NYC Footy · Case study

Betterplayer Website

A landing page to market and grow an adult soccer training program, built from interviews with its players. It grew the program to hundreds of players and drew in new coaches.

Role: Freelance Product Designer
Team: Me, the CEO, and 1 developer
Timeline: 4 months, launched March 2025
Platform: Web, desktop and mobile

40more first-class signups the season after launch

11more signups for the 9-week program the same season

5visual directions tested with the team and players before building

The problem

A great program nobody could see

Betterplayer runs coached group classes for adult rec players: the structured practice that usually only kids and pros get. I joined as a player after a few rough seasons, and got hooked.

But it was small and loosely run, organized over WhatsApp and marketed by email to NYC Footy players. The site didn’t say what made the classes good, or who they were for. Its pitch amounted to “sign up and check it out”, with no pricing, thin locations, and Instagram and reviews up top.

Before: the old landing page, a photo collage with one line, then where, programs and skill level — Before: the old landing page

Key decisions

The story first, then the style

Write for four kinds of player

What we learned: Talking to players in classes and in Footy leagues, most were in a weekly league, felt they weren’t doing well enough, and wanted pro coaching somewhere non-competitive, plus people to play with.
What I did: Four personas, then content goals from them: set expectations for newcomers, lead with improving your game and pro coaches, show each class type, and add pricing.

Meet the BetterPlayers: the First-Timer, the Drop-In, the Season Regular and the Passport Holder, each with a quote and traits

Agree on the story before the style

What we learned: The business side needed to sign off on what the page said, and in what order, before anyone debated how it looked.
What I did: A low-fidelity diagram of every section and its message, then the approved structure applied in the site’s existing look, so the content could be judged on its own.

The low-fidelity concept: each proposed section of the page in order, with its message — The structure in low fidelity, then in the existing look. Scroll either one

The new page structure built with the site's existing design system — The structure in low fidelity, then in the existing look. Scroll either one

Make it flashier, and let players choose

What we learned: The CEO liked the new sections and copy, but wanted something “flashier” than the existing look.
What I did: Five directions drawn from comparable brands, tested with Betterplayer HQ and 3 players. “Airy, Clean, Practical” won: solid colors over gradients, and content floating free instead of in “boxy” cards.

Airy, Clean, Practical. From financial and credit card sites: space to lay out the service plainly, with sections that flow into each other.

Airy, Clean, Practical

The solution

Practice for adults, led by expert coaches

Two rounds of iteration on the winning direction, mostly visual design and copy, with video from the Instagram and coach bios added at the CEO’s request.

The final landing page: hero, what a class covers, programs and pricing, coaches, locations, what to expect, videos and reviews — The final page. Hover or scroll to read it top to bottom

The page on a phone, scrolling through its sections — The final page. Hover or scroll to read it top to bottom

Sections answer each persona: what to expect at a first class, programs and pricing, and skill levels.
A coach carousel, location maps, and a video section, with interactions specified for the developer.
Mobile breakpoints for the 24% of visitors on phones.

Impact & reflection

More players through the door

The page launched in March 2025. More visitors scrolled to the bottom, used the coach carousel, and went from sections like “What to expect” straight to class pages. The next season brought 40 more first-class signups and 11 more 9-week program signups.

I’ve kept working with Betterplayer HQ since: Betterplayer Plus, an unlimited class membership, and a dashboard for players to track their classes. It’s the first time my design work has grown something I love, and I meet new players at classes who found it the way I did.

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