It cannot be overlooked that even though the Franchisee may be part of a national organization, each location is truly a stand-alone local business and is competing directly in their local marketplace and therefore must be marketed as an individual business in order to maximize their online exposure and lead generation.
The subject of individual franchisee websites has long been a “bone of contention” within the industry. Many Franchisors are vehemently opposed to individual Franchisee websites and are reluctant to relinquish website control to Franchisees. On the other hand, many Franchisees feel that their “hands are tied” since they have little or no control over the marketing decisions for their own business. These feelings become even more apparent when the local Franchisee determines that the Franchisor’s marketing campaign is ineffective and the resulting new business lead generation is virtually non-existent.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is another digital marketing essential for your local franchise business. With proper local SEO for each of these franchisee marketing websites, the resulting increase in targeted traffic and online lead generation would serve as a positive motivator, increasing each franchisee’s enthusiasm and satisfaction while providing the franchisor with an excellent marketing tool to share with other potential franchisees.
Today more and more consumers are accessing the Internet through mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones. In fact, a recent study reported mobile devices surpassed PCs in online usage. To cater to those using mobile devices to access the internet, your local franchisee website must be designed to be “responsive”. With responsive web design, your website will seamlessly adjust to fit the screen of any web-enabled device. This gives smartphone users the same experience as those viewing your site from a desktop. Responsive web design will increase the amount of time customers spend on your site, which is a good thing for your local franchise business.
There are many aspects that go into SEO, but the first step you should take is hiring a well-respected franchise web development and SEO agency to help you market your franchise business locally. A franchise SEO agency will develop a professional website with optimized content and employ SEO strategies that will help your new website rank prominently in search results for geographically targeted keywords and phrases.
Another effective way to increase your search engine rankings is through blogging. Search engines reward sites that provide meaningful, interesting content to users on a regular basis. On your blog you can engage your targeted local audience with relevant content that provides value. You can write about company news and topics that relate to your industry, business or local community.
To better understand the best path to a successful local franchise marketing strategy, check out our most recent franchise marketing article: SEO for Franchise Businesses – What is the Best Strategy for Local Search? . The article explores how multi-unit enterprises and franchises can work together to develop a strong local online marketing program and narrow the widening gap between corporate control and the local franchise owner’s need for lead generation and business growth.