For any small business center that is getting started today, one of the fundamental things they need to do is get a website up. As they are building their marketing collateral and fine-tuning their business plan, they have to also get a website up, so that customers can find them, and so they can drive traffic and produce leads. And they can really use that [website] as a marketing vehicle over time – and there is no difference for franchisees. Franchisees need to be proud of their website, because that is a direct extension of their brand and is usually the first place where people are going to find them when they are looking. It is not enough to simply have a listings page, with just a phone number, email or image. The Franchisee really needs to be able to manage that site over time, own it, and understand how it can be a marketing vehicle for them so they can communicate with their customer base, drive traffic, and ultimately produce more sales. It is not optional right now, and for prospective candidates who are looking at different [franchise] opportunities, there are expecting that. So as a Franchisor you really need to own that piece of the toolkit that you are giving to your Franchisees and not just let them take care of it themselves. Because that starts to take down your value, and as a Franchisor you need to offer that infrastructure. And again for something as fundamental as a website for a small business, you have to offer that to them, it’s not really an option today.
Chris Anderson
CMO
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