Franchise Management: Tips for Competing w/ Local & Online Businesses

Owning a franchise gives you prowess, recognition, and automatic loyalty. Or at least that's the way it was a couple of decades ago.

Today's consumers aren't tied to specific brands like their parents were. Instead, they're looking to do business with companies that resonate with their ideals.

If your franchise speaks against a matter that's important to them, then it can lead to a backlash and a falling out with customers.

But customers aren't the only thing you have to worry about.

Competing with local boutiques is a significant issue for franchises everywhere. These businesses tend to have a more personal touch that customers like. They feel human, not like just another dollar.

And as though that isn't enough, you also have to contend with online businesses.

But not to worry, we're going to help you develop a franchise management strategy to level the playing field.

Create Unique Marketing for Your Franchise

It's common for franchisors to provide franchisees with marketing collateral everyone uses to reach customers. However, this isn't always effective, especially when you're dealing with a unique group of local customers.

The customer base you find in Los Angeles is going to be a lot different than those you'll find in Topeka, Kansas. The things they care about will differ, which will control what and how they make purchases.

Understanding your local customers is what makes it possible to create messaging that resonates with them. So if you have creative freedom over your franchise management, then make your marketing unique to local customers.

Build a Unique Website to Attract the Locals

You don't have to use a generic website for your franchise. Why not make it stand out in a way that'll be attractive to the local customers you're targeting?

For example, if a lot of your customers are working-class men, then you'll want to develop a relatable site design. The color schemes, theme, and template you'll use will differ from what you'd use if you're trying to attract entrepreneurial women.

But how do you go about creating this website?

You can use best website builder for small business, which is a drag-and-drop web page builder. It's simple to use and comes with various templates to match your franchise.

Publish Local Content for SEO (and Attention)

Roughly 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information. The only way to attract these individuals to your website is to have a local SEO strategy.

This includes developing content that implements local keywords (phrases that contain your city, neighborhood, or community). For example, "Women's clothing store in Athens, GA."

By optimizing your website with local SEO, you can get your pages indexed in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Franchise management becomes a lot easier when you have "free" traffic coming to you.

Add Paid Advertising to Your Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is considered free marketing because you pay for the content once, and it continues working for you as long as it's indexed.

Paid advertising, such as pay-per-click ads on Google, only works for as long as you're paying. Once you stop, the ads are removed. Your reach is only as vast as your budget.

But this isn't to say paid ads aren't helpful. There are certain situations where PPC should be used. For instance, when you're launching a new product, service, or location.

These timely events are short-term and don't require a never-ending budget to achieve good results. If you're planning a promotion, then consider adding PPC on search engines and social media to help build awareness quickly.

Get Your Employees Involved in Social Media

You have 54% of consumers using social media to research products. So it's evident they'll also use these platforms to engage with brands.

This is excellent news because it opens the door to opportunities to drive more foot traffic to your location. But you're going to need someone to man (or woman) your social profiles.

Getting your employees involved will build a customer-centric culture. Plus it'll save you time from doing it all yourself. Use your employees to engage in conversations and even start several.

If you succeed in creating exceptional experiences with customers, then you'll potentially earn more business. About 71% of consumers who have a positive experience with a brand on social media are more likely to recommend it to family and friends.

Solicit Customers for Reviews

You want your franchise associated with great experiences from the beginning to the end of the customer's journey. So your prospects should find it easy to communicate with your brand to ask questions. And your customers should be getting stellar support post-purchase.

If you're doing this, then your odds of developing a happy customer base is higher. You can then turn these satisfied customers into your advocates by asking them to leave you a Google review.

Since a large portion of consumers is using Google to search for local products, they'll see your business listing and the raving ratings/reviews you've received.

This will boost the odds of them coming to your physical location (which typically happens within 24 hours).

Make Franchise Management Easier with a Quality Website

None of this will work if you don't have a professional website to represent your franchise. All of your traffic-driving efforts will fail because your visitors won't convert.

Remember, consumers judge your credibility based on your website design.

If you have a mediocre website, then they'll think the same about your company. So to circumvent this, you'll need to invest in a quality web page builder.

Ready to give one a try? Then give GoSite Sites a test run for free today!