10 Tips for Improving Your Franchise Sales Website

All franchisors seek to grow their business and share their model with individuals who will help them do just that. That conversation surrounding growth starts with attracting and engaging prospective franchisees, and the best way to communicate with them effectively and efficiently is through a thoughtfully designed franchise development website — so, it’s necessary to make a good first impression. At the end of the day, it comes down to first impressions, ease of use and quality of content. Here are 10 tips to help ensure your franchise development website is presenting itself in the best light and doing all it can to welcome entrepreneurs into your brand’s family. 

10.) Invest in the Design Behind the Site

If web design isn’t your forte, then it’s important to consider hiring someone who can build you a website that is functional and that offers an informative, user-friendly experience. If your website is hard to navigate or doesn’t clearly convey the message of your brand and what kinds of opportunities it can offer, then it will likely drive people to look to another brand. While the cost of designing your development site could be high, in the end, a long-term investment could be what helps your brand grow to its full potential.

9.) Don’t Overwhelm Prospective Buyers With Too Much Information

Information displayed on your franchise development website should give prospective buyers enough information to make an informed decision. Provide information that answers buyers’ immediate questions: What does this brand do best? How much does it cost? How much money can I expect to make? Where are there locations available? Who’s on the leadership team? From there, buyers have the option to seek more information — so don’t overwhelm them with too much right from the start. 

8.) Include an Initial Inquiry Form

An initial inquiry form is the key to keeping an interested buyer invested in the process of franchise sales. This way buyers can share their contact information with your brand, which puts you in control of the outreach efforts. Interested buyers will be happy to hear from you, while those who were just testing the waters might not answer your calls. This is helpful in weeding out non-productive leads so that you can focus your time and energy on those who want to work with you. 

7.) Content is King

The content shared with potential buyers — from photos to videos to testimonials — is essential to your brand marketing strategy. Brands often forget that they need to focus on marketing the experience of becoming a franchisee on their franchise sales website, rather than repurposing the same approach they’d use to market their product to consumers. Photos of franchisees in the field flipping burgers paint a better picture of what their day-to-day experience would look like, whereas a picture of just the burger only communicates your product, which prospective franchisees are likely already familiar with. Sharing photos and videos of the franchisee experience is a key distinction that needs to be made to help your brand stand out among the rest. 

Dianna Bailer, who is the vice president of operations at Franchise Performance Group* and was a judge in this year’s 1851 Franchise Website Awards, says content is the number-one thing she looks to when judging the merit of a brand. “Where brands get hung up is in their use of imagery that sells the product and not the franchisee experience, which is what you’re actually selling,'' said Bailer. “One of the key differences between successful franchise development sites and sites that are failing is knowing that difference — knowing what you’re selling and who you’re selling to. That’s the key distinction that needs to be made on franchise websites.”

6.) Diversify Your Content

Once you’ve nailed the distinction in consumer versus buyer content, it’s important to make sure you’re communicating important information in multiple formats. Remember to not overwhelm your prospects, but do include visuals like maps to represent where your brand’s footprint already is or an infographic that outlines the simplicity of the buying process. If you’re looking to include testimonials from other franchisees consider a video instead of a statement to make prospective buyers feel like they have a more personal connection to the experience of franchising with the brand. Providing multiple sources of information will keep buyers engaged and will encourage them to spend more time browsing through your site.

5.) Make it Personal

Prospective buyers are looking to invest in a brand that they feel a connection with. Prospective buyers want to know the story behind the brand, whom the brand serves, what its values are and how they’ll fit into it. Is the experience of working with your brand a fun one, or is it more professional? All of that and more should be clear in the language and messaging that you use on your website. Without making the initial connection, buyers might move on to another brand they feel a more immediate connection to. 

4.) Know Your Audience

To truly know your audience, you should first determine who your ideal franchisee is. Will younger entrepreneurs serve your brand best, or are you looking for someone who has a good amount of business experience? Once you know who it is you’re looking to sign on, design your website with them in mind. This comes back to making a personal connection with your buyer. Use photos and graphics that trend toward what they’re looking to see in a way that still communicates your brand’s message effectively.

3.) Be Transparent About the Cost

As mentioned before, cost is a number-one motivator for buyers, and it’s likely to be one of the first things they’ll look at when researching your brand. Buyers want to know exactly how much they can expect to spend when investing in your brand, and they don’t want to waste time researching a concept that they might not be able to afford, so it’s important to be upfront and honest when disclosing costs. This is beneficial for you as well, as it helps to filter out buyers who can’t make the commitment to your price point.

2.) Prioritize a Mobile-Friendly Website

Today, most everyone uses their phone to search online for information, so having a mobile-friendly website is essential. Navigating a website designed for a laptop or desktop on your phone is a pain, and a poor user experience may deter a prospective buyer from doing any further research into your brand. Plus, a non-mobile-friendly website might communicate to buyers that your brand isn’t keeping up with the times or that you’re not invested in the ease of their experience, which doesn’t make for a good first impression. Connect with your website designer to ensure that your website is compatible with different devices.

1.) Link to All of Your Social Media Platforms

When it comes to building brand awareness, having a strong social media presence is important. Social media presents an opportunity for you to connect with your prospective buyers on a more personal level — after all, social media may be the place where they stumbled onto a franchising opportunity with your brand in the first place.