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What the best club websites do
18 sites reviewed in November 2026: famous BJJ academies, BC judo clubs and small-town grappling gyms. Scored on design, mobile, content, social proof, calls to action, schedule and pricing clarity, and how welcoming they are to beginners and kids.
Top scorers (out of 70)
| Site | Type | Score | Why it works |
|---|
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ | Famous BJJ, San Diego | 57 | One free-class button repeated four times, clear pricing, strong proof |
| PEAK Judo Club | Judo, Burnaby BC | 54 | Age-banded kids programs, KidSport and Jumpstart links, clear schedule |
| Gracie Barra | Global BJJ | 52 | Polished, consistent “Book your free class” everywhere |
| Lake Country Judo & MA | Small-town judo + BJJ, BC | 52 | Published prices, education content, printable assets |
| Mountain Jiu Jitsu | Small-town BJJ, Squamish | 51 | Nature-named programs, drop-in page, community life beyond the mat |
Fame didn't help: 10th Planet HQ scored 22. The nearest club to Clearwater, Grizzly Jiu Jitsu in Barriere (about 60 km), is social media only.
Patterns of the top 10%
- One first-class button, worded the same, in the hero, mid-page and footer.
- Split visitors early: kids by age band, adults, beginners.
- Explain the first class plainly: what to wear, waivers, parents can watch.
- Named coaches with ranks, certifications and lineage.
- Testimonials with real names, especially parents.
- A schedule and prices you can read at a glance, including federation fees.
What everyone does (so we don't)
- Red and black on about 13 of 17 sites. No one uses green, earth or nature colours.
- All-caps condensed headlines (Anton, Oswald, DIN Condensed). Zero sites use a serif or Japanese type.
- Superlatives like “#1” and “world champion instructors”, which a new club can't claim and shouldn't.
- Dark, high-contrast athlete photos that read as intimidating to parents. Stock photos that erode trust.
Where Clearwater can stand out
- Own the place: Wells Gray colours, real members in natural light, mountain views.
- “Two arts, one mat”: tell the shared Kanō → Maeda → Gracie story. No regional club does this well.
- Publish prices, family rates and any Judo BC fee. Link KidSport and Jumpstart.
- Teach on the site: Japanese terms, belt pathways, etiquette, “we teach falling first”. This is what the poster set does.
- Visitors page for resort guests, seasonal workers and fire crews.
- Rural practicalities: nearby communities, carpooling, winter driving, school-friendly times.
- Posters with QR codes and a printable first-class coupon.
- An honest small-club voice: certified, safe and welcoming, not superlative.
Mistakes seen on competitor sites
Lorem ipsum testimonials, booking widgets showing 2 AM classes, broken map embeds and leftover template links. Every placeholder on our preview sites is clearly marked TBC for that reason.
Full report with scores, colour and font maps and sources (Markdown)