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TennisConnect recently launched new features including individual components so your existing website can plug in a calendar, court scheduler, string center, racquet demo program, contact management system and unlimited group email. And now there is more coming, with customized themes, mobile app, leagues and ladders that continue to make it easier for tennis providers to reach players, and for tennis players to find the information they need to play more.

The latest addition, TennisConnect “Themes,” are simple to use, easy to customize and can keep web development costs down and give your website the look you want.

“I saved $2,000 in design costs by using a TennisConnect theme, and I had a great-looking website in hours,” says Joseph Kultgen, the tennis director of the Vanderbilt Tennis Club (www.vanderbilttennisclub.com), which is located in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Another facility that recently redesigned using a TennisConnect web theme is The Palestra club in Jupiter, Fla. (www.palestrasports.com).

“It’s amazing how professional the sites look,” says Billy Power, director of tennis at the Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Ark., who used TennisConnect Themes for his website, www.tcctennis.com. “There are so many options with your design—and no limit on how your site can look. Plus, it’s very easy to use. We used one of the themes, then customized it a bit for our own purposes.”

“The initial TennisConnect Website Builder is still a great way to point and click your way to an effective website,” adds Charlie Ruddy, the developer of TennisConnect, which is the Tennis Industry Association’s premier business tool for tennis providers.

“But now, TennisConnect Themes really ‘opens up’ the back end of the software so any designer can put in any theme they want with a minimal amount of effort. Or you can ‘pick and click’ from one of our seven themes for free. There is no limit on what you can do.” When you pick one of the seven custom TennisConnect Themes, it will automatically be applied to your website.

“The reaction among tennis facilities and providers has been very positive,” says Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association. “They’ve been looking for something that provides them with customizable options for their website that is simple to use, looks great, is very user-friendly for website visitors, and saves them money.”

Another innovation helping to promote business for tennis providers is TennisConnect MobileBuilder, which publishes simple-to-create, “mobile-specific” web pages that are easy to view on smartphones. Facilities and retailers can quickly generate mobile web pages with key information about programs, news, directions, calendar of events and more—information that is critical to your business—and all scaled to be viewed on smaller mobile devices.

“We hadn’t even been open for business and I was already getting court-time inquiries through our mobile website,” says Kultgen at the Vanderbilt Tennis Club. “The exposure and service aspect of MobileBuilder has been great.”

MobileBuilder, which is part of TennisConnect Components, is $8/month ($96/year) or $75/year with annual pre-payment. There is a one-time set-up fee of $50 to establish your MobileBuilder database. Purchase of a “.mobi” domain is recommended but not required.

For more information, visit TennisConnect.com or contact Marty Mohar, TennisConnect Liaison, Tennis Industry Association, 843-686-3036 ext. 227 or toll-free 866-686-3036, ext. 227, or [email protected].