Repositioning CrossFit Costa Mesa as a Leader in Strength and Conditioning

About the Project

CrossFit Costa Mesa is a strength and conditioning gym based in Costa Mesa, California, serving members across Orange County, including Newport Beach and surrounding areas. Known for expert coaching, a welcoming community, and a long-term approach to health and performance, the gym supports adults who want to move better, feel stronger, and stay active for life.

While CrossFit Costa Mesa had a strong in-person reputation in the Orange County fitness community, their website positioned them primarily as a CrossFit-only gym. This limited their ability to attract a broader California audience interested in strength training, conditioning, longevity, and holistic fitness. The existing site also did not fully showcase the depth of their programs, coaching expertise, or community culture.

CrossFit Costa Mesa partnered with KARL Mission to redesign their website and reposition the brand as a leader in strength and conditioning and holistic fitness in the Costa Mesa and Orange County area.

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Mission

Our mission at KARL Mission was to:

• Update the website to improve clarity, usability, and conversions.
• Reposition the gym from CrossFit-only to a broader strength and conditioning and wellness offering.
• Clearly showcase programs, coaching philosophy, and community culture.
• Improve SEO visibility for non-CrossFit keywords such as strength and conditioning, conditioning gym, and longevity-focused fitness in Orange County, California.
• Use education, content, and social proof to establish authority and trust.

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Process

To achieve these goals, KARL Mission followed a structured, strategy-led process that balanced brand positioning, user experience, and conversion optimization.

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1. Client Brief: We began with a detailed client brief to align on goals, challenges, and opportunities. This included understanding:

• Current positioning and brand perception within Costa Mesa and Orange County
• What was working well and what was not
• Target audience demographics and motivations
• Key differentiators such as coaching quality, longevity focus, and community
• Local competitors across Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and the broader California fitness landscape

This phase helped clarify that the website needed to speak to both experienced CrossFit athletes and people looking for a more approachable, long term fitness solution.

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2. Competitor Benchmark: We reviewed competitor gym websites across Orange County and Southern California to identify common content patterns, positioning strategies, and missed opportunities in the local strength and conditioning market.

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3. Wireframes: We created wireframes to map out a clearer site structure and user journey. The goal was to:

• Make programs and offerings immediately understandable
• Guide users toward sign up with fewer distractions
• Balance inspirational brand storytelling with practical information

Wireframes allowed early alignment before moving into visual design.

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4. Figma Design: Using the wireframes as a foundation, KARL Mission designed a modern, welcoming interface that reflected the gym’s personality and values. The design focused on:

• Strong visual hierarchy and clear calls to action
• A warm, community-driven aesthetic
• Clear differentiation between programs and membership options
• Visual reinforcement that the gym offers more than CrossFit

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5. Handoff to Developer: We prepared a clean handoff to development, ensuring designs were clearly documented and conversion intent was preserved through implementation. This helped ensure a smooth build process and consistent execution across devices.

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Solution

Homepage

The new homepage was designed to clearly communicate what CrossFit Costa Mesa offers within seconds, especially for users searching for strength and conditioning gyms in Orange County, California.

Key improvements included:

• Clear positioning as a strength and conditioning gym, not just a CrossFit gym
• Improved SEO structure targeting broader fitness and conditioning keywords relevant to Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Orange County
• Prominent social proof through reviews and testimonials
• Strong emphasis on the community-driven atmosphere
• Founder story and coaching philosophy to build trust and connection
• Clear explanation of the benefits of membership
• Simple, guided steps for getting started

The result is a homepage that educates, inspires, and converts while reflecting the real in-gym experience.

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New Sign Up Page

Previously, the website included multiple sign up calls to action that scrolled users down the page to a single form. This scrolling motion caused discomfort for some users and created a jarring experience. To reduce motion sickness while keeping multiple CTAs, we created a dedicated sign up landing page.

The new sign up page includes:

• Clear articulation of unique selling points
• Member reviews and testimonials for trust
• Benefits of joining, beyond just workouts
• Transparent membership options
• FAQs to address common concerns
• Class schedule visibility to support decision making

This page now acts as a central conversion hub, supporting both organic traffic from California-based searches and word-of-mouth referrals.

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Conclusion

By redesigning the website and reframing the brand narrative, we helped CrossFit Costa Mesa move beyond a CrossFit-only perception and position themselves as a leader in strength and conditioning and holistic fitness in Costa Mesa. The new site better reflects their coaching expertise, community culture, and long term approach to health while creating clearer pathways for new members to sign up.

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Ready to Take Your Website to the Next Level?

Whether you need a brand refresh, better conversions, or a clearer user journey, our team is here to help. Book a free consultation today and let’s talk about how we can elevate your digital presence.