The Ultimate Franchise Sales Website Checklist

In the last few decades, the approach to franchise development has been slowly shifting from traditional marketing methods to a focus on digital spaces. The strategy may differ based on brand and budget, but the franchise development website serves as the central point for all digital marketing efforts and is key to a brand’s growth and success. The main goal of a franchise sales website is to educate a prospect and convert them from a visitor to an interested investor.

This month, 1851 Franchise’s Franchise Development Website Awards have returned to celebrate the most effective and engaging development sites in franchising. A panel of nine expert judges evaluated each franchise development site according to three criteria: first impressions, quality of content and ease of use. Sites were scored on a five-point scale in accordance with these three criteria, with the overall website rankings based on a composite average of the judges’ scores. 

This year's judges include Brent Dowling, CEO and co-founder of Raintree*; Kay Ainsley, managing director of MSA Worldwide; Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review; Stan Friedman, president of FRM Solutions; Steve Beagelman, founder of SMB Franchise Advisors*; Charles Internicola, founder of The Internicola Law* Firm; Dianna Bailer, vice president of operations at Franchise Performance Group*; Thomas Scott, CEO of Brand Journalists; and Tom Spadea, co-founder of Spadea Lignana Law Firm.

First Impressions

The first impressions metrics for each franchise development site are determined in consideration of five subfactors: usability, UI/UX design, site performance, SEO and mobile accessibility. High scores indicated easily accessible, user-friendly sites from a design and technical standpoint. 

In order to cut through the clutter and compel candidates to engage, franchise development sites must optimize for SEO so as to move to the foreground over competitors clamoring for attention. People want to have a good-looking site, but they also want one that is set up in a way that loads quickly. Page speed performance contributes to SEO — Google doesn’t reward slow-loading pages. Plus, that drives up user bounce rate. In addition, FD sites shouldn’t just provide a great desktop experience. Mobile users need to be able to access the same functionalities, such as access to validation information, testimonials and more.

Content

The content metrics are determined by the presence and strength of three subfactors: motivating content, calls to action and reasons to buy now. Franchise sites that excelled according to this criterion told compelling stories that are specifically designed to drive action. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the question of “why now” has also become increasingly significant and should be addressed clearly.

On franchise development sites, the messaging needs to be all about how to position the opportunity. Tap into language that clearly showcases the financial value proposition and the investment required to join the system. Don’t make your candidate hunt for that information. Still, when it comes to engaging content, brands have to find the right balance between sharing too much and under-sharing. Instead of just relying on the data to tell the story, high-quality testimonial videos, photos or interactive content can showcase the types of owners that are a great fit for the brand to validate the franchise opportunity. 

Ease of Use

Because inquiry forms are the vehicle by which franchise brands receive relevant information from prospective franchisees, their presence and quality are critical. The ease-of-use metrics score was determined in relation to location, depth and ease of application.

The development website should provide a simple, navigable form so that prospects can quickly tell franchisors that they are interested. It should also provide high-level details of costs so that under-qualified candidates don’t waste the franchisor’s time and qualified candidates know the specifics of what they are getting into. The form to request more information should be easily accessible on every page and easy to view. 

Overall, franchise development websites should focus on securing high conversions on qualified leads. Applications will determine the quality of the content and the site’s ability to attract the correct buyer for the brand. To achieve this, the site should tell the brand story and business model as well as qualifying details like culture and start-up costs, while still encouraging prospects to initiate a conversation.

The three metrics of first impressions, content and ease of use offer a streamlined way to analyze the effectiveness of a franchise development website. As the rankings show, when these three factors come together, the website can become the starting point of the franchise development process and serve as the primary entry point into the brand.