Successful Franchises Use Microsites – Part 2 of 4
Microsites Dedicated to Franchise Sales
Last week, in Part 1 of the Successful Franchise series, we took a look at the crowded media landscape and how franchisors are having a difficult time determining which options are best for them and their franchisees. This week we will look at whether a microsite dedicated to franchise sales is a good move for franchisors. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA) "creating a 'microsite' dedicated to franchise sales is a wise move for franchisors."
For many franchisors and marketers franchise sales and their corporate site go hand in hand. The problem is customers who visit the corporate site looking for information about store locations, hours, menus, etc. are not looking to purchase a franchise. Many times the valuable information about purchasing a franchise is lost in the endless abyss of pages on the site. So why are franchise sales being marketed to the same customers who want to know what to order for lunch? A smart, and increasingly popular, alternative is to move this information to a microsite, which helps market directly to your target audience. This will enable potential franchisees to find the business development information without having to sift through other content not relevant to them.
The main purpose of a franchise sales microsite is to generate leads for the franchisor. Visitors to the site should immediately be able to get information on why they should buy into the franchise and then be able to easily request more information about the franchisor. This helps develop a strong lead for the sales team.
The IFA states it perfectly, "Not only are the results of microsites measureable, they also deliver your message to the target audience efficiently and effectively. The microsite speaks to your target market and gets them to act. Efficient delivery of information to the target market reduces cost per lead."
Another benefit to creating a franchise-sales microsite is to please existing franchisees. When someone buys a franchise they don't want to see that more franchises are for sale, especially in nearby areas. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA) "Franchisees often believe, and rightfully so, that mixing the consumer 'buy this product' message with the sales 'buy a location near you' message cheapens both."
Careful and strategic planning of the microsite and it’s structure is important. Here are a few things that the IFA recommends keeping in mind when building the new microsite:
- The content needs to address the purpose of the site by explaining the business opportunity succinctly and directly.
- Providing an experience that leaves the visitors wanting more will increase their interest.
- Important follow-up information can be gathered by prominently displaying an easy-to-complete call to action on each page.
The beginning stages of developing a microsite are very important to the long term success of the site. It is important to make sure that you are addressing your current and potential franchisees’ needs and adding value to the site experience. ClickWrite can help you develop a strategy to accomplish your goals and also reduce the amount of time you spend updating the site along with the cost. For more information visit us @ ClickWrite. Next week we will continue to build the franchise sales microsite and look at adding content, developing a clear messaging strategy, and the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to any site.
