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When it comes to people, it&#8217;s what&#8217;s on the inside that counts; but with franchise development, appearance is everything. &#8220;Design in general is an important way to draw people in,&#8221; No Limit Agency* Digital Producer Michelle Lonnee said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a way to differentiate yourself from the pack and promote engagement.&#8221; Here are 10 tips to excel at design and franchise development: <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Keep your branding consistent.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> A franchise is a sum of many parts, so all branding should be consistent across the board. Building off of a foundational aesthetic will add cohesion to your site and draw customers&#8217; eyes in. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">That said; set yourself apart from the pack.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Tweak small details to differentiate your site from those of your competitors. Localized photos, exclusive content and unexpected aesthetic choices could give you an edge over competitors&#8217; frandev sites. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Don&#8217;t design backwards. &#8220;It&#8217;s very important to begin with the content first and then build your site around it. That way, you don&#8217;t have to compromise the design,&#8221; Lonnee said. By using content as your foundation, creating a hierarchy of information will be much easier. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Don&#8217;t pinch pennies. <span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">A development page is one of the most crucial fulcrums of a franchise&#8217;s growth plan, and it deserves an investment of both time and money. While a frandev site doesn&#8217;t warrant as hefty a check as the customer-facing site, it should still be functional and professional. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Edit, update, edit again.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Nothing undermines a website full of stellar content like an outdated news byte or passed deadlines. Comb over your frandev site with a critical eye to avoid any typos or dated information. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Front-load with just the right amount of information.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Attention is fleeting at best when it comes to surfing the Web, so it&#8217;s important to maximize on customers&#8217; first impressions of your site. Push relevant information to the forefront for maximum exposure and retention. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Be kind to visitors&#8217; eyes. &#8220;Keep the sites down to one page with supporting sub-pages for additional content. Not &nbsp;everyone wants to read multiple pages of text,&#8221; Lonnee urged. By paring down to just the essentials, your website can be both aesthetically pleasing and informative. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Don&#8217;t use a template<span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">. You don&#8217;t consider your franchise to be just one in a sea of a million, so don&#8217;t lump yourself in with the most hackneyed templates or trite themes. By choosing a functional&#8212;yet unexpected&#8212;website layout, you&#8217;ll leave a strong impression on prospective franchisees. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Avoid bad photography.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Grainy, distorted photos can bog down even the most sophisticated of websites. Ensure your images look professional and properly sized for a clean aesthetic that reflects your brand. <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Listen to the customers.<span style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Take stock in your customers&#8217; feedback of the site. Is the copy clear and concise? Do all of the graphics make sense? Think of your customer base as a built-in focus group&#8212;take their input into account when assessing your site.

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