by the algorithm, anyone not on Facebook can't find you, and your years of history live on a platform you don't control. The good news: moving to a website you own doesn't mean abandoning Facebook or losing members.
Why clubs outgrow Facebook groups
- The algorithm hides your posts. Not everyone sees your training-time change or AGM notice.
- You can't be found on Google. New members searching for a club like yours won't land on a Facebook group.
- There's no proper home. Key information (how to join, your calendar, your policies) gets lost in the feed.
- You don't own it. If the rules change or the group is removed, your community goes with it.
- Not everyone is on Facebook. Some members never joined, some have left, and some parents or older members simply prefer not to.
How to move without losing anyone
1. Build your new home first
Set up your website before you announce anything. With an AI builder you can have a complete club site live in an afternoon. Add your essentials: who you are, when you meet, how to join, and a few news posts so it looks active.
2. Keep Facebook running
Don't delete your group. Facebook is still great for reach and casual chat. Keep it as a place people discover you, and point them to your website as your real home.
3. Recreate the group chat as a forum
The thing members love about the group is the conversation. A members' forum gives you that back, but searchable, permanent, and free of the algorithm. On Natterio the forum comes in on the Community plan (£14/mo).
4. Tell members, repeatedly
Announce the new site in the group, pin it, add the link to your group description, and mention it at sessions. People move at their own pace. A few reminders over a few weeks does it.
5. Link everything back
Put your website link in your Facebook group, your email signature, and any flyers. Over time, the website becomes the source of truth and Facebook becomes a feeder.
What to move, and what to leave
| On Facebook now | What to do |
|---|---|
| Pinned "how to join" post | Rewrite it as a page on your site |
| Session times and venue | Put on Home and Contact pages |
| Event posts | Move to an events or news section |
| Rules, code of conduct, policies | Publish as pages so they are easy to find and cite |
| Photos | Add a selection to the site, mindful of consent (see below) |
| Day-to-day chat | Keep on Facebook, or move to a members' forum |
| Old posts and history | Keep in the group; summarise the highlights on your About page |
A six-week timeline
Week 0. Agree who owns the project and the club email address that will own the accounts.
Week 1. Build the site and add the essentials. Ask two or three members to try it on their phones.
Week 2. Announce it in the Facebook group. Pin the post and update the group description.
Weeks 3 and 4. Post news and event details on the website first, then share the link on Facebook. Mention the site at sessions.
Weeks 5 and 6. Start pointing questions at the site ("it's on the website under Join"). Review who is still not reaching you and use another channel for them.
Checklist before you announce
- The site has Home, About and Contact with a working contact form.
- Your session times, venue and how to join are correct.
- You have a club email address, not a personal one.
- You have a privacy notice if you collect names or emails. See our GDPR guide for small clubs.
- Photos of identifiable people, especially children, have appropriate consent.
- Safeguarding information is easy to find if you work with young people or vulnerable adults.
- You have tested it on a phone.
Who this is for, and who it isn't
It suits you if your club is held back by missed posts, new members cannot find you, or you want a proper home for your information.
It may not be urgent if your club is tiny, everyone is happily on the group, and you never need to be found by strangers. Even then a simple three-page site is worth having, because it is free to try.
One thing to be honest about: a website does not automatically bring the Facebook conversation with it. If lively daily chat is the heart of your club, plan the forum or another chat channel deliberately.
Common mistakes
- Announcing before the site is ready. First impressions matter; build it first.
- Deleting the Facebook group. You lose your discovery channel and your history. Keep it.
- Announcing once. People miss things. Repeat it.
- Moving personal data casually. Do not export member lists from Facebook or copy phone numbers into a site without a clear basis and notice.
- Leaving the site to one person. Name a second admin and keep logins with a club address. See handing over a club website.
- Posting everything in both places. Pick one source of truth, the website, and link to it.
What you gain
A website you own, found on Google, on your own domain (see domains and email), with nothing hidden by an algorithm, plus a searchable forum, a proper events calendar, and your data under your control. See how it works for clubs. Not sure which builder? Start with our best free club website builder guide.
The bottom line
You don't have to choose between Facebook and a real website. Build your own home, keep Facebook as a feeder, and move your members across gently. Within a few weeks your club has a proper base it actually owns. Start free.