Debunking 5 Common Misconceptions About Franchise Development Websites

Much like franchising itself, many common misconceptions surround what makes an effective franchise development website. After all, the industry is constantly changing—as is the digital landscape and the people who traverse it—so it can be a lot for franchisors to keep up with. As new insights are gained about online best practices, so are realizations about what approaches are yesterday’s news.

We caught up with several franchise industry leaders to find out what mistakes they see FD sites make most often. For drama, let’s count down to the biggest misconception out there today.

Misconception #5: “These days, prospects do all their research on their phones.”

Of course, every website should certainly be mobile-friendly. It’s 2019. But once prospective leads get to the phase in their due diligence process of looking up your franchise development site, they’re more likely sitting down to do a deep-dive than casually googling you on the road.

“A franchise purchase is a journey that takes place on several devices. Thinking that buyers only use mobile devices is a mistake; serious research is all on desktops and laptops,” said Thomas Scott, CEO of Brand Journalists. “Make sure your design works well on both and that you are showing the most relevant content on each device.”

Misconception #4: “The primary story of a brand is its company history.”

“Some think that storytelling means boring the reader with the history of the brand or founder instead of telling the story of what the franchisee's life may be like,” said Jack Monson, Chief Revenue Officer at Social Joey.

Indeed, sharing the personal stories of franchisees should be a key component of your content development strategy. It’s an extremely effective way to emotionally engage prospects—and allow them to walk a mile in your franchise’s branded shoes.

Misconception #3: “Once your site is built, you’re done creating content.”

To add to the last point, keeping your site’s financial information up to date is crucial, as is updating your blog. Most franchisees expect a high level of support from corporate—that’s often why they’re entering the franchise system instead of starting their own business from scratch—so consistently adding quality content will lend credibility to your brand’s communication skills.

“A typical franchisee spends a decade in research, looks for two to three years at a segment, and will often spend six months researching your brand before opting in,” said Scott. “If you put up a site and don't add to it over time, you send a message that you are stale, don't care and are no longer relevant.”

Plus, the more interesting content you have, the more opportunity for browsers to get hooked by it. After all, according to Keith Gerson, CEO of FranConnect, a common misconception about franchise development sites is that a high “percentage of visitors to a particular website navigate away from the site after viewing only one page.”

Misconception #2: “Keeping information close to the vest will entice prospects to reach out.”

Have you ever looked at a franchise development site that lists bare-bones financial information? Some franchisors believe that less is more in a manipulative bid to pique the interest of researchers.

“Nothing is further from the truth in this self-serve economy where buyers want information on demand and on-device,” explained Jamshaid Hashmi, CEO of ClickTecs.

“A franchise development site is not a teaser—it is the replacement for the salesperson's first hour of explanation,” added Scott. “Anything you would tell a prospect in the first hour of conversation should be on your site. Thinking you will force them to talk to you doesn't work in 2019. Buyers expect transparency.”

That being said, laying it all out there is not the best practice, either. In fact, information overload could scare prospects off.

“We believe that there is a perfect balance between allowing the user to really understand the key components of the franchise, comprehend if they might be a good fit and get them excited—and going into too much detail too early,” said Brent Dowling, CEO of Raintree*. “Going either too light or too heavy here will damage conversions. Your leads should get a ton of content, but it should not all be in the initial franchise stage—detailed franchise reports, webinars, 10-minute videos etc. that all get released as the lead progresses into the process are important.”

Misconception #1: “There is a one-size-fits-all solution to whether the franchise development site should be an extension of the consumer site or on its own.’”

This one’s tricky.

You’ve probably seen versions of both of these franchise development site URLs: “www.brand.com/franchise” and “www.brandfranchise.com.” So, which is the best approach?

The audience for your brand’s consumer site is certainly different from your franchise development audience of highly qualified sales leads. So, these should be completely separate sites, right?

Maybe. Maybe not. What if a qualified lead is exceptionally passionate about your consumer positioning and an experienced multi-unit businessperson? Sounds like a great franchisee to us.

And, from an SEO perspective, the keywords on the consumer site can give quite a boost to your development site.

On the other hand, separating the franchise development site adds a heightened sense of importance to it. That could attract a targeted set of prospects who value that type of seriousness.

“These sites should be designed to deter as many bad leads as they attract good,” noted Joe Matthews, CEO of Franchise Performance Group*, adding that franchise development sites shouldn’t be as reliant on graphics and branding as consumer pages, as this razzle-dazzle won’t properly filter out unqualified prospects.

Whether they stand alone or are included on your consumer site, only carry over to your development pages the branding elements that make your franchise unique. While branding may not be the primary driver to invest, consumer-facing design does play a role in why people are looking.

There you have it. Now, go forth and update that franchise development site.