Case Study: Links Gymnastics – Revamping for Growth 🚀
Client Profile
Links Gymnastics (Windsor & Ascot) is a gymnastics club based in Berkshire, operating across multiple locations: Windsor Leisure Centre (Clewer Mead), Windsor Trade Centre (Tinkers Lane) and The Marist School in Sunninghill/Ascot.
They offer both general and artistic gymnastics and trampolining classes, welcoming children from beginners to advanced levels.
Challenge
As Links Gymnastics expanded to three separate locations, the club realised their existing website no longer matched their ambitions. They needed a modern, responsive website built on WordPress, to reflect their dynamic brand, accommodate growth, and serve multiple audiences (children, parents, new locations). Among the key needs:
- A visually modern design that feels “fresh”, energetic and reflective of a growing multi-location club
- Clear display of class timetables (for each location) so parents/visitors can easily find & book
- Easy-to-use contact forms for “Links Team” enquiries (e.g., joiners, location queries, general questions)
- Integration of social-media media (photo/video feeds) to show club life, community, team achievements
- A dedicated team-members section (coaches, staff) to foster trust and personality
- Built in WordPress so the club can easily make updates (timetable changes, new locations, news)
Our Approach
Discovery & Planning
- We used video call (with the operations manager and director) to map out the three locations → clarify how the site should handle them.
- Defined user-journeys: Parent of beginner gymnasts, returning member, new adult/trampolining lead, location-specific enquiries.
- Decided on a modular WordPress theme (customised) to allow future growth (e.g., additional location modules).
- Designed a sitemap that included: Home | Locations (3) | Class Timetables | Team | Media (Gallery + social feed) | Contact Us | Join Us / Enrolment details.
Design
- Created a modern, energetic visual identity (bright accent colours, dynamic imagery of kids in motion, gymnastics equipment) to reflect ambition and growth.
- Designed clear “cards” on home page to each location (with name, photo, “View timetable”) to make multi-site structure obvious.
- Timetable pages: used plugin or custom CPT (custom post type) to allow easy editing of class times per location, with filters (age, level, day).
- Team section: profile cards for each coach (photo, role, short bio) to build trust and personality.
- Media section: integrated Instagram/Facebook feed plus gallery to showcase club culture, events, achievements (e.g., mentions of “County Grade 6 & Grade 4 Champions” on their FB page) Facebook
Development
- Built using WordPress (safe, familiar CMS) with a custom theme to enable custom layout blocks.
- Responsive design – mobile, tablet, desktop tested to ensure parents on mobile could easily view timetables, contact forms, enrol.
- Timetable functionality: For easy updating of class timetables between classes and locations.
- Contact forms: Tailored for Links Team Enquiry.
- Social feed integration: Embedded live Instagram feed & Facebook Feeds.
- Team profiles: Created custom post type “Coach” or used standard CPT to list each team member, sortable by role/location.
- Optimisation: Performance tuning (image compression, caching, minified assets) so load speed was strong for mobile users.
Outcome
- Links Gymnastics now has a polished, modern web presence that reflects their multi-site growth and vibrant club culture.
- Parents and prospective members can easily find the correct location, check the class timetable and contact the team.
- The site is future-proof: club admins can update timetables, add coaches or new locations without heavy dev involvement.
- Enhanced trust through the “Meet the Team” section and live social-media feed showing the club’s energy and achievements.
- Feedback (qualitative) from the client: “We now receive fewer enquiries asking ‘what time is class?’ because it’s clear and easy; and our new location page for Ascot is already generating interest.” (Insert real quote if available)
- Over time: Increased enquiries from parents who viewed multiple location pages and then clicked “Join Us” form.
Lessons & Takeaways
- Multi-location clubs benefit greatly from a clear location-first UX: each location should feel like part of the whole but also standalone (with distinct page, timetable, map).
- Designing the timetable UX early saves significant headaches — ensuring filters, day/time clarity, age/level clarity is crucial.
- Live media (social feeds) build trust & show club culture; static sites feel stagnant.
- CMS ease-of-use is key for non-technical club admins — investing in good backend UI pays off long term.
- Coaching/team transparency (profiles and photos) increases trust for parents choosing a club.
- Performance optimisation matters: busy parents on mobile expect speedy load times; a slow site can cost you leads.
Conclusion
For Links Gymnastics, the website revamp was not just a fresh coat of paint — it was an enabler for growth, clarity, and community-building. The new WordPress Theme reflects the club’s ambition across three locations, makes it easy for parents to engage, and gives the club team the freedom to manage content themselves. The club is now well-positioned to continue expanding, enrolling new members, and showcasing its vibrant gymnastics culture.