Mobile traffic and interest in curling is on the increase ©WCF

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has revealed a new website and social media channel that will allow it to improve its audience-reach around the globe and enhance the user experience for visitors.

The WCF experienced a "significant increase in traffic" to worldcurling.org in the lead up to, and since, the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

More users have also been consuming the website's content on mobile devices, with traffic averaging 1.5 million unique visitors, each season, since last year's Games.

This led to the appointment of Scottish-based marketing agency Blue2 Digital in February 2019.

Blue2 Digital has re-designed the website, enhanced its capabilities and cemented it as the central digital hub for the WCF. 

The new website is now fully responsive across all devices and has a host of improved features, including simplified navigation, a more precise search function, and enhanced categorisation and tagging so visitors can tailor content relevant to their country. 

The website also remains the place to find live, up-to-the-minute results data from championships.

The capabilities of the World Curling Federation's website have been improved ©WCF
The capabilities of the World Curling Federation's website have been improved ©WCF

These digital enhancements are the first implementation of the WCF's wider digital strategy. 

Other concepts and major projects, including the new World Curling Academy website and education materials, being built in partnership with the World Academy of Sport, are being developed.

Additionally, the WCF has deepened its media and marketing partnership with Infront Sports & Media by appointing its digital division, iX.co, to introduce its first Chinese social media channel, Sina Weibo.

With the next Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing less than three years away, the WCF sees this as an opportune time for it to enhance its communications capabilities in China, which have been restrictive up until now.

"Curling is a sport dedicated to excellence, inclusivity and precision, and, as a result, we are delighted to offer our curling family the best facilities to follow world championships, to keep up-to-date with curling news and have access to the resources we offer them to grow the game," WCF President Kate Caithness said.

"We are excited to see how the new website and Weibo channel increases the reach we can have as an International Federation, and, ultimately, get more people into curling, as the next Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games approach in just two-and-a-half years."