Why Franchisees need websites?

A lot of franchisors and franchisees might be thinking, as a franchisee “Why would I need a website, givien my specific industry, my business, my location?” I think it is important for the vast majority of franchisees, and businesses in general, to have at least a basic website. And that is where Empowekit comes in, and a big factor of that is building customer development. Again, I think now more than ever, retaining customers is extremely important. And being able to – once you have that initial interest – being able to cultivate a relationship with customers over time, so they can become repeat customers, give referrals, tell their friends and tell the networks about you. Empowerkit allows you to have that entry point, to find out about you, and when you are pulling in information from social media portals, they can have a much more dynamic experience. Using some of the apps that we are going to have available such as  CRM and email marketing, it gives you a place where you can really develop that relationship with customers over time, so it is not a fragmented effort where you are trying to communicate back and forth through a lot of different mediums that may not be really compelling, and a unified voice for the business.

Chris Anderson
CMO

What Empowerkit enables them to do, is it gives them that hub for that information. They may be pulling traffic in from Twitter and Facebook, there may be a flier with the web URL for users to then come and learn more information about their business. Basically it allows them to centralize that conversation, and convert them from potential customers into future business.

John Rodgers
Account Director

Let’s just start with the “hub and spoke theory” of the franchise and let’s take it down to a real rudimentary level. You have got a franchisor that creates a brand. They grow through the spoke method, meaning whether it’s a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand units out there, you’ve got this commonality of brand and now you’ve got your messengers if you will. Those messengers need to be empowered to sell, have the ability to sell at a local level, and not rely on the franchisor’s corporate site, for example, to produce new leads, new revenue, promotions and so forth. Breaking it down very simplistically, I look at it as, why wouldn’t I want my individual website for each franchisee to be empowered that level to promote to the local market.

Dennis Mulgannon
Director of Franchise Accounts