Are you wondering whether you should start or maintain a website for your franchise? The answer to this question is “yes”. Your franchise absolutely needs its own website. We invite you to consider the following four recommended reasons that franchise owners each maintain their own websites.
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1. Target Your Marketing Messages More Directly to Your Local Audience
Your local client base has many options for franchises they can patronize. The internet is one of the best ways your franchise can connect with potential customers, but there is a massive amount of competition for the online consumer’s attention. If you have a website filled with content that is targeted directly to your local customers’ needs, they are likelier to consider passing over the other franchise options and specifically seeking out your services.
If you don’t maintain a website for your franchise, you’ll be relying on your franchise’s corporate website to make these connections. This is not typically to your advantage; the corporate website might have a goal of recruiting new franchisees rather than attracting new customers to the products and services your business sells.
Furthermore, the corporate website typically serves a broader audience than your local area. The marketing messages may be targeted to a global market rather than your specific geographic location. This tends to make the website’s messaging less meaningful and less relevant, reducing the odds that you will actually be able to close a sale with the potential customers who manage to find their way to the corporate site.
2. Get Found More Frequently Online in Local Searches
When people turn to the internet to find a local business, you want your business to be the first option they find. Google’s local search is set up to deliver information about local businesses to people who are searching for them. It would be unwise to rely on the corporate website to deliver to these targeted customers. Maintaining your own website increases the likelihood that your business information will be presented to potential local customers on the local search engine results pages.
3. Save Your Prospects Time and Help Them Find You Faster
When people are looking for the goods or services you offer, it saves them time if they can find your website directly online. They might want to know your store hours and how to reach your store. Save them the effort of hassling with a confusing store locator at the corporate website.
4. Reach People Who Do Not Use Social Media
Some franchise owners make the mistake of maintaining a social media presence but not having their own website. This is a mistake because there are many people who do not use social media. Your web presence should be easily accessible to anyone who wants to find you or learn more about your business – even the people who have been banned from Facebook or have decided not to participate.
These are four of the most compelling reasons that you might want to consider starting or maintaining a website for your franchise. We absolutely do not recommend relying on your franchise’s corporate website to attract new customers and effectively reach your local customer base.