Working with Motorsport UK

As the national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheeled motorsport in the UK, it is imperative that Motorsport UK has an industry-leading website experience that allows them to successfully communicate and engage with each and every one of their stakeholders.

Representing competitors, volunteers, clubs, and fans alike, Motorsport UK aims to share their passion for four-wheeled motorsport and look to inspire even more people to participate in the sport.

So having a website that can support this vision, isn’t just a requirement, it’s a necessity.

Where it all began

mso started working with Motorsport UK way back in 2012 when they were formerly known as the MSA.

The first project that we worked on together was the GoMotorsport website, a joint venture between Motorsport UK and the Motorsport Industry Association, known in the industry as the MIA.

The GoMotorsport website served as a one-stop-shop for competitors, volunteers, and spectators alike, who are looking to access information about various types of motorsport, from rally to karting, the associated costs that come with it and how to find a club or event.

What we have been doing since

Since the first release of the Motorsport UK website back in 2014, we have worked with the Motorsport UK, providing ongoing support and making multiple iterations and improvements along the way, to ensure that their website presence is at the forefront of digital change within their community.

Following a significant rebrand in 2018, we were presented with not only new brand assets but also a change to the organisation’s focus and ethos. This required the mso team to work closely and collaboratively with all at Motorsport UK, to create a new website design that not only complimented the new branding, but that also communicated the updated company values and mission statement too.

The role of the website

Motorsport UK is the industry’s primary hub for all motorsport related news and information, and as such, the website has several key functions that support this notion. It’s primarily an information resource for volunteers, spectators and competitors alike, but it also provides a platform to help their members with license renewals, access to regulatory information as well as industry guidance.

The main objective of the website though is to inform, engage, and share their passion for motorsport that many others have in the UK. Many believe that competing or partaking in motorsport is out of reach and unrealistic, so the website is perfectly positioned to truly change this perception, by delivering inspirational and accessible content to showcase that this is an inclusive sport for everyone.

As with many sporting associations, increasing member engagement and driving new member acquisition is of the highest importance. The online community the website has created truly helps motorsport clubs across the UK to grow and expand their following. There is an abundance of online resources aimed at assisting members on a vast array of different subjects and issues.

The website serves a wide range of stakeholders, such as spectators, officials, marshalls, competitors, and those with a general interest in the sport.

Positioning Motorsport UK as a digital leader in the sport

With a renewed focus for Motorsport UK, the website they had at the time did not appropriately reflect their new brand. We aimed to create a professional and clean website design that focused on clear user journeys, allowing website visitors to access the content they were seeking easily and quickly.

To deliver an appropriate user experience for the multitude of audiences, key audience groups and user journeys needed to be mapped, with clear and visible signposting to direct the visitor onto the next stage of their journey.

As soon as the website loads, you are greeted with the latest news and updates from the motorsport industry, presented through a tiled news and announcements area. A dynamic social wall pulls in posts and feeds from reputable sources within the sector, updating regularly, so that no visit to the homepage is ever the same.

Once you move into the website and visit an internal content page, the pages are full width and white space has been utilised to allow for editable components that allow Motorsport UK to tailor every content page to its purpose.

The result – a modern website with a commercial edge that is dynamic and engaging, to reflect the dynamism of motorsport.

Industry-leading features and functionality

Utilizing a social wall on the homepage allows Motorsport UK to set and define what social media platforms to pull information from. Social media accounts can be added and removed very easily within the WordPress CMS. All posts pulled can be monitored and removed on an individual basis by an approved member of the Motorsport UK team.

Similarly, the news and announcements wall once again pulls information through to the homepage but provides the flexibility to remove individual articles and posts as and when required. Video content can also be added, which will play once you hover over the component too.

With a built-in media gallery within their WordPress CMS, Motorsport UK has a variety of scalable and editable components where they can use image, video, and gif media files to signpost to other pages and areas of the website or they can be used for advertising space.

An online member directory now replaces the dated paper-based countered, with advanced filtering and search functionality so that members can easily find the business they’re looking for. New categories and members can be added easily into the CMS so that the directory can be grown.

What does the future bring?

We work very closely with the Motorsport UK team to ensure that the website is managed and maintained, on an easy to use and highly intuitive WordPress CMS.

The scalability and flexibility of the platform allows us to create and add new features as we go, effectively future-proofing the website.

As the leading membership association and governing body for four-wheeled motorsport, you can expect Motorsport UK to continue to position itself at the forefront of digital change and we’re excited to be able to continue to work with them and see what the future may hold.

The clients perspective

“At the end of 2019, mso helped us design and build a brand new website, which fitted our new vision and brand identity perfectly.

The whole process was smooth and efficient and we are really pleased with the outcome – it’s very well suited to the dramatic image-led sport we work in.

No question was ever inconvenient and I am sure they had to answer them twice, so I got my head around the finer details! Working with mso is always a real pleasure and now our relationship helps us to maintain, improve and develop our website to the highest of standards.”

– Ben Buesnel, Communications Manager at Motorsport UK.