7 Website Mistakes That Cost Membership Organisations Members

 

Your organisation's website is crucial for attracting and retaining members, yet common website mistakes can deter potential sign-ups and disengage existing members. Avoid pitfalls like incorrect image sizing, slow loading times, outdated design, and a lack of mobile responsiveness. Furthermore, ensure your website has compelling content and a seamless online membership sales process to convert visitors into active members, ultimately driving club growth and association engagement.

The first website ever created was for CERN in 1991, followed by the World Wide Web Virtual Library in 1992. In 1993, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor, made the World Wide Web software public domain and open source, allowing anyone to create their own website, and it’s all been downhill from there. 

 

 

Who could have foreseen that this website would be the start of the internet as we know it?

We use the internet for everything from ordering food, communicating with friends and family, being duped by conspiracy theories, and crucially, finding and joining the clubs and associations we want to be a part of. 

When I wanted to join a rock climbing club, I didn’t walk to the base of my nearest cliff in the hope of meeting someone handing out membership cards; I googled “rock climbing clubs near me”. The point here is clear: your website is often the very first impression potential members get of your association, and it's frequently one of the main ways they interact with you. Because of this, ensuring your club or association’s website is as good as possible is super important; otherwise, you risk turning members away. 

So today, let’s look at the most common mistakes people make with their websites, so you don't fall into the same traps.

1. The Wrong Image Size

Let’s start off nice and easy with a really simple one. Images are a great asset to any website; they capture and hold attention, break up lumps of text and help illustrate points. As you can see, the photo below draws the eye, breaks up the text and intrigues the reader. 

 

 

That is a Eunice aphroditois, a nearly three-meter-long worm that uses its jaws to literally bite fish in half. Why it’s named after the goddess of love, I have no idea; its common name of the Bobbit worm is less mysterious. Yes, it is named after that Bobbit. Seriously, scientists, are you alright? Both those names are wild.  

My point is that photos are a fantastic addition to any website, but their size is absolutely crucial. If your images are too large, they will drastically slow down your website's load time. This is a significant problem; in today's world of micro attention spans, your website needs to be fast to keep visitors engaged. So, always ensure the photos on your site aren't so large that they drag down your entire website's performance. For more information on sizing your images correctly and how to make them lower resolution without making them look worse, check out Image Sizing Guide: Keep Your Club Website Loading Quickly.

2. The Wrong Amount Of Copy On Your Website

Your website needs words; that’s just a fact, but having the right amount of words is key. Unfortunately, knowing how many words to have is a little tricky because it depends on how new you are as a brand and how well known you are. Essentially, the longer you've been around and the more recognisable you are, the less you might need to say, as existing brand knowledge does a lot of the "selling" for you. Below is an example of this in practice, comparing the Nike website to the Asics website. 

 

 

Asics, as a challenger brand, is talking more about their product; they are talking about the cushioning technology, how it helps, and they are explaining why their shoes are worth buying. Nike is just naming products; there is no other writing, they don’t even say their name at the top, they just have the swoosh. 

As a club or association, you likely won't have the instant brand recognition of a global giant like Nike. Therefore, you'll generally need more copy on your website. You must clearly explain who you are, what you do, and the tangible benefits people will gain if they sign up for a membership. As a "brand" with less pre-existing consumer knowledge, you need to be comprehensive. 

Tell your potential members all about yourself, including:

• Your Mission and Values: What drives your organisation
• What You Offer: Detail the activities, events, resources, and community you provide.
• The Benefits of Membership: Go beyond features to explain why someone should join; what problems do you solve, or what passions do you foster?
• Your Unique Selling Proposition: What makes your club or association special or different from others?
• Success Stories or Testimonials: Show, don't just tell, the positive impact you have.

Use clear, engaging language to inform and persuade. Your website copy is your main opportunity to make a compelling case for why someone should become a part of your community. The more questions you answer on your website, the more likely people are to sign up to become members. 

Please remember that you are answering questions and explaining, not writing essays; keep your copy short, sharp and to the point. Be detailed but brief, explain but don’t linger. 

Having good explanatory copy on your website also helps improve your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Search engines like Google use the words within your website to work out what your website and its content are about, so it knows when to show you in search results. Having informative, helpful human-written content on your website will help search engines and, in turn, help your website rank higher in Google search results. 

3. Your Website Is Too Slow

We've already touched on this briefly, but a slow website is an absolute killer for member engagement. A study by Google in 2018 showed that 40% of people leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. I can only imagine that percentage is even higher now. Even if it isn't, do you really want nearly half of your potential members leaving your site immediately? Probably not. 

Besides annoying and driving away members, Google doesn’t like slow websites and will be less likely to recommend you to people searching. This means that your Google ranking will be affected, pushing you further down the page of search results and possibly onto the dreaded second page of Google. Seriously, so few people ever click on the second page of Google; if he were still alive, Rod Serling would be telling spooky stories about it. 

Besides excessively large images, several other factors can slow down website load speeds. These include:

• Large & Unoptimised Image/Video Files: Even if individually correct, too many unoptimised files can bog things down.
• Too Many HTTP Requests: This happens when your website has to load an excessive number of individual files like CSS stylesheets, JavaScript, and images.
• Poor Web Hosting: Slow servers or insufficient resources from your hosting provider can choke your site's performance.
• Poorly Built Website: Inefficient code or a cluttered design can inherently slow down loading.

Some of these factors are within your direct control, while others depend on the website platform you use and who hosts it. If you opt for a cheap website builder and host, you might find that the website they provide is poorly designed, has too many elements on each page, or is hosted ineffectively, all leading to frustratingly slow loading times. Or, even worse, the developer might not maintain it, meaning it might work well at first but slowly becomes sluggish and unreliable over time as no one is maintaining it behind the scenes.

So when it comes to choosing a website provider, ensure they have a good reputation, check if they keep their system and your website updated, and if you can have a look at other websites they built and host to see how quickly they load. 

Finally, remember the universal "Cheap, Quick, Quality" rule for any development project, including your website. This rule states that you can only realistically choose two of the three. If you choose a website that is cheap and quick to build, it often won't be high quality (which directly impacts its loading speed). If you choose quality and speed of development, it won't be cheap, and so forth. Investing wisely upfront in a quality, well-built, and properly hosted website pays dividends in long-term performance and member satisfaction.

 

 

4. Outdated Or Cluttered Design 

Your website needs to be up to date, easy to navigate and look visually appealing. If your site looks old, looks like no one has updated it in a long time, or is hard to navigate, people are just going to bounce off it and go elsewhere. As an example of this, here is the actual website for a James Bond Museum compared to the official website for the film series. 
 

Clearly, one of those is much nicer than the other. The museum's site loaded as one long scroll of all their information on a single page. This makes it look messy, hard to find what you're looking for, and takes too long to load as it attempts to pull all images and text at once. It's a prime example of how a website can unintentionally deter visitors, no matter how great the content might be. 

Beyond a cluttered or hard-to-navigate design, if your website hasn't been updated in a long time, it will also turn people away. People want to see that your website is being actively updated, with new posts, upcoming events, and just general signs of life and activity. People are more likely to sign up for a membership if they can easily see they will be joining a thriving, active community.

If you want more information on making your website look visually appealing, easy to navigate, and modern, check out this deep dive: Why Your Club Needs A Well-Designed Club Website. 

5. Your Website Doesn’t Work Properly On Phones

In 2025, 62.5% of all internet traffic is from mobile phones. Two in three people visiting your website will be on a mobile device. If your website doesn’t work on phones or isn't mobile responsive, you'll drive away potential members. 

The good news is that most reputable website builders today design their platforms to be mobile-responsive by default, automatically adjusting to fit any screen size. However, some cheaper options might not. So, it's crucial to double-check that any website provider you're considering offers mobile-responsive websites. For the record, all of Member Jungle's websites are fully mobile-responsive, plus we also provide a dedicated mobile app to make interacting with your organisation via phone even easier and more streamlined for your members. 

6. You Don’t Have An Online Membership Sales Process

One crucial lesson we can learn from e-commerce companies is the need for a clear, easy-to-follow sales path on your website. This applies just as much to clubs and associations. You need a well-defined journey that guides potential members from their first arrival on your homepage, through the awesome benefits of your membership, and finally to where they can effortlessly sign up and pay for memberships online.

In effect, when someone arrives on your homepage for the first time, it should clearly state who you are and what you do. From there, it should be easy for them to see and find more information about your activities, benefits, and events. The path to signing up should also be obvious; you don't want to make people dig through your website looking for details, because, frankly, most people just won’t bother.

Your website should have a prominent and intuitive navigation that clearly signposts the way to membership. This includes:

• Dedicated Membership Pages: Easily accessible pages that detail membership benefits, pricing, and different tiers.
• Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Strategically place buttons or links like "Join Now," "Become a Member," or "Renew Today' in your navigation so they are unobtrusive but always visible.
• A Streamlined Online Application Form: The sign-up process itself needs to be simple, quick, and fully online, with clear instructions and minimal steps.
• Secure Online Payment Options: Integrated payment gateways that allow members to pay their dues instantly and securely.

Without a well-thought-out online sales process, you're essentially putting up roadblocks for eager new members. Making it easy for them to join is key to converting interest into active participation.

7. Lack of Engaging Content

Finally, a good website needs to have something to say. It's no good having a lightning-fast site that looks great and is full of stunning images if it doesn't offer anything else. Your website needs compelling content like:

• Regular news/blog posts: Keep members informed and provide valuable insights.
• Event photos: Showcase past activities and the fun your members are having.
• How-to guides & educational resources: Offer practical value relevant to your club's passion.
• Member stories: Highlight individual experiences and build a sense of community.
• Details of upcoming events: Keep members excited about future activities.
• Integrated community features: Tools like group chats, forums, and a member directory encourage interaction.

All these elements will help show newcomers that your organisation is an active and thriving community. Engaging content keeps people involved and active within your organisation, which is key. Active members visit your site regularly, attend events, and are far more likely to renew their memberships.

8. Not Paying Attention To SEO Optimisation

Search engine optimisation, otherwise known as SEO, is the process of making your website as friendly as possible to search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, with the goal being to appear as high as possible in relevant search results. The higher your SEO ranking, the higher you appear in search results and the more website traffic you will get. 

Why SEO Matters for Your Club

Think back to the rock climbing club example from the introduction. The reason I found that club's website wasn't magic; it was SEO. Search engines like Google use the words and structure within your website to work out what your site is about. Having informative, helpful, and human-written content that uses relevant keywords will help search engines understand your purpose, so they know when to show you in search results. This is crucial for attracting new members who are actively searching for what you offer.

Key SEO Elements to Focus On

You don't need to be an SEO expert to make a difference. Focusing on these simple elements can drastically improve your website's ranking:

• Relevant Keywords: What words or phrases are people searching for to find a club like yours? For a climbing club, it's "rock climbing clubs near me." For a cycling association, it might be "Perth cycling association." Use these keywords naturally in your website copy, blog posts, and page titles.
• Quality Content: This links directly back to mistake number seven. Search engines love high-quality, valuable content. The more you write about your passion, your events, and your community, the more Google will see you as an authority in that space.
• Website Speed & Design: Search engines also reward websites that are fast-loading and mobile-responsive. This means the other mistakes we've covered are all also critical factors in your SEO ranking.

By paying attention to these basics, you can ensure your website is not only great for your members but also works hard to attract new ones.

How Member Jungle Can Help Solve These Problems

The good news is that Member Jungle’s membership management system and integrated website can solve nearly all of the common website problems we've discussed today. While we can't control content you don't add or images you upload that are too large, we do provide a fast, user-friendly website that is always updated. Crucially, it allows you to effortlessly manage all your membership renewals online, ensuring you avoid these common pitfalls and maintain a powerful, modern, and efficient online presence.

For more information about Member Jungle, please see How Does Member Jungle’s Membership Management System Work.

To see our ongoing commitment to keeping the system updated, modern, and powerful, read Member Jungle Product Releases: What It Means For Your Club.