Excel Martial Arts

Excel Martial Arts was founded in August 2021 by Master Noah McCracken, a third-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and a Certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructor, and his father, Matthew McCracken. Operating out of the Washington County Fairgrounds in Washington, PA, the school offers karate, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, and women's self-defense classes for students as young as 3 through adults.

Despite rapid growth, a passionate student base, and an impressive 1,128+ tournament medals, Excel Martial Arts lacked a website that matched the energy and professionalism of their in-person instruction. Parents searching for "karate classes near me" or "kids martial arts Washington PA" couldn't easily find them, and there was no streamlined way for prospective students to explore programs, view schedules, or sign up for the $30 introductory offer online.

The martial arts industry is highly local and competitive. According to the Martial Arts Industry Association, over 70% of new student inquiries come through online search. Without a search-optimized, conversion-ready website, Excel was leaving enrollment on the table, especially among parents researching kids' activities on mobile devices.

I designed a bold, energy-driven website that reflects the discipline and excitement of Excel Martial Arts' programs. The visual identity carries the school's competitive spirit, tournament imagery, student achievements, and a clear showcase of their 1,100+ medal legacy, while guiding prospective students toward action.

The site architecture was built around three conversion paths: program discovery (Karate, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Women's Self Defense broken down by age group), social proof (testimonials, gallery, tournament stats), and trial sign-up (the $30 first-month offer prominently displayed with a clear request-information flow on every page).

For technical SEO, I implemented structured data markup targeting high-intent local search queries like "karate classes Washington PA," "kids martial arts near me," and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Pennsylvania." Semantic HTML, location-specific meta tags, and a clean URL structure ensure search engines can properly index every program and schedule page.

The proprietary CMS integration gives the Excel team full control over their content. They can update class schedules, add new program pages, publish blog posts, manage testimonials, and update pricing, all without needing a developer for every change.