Case Study

Excel Martial Arts

A conversion-focused martial arts studio website built with web design, technical SEO, and proprietary CMS integration, designed to drive class sign-ups and showcase a growing community of over 1,100 medal-winning students.

Web Design Technical SEO CMS Integration

Visit Live Site Start a Similar Project

excelmartialarts.com

Client

Excel Martial Arts

Industry

Fitness & Martial Arts

Services

Web Design, Technical SEO, Proprietary CMS Integration

Region

Washington, PA

The Challenge

A Growing Martial Arts School with No Digital Footprint

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.

The Solution

Conversion Design, Local SEO, and Full CMS Independence

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.

Key Features

What Was Built

Every feature was designed to serve a specific business goal, from driving trial sign-ups to improving local search visibility.

Conversion-Optimized Design

The $30 introductory offer and "Request More Information" CTA appear throughout the site. Multiple conversion paths, program pages, schedule view, pricing section, guide parents and adult students toward signing up.

Technical SEO & Local Search

LocalBusiness structured data, service-specific schema markup, and location-targeted meta optimization for "karate Washington PA," "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu near me," and related high-intent martial arts search queries.

Proprietary CMS Integration

Full content management capabilities allowing the team to update class schedules, add programs, publish blog posts, and manage pricing independently, no developer dependency for routine updates.

Program Showcase by Age Group

Organized program pages covering Intro to Martial Arts (3–5), Kids Karate (6–12), Family Karate (6+), Adult Karate (13+), Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, and Women's Self Defense, each with schedules and descriptions.

Social Proof & Achievement Display

Testimonials from parents and students, a photo gallery of classes and tournaments, and a prominent showcase of 1,128+ tournament medals to build trust and credibility with prospective families.

Mobile-First Responsive Design

Optimized for parents browsing on phones during commutes or between activities, with tap-to-call, schedule viewing, and program browsing that works flawlessly on any screen size.

Results

Measurable Impact

Concrete results backed by performance data, numbers that directly affect enrollment and business growth.

90+

Google Lighthouse
Performance Score

<2s

Average Page
Load Time

100%

Mobile-Friendly
Google Test Pass

Server-Side
Vulnerabilities

Performance: The site consistently scores 90+ across Google Lighthouse categories (Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, SEO). Google's Core Web Vitals initiative rewards sites meeting these thresholds with ranking preference, directly improving visibility for local martial arts searches.

Local Search Visibility: Structured data markup and location-optimized content target key phrases including "karate classes Washington PA," "kids martial arts near me," and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Pennsylvania." Businesses appearing in the top local pack positions capture the majority of clicks, driving consistent trial sign-up inquiries.

Content Independence: The proprietary CMS integration gives the Excel team full autonomy over their site content. They manage schedules, programs, blog posts, and pricing independently, eliminating ongoing developer costs and keeping the site current as their class offerings evolve.

Technology

Tech Stack

Frontend & Build

HTML5 / CSS3 JavaScript Responsive Design

CMS & Content

Proprietary CMS Dynamic Content Management

SEO & Performance

Structured Data (JSON-LD) Open Graph / Twitter Cards Local Business Schema Core Web Vitals

Client Feedback

Betto understood exactly what our martial arts school needed, a site that captures the energy of our classes, makes it easy for parents to find us online, and gives us the freedom to update schedules and content on our own. Since launch, we've seen a noticeable increase in trial sign-ups coming through the website.

Excel Martial Arts

Karate & Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Washington, PA

← Previous All Projects Start Your Project Next → View More Work

Ready to Build Something Similar?

Get a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your project. Whether you need a fitness studio website, local SEO optimization, or a CMS that gives you full control over your content, I'll help you understand your options.

Reach Out for a Free Consultation