Franchise recruitment websites are a critical component of the franchise sales process. Make it easy for candidates to find key information about your company and the unique opportunity you provide.

By Matthew Job

In late 2015, Local Search Masters conducted a study on the top 12 web pages that are easily accessible from the homepages of franchise recruitment websites. 

Study parameters

• 595 different franchise recruitment websites, all of which are members of the International Franchise Association, were analyzed.
• We analyzed only the desktop versions of franchise recruitment sites, not mobile sites. However, we found that only 52 percent of the sites we viewed were mobile-friendly, a relatively low number seeing as, according to Landmark Interactive, 54 percent of franchise recruitment leads are sent from mobile phones or tablets.
• Only web pages that were visible “above the fold” on franchise recruitment sites homepages were considered in this study. On a website, the area above the fold is in the upper half of a page that is displayed to the user without them having to scroll down. We focused on content that is above the fold because, regardless of screen size, what appears at the top of the page will always influence the user experience.
• According to Nielsen Norman Group in 2015, the average difference in how users treat information above, versus below, the fold is 84 percent. If you make it difficult for candidates to find key information about your opportunity, you risk losing theirattention. 
• Certain categories that are similar in nature were combined into one. For example, we combined “Available Territories” and “Available Markets” into “Available Markets.”

Findings

Takeaways and Recommendations: Here are four takeaways from the study, as well as a few recommendations from industry experts about how to enhance your franchise recruitment website with valuable content.

“Ideal Candidate” Page

Takeaway: Only 10 percent of the sites we studied had easily accessible content that focused on the attributes of an ideal candidate. Given how important it is to award franchises to people whose values align with your organization’s, this was a surprisingly low figure. 

Recommendation: Describe the essential characteristics of your ideal franchisee. As Todd Leonard, vice president of operations and franchise development for Executive Care, explained: “When it comes to an Ideal Candidates page, transparency always wins. Be clear about the characteristics and qualities you are looking for in franchise candidates. This can be done by showcasing requirements for net worth and liquid assets. Be open about past professional or educational experience, as well as any needed certifications. Include the ideal personality, attitude and work-ethic traits that you look for in candidates. Also consider how you present this content on your Ideal Candidates page. Photos of existing franchisees, testimonials from existing ideal franchisees, press coverage and videos of franchisees all work great.”

“Why Us” Page

Takeaway: Franchises in various industries are vying for new franchisees, which means it’s important to separate your brand from the competition. Yet only 39 percent of the sites in our study had a web page explaining why their brand should be chosen over any other. 

Recommendation: Tell website visitors why they should invest in your company. As Justin Baloun, president of Wheat Creative, said: “Although seemingly counterintuitive, Why Us is actually ‘Why should a potential franchisee care?’ They don’t want hear you toot your own horn; they want to know how your past success will help them to succeed in the future. For example, instead of writing, ‘Our floor cleaning solutions have won more awards than any other in the past 5 years,’ try instead, ‘Our award-winning solutions will give you a leg up in your market for the following reasons…’”

“Franchisee Testimonials” Page

Takeaway: Only 21 percent of sites had a page dedicated to franchisee testimonials. This statistic is surprisingly small to us, as prospects are extremely curious to learn about the experiences of current franchisees. 

Recommendation: Highlight franchisee testimonials. As Jamie Izaks, president of All Points Public Relations, said: “The Testimonials page on franchise development sites must be filled with powerful video interviews featuring franchisees singing your brand’s praises. Video is key, not just copy. And, you must keep those videos to short, dramatic bursts of emotional testimonies about the virtues of the franchise. Consider specific topics for each 30- to 60-second video clip such as: Franchisee Support, Marketing Innovation, Achieving Work-Life Balance, Reaching Your Entrepreneurial Goals and Ongoing R&D. The one thing to keep in mind is that you should not skimp on the production value of the videos. You can do more damage than good to your brand and franchise opportunity if videos are not lit well, not shot appropriately with a nice-looking background and not easily heard with high quality audio.”

“Available Markets” Page

Takeaway: Only 26 percent of franchise recruitment websites studied have content about the markets or territories that are in need of new franchisees. Since most potential franchisees are searching for investments in specific areas, it’s important to show them if there are any available opportunities in their desired markets.

Recommendation: Show prospects which markets are available. As David Chapman, CEO of 919 Marketing Company, said “There are several important considerations when building an effective available markets page. First, who will be charged with keeping it current, particularly if you are a high growth brand? For other more established brands, it can be effectively used to proactively promote “potential” open territories based on upcoming renewals or locations for sale. Interactive maps (some brands tap into Google Earth Pro) with identified locations spread across the country are certainly the most visually entertaining approach for established brands, but it doesn’t work for all brands. If you are a start-up brand, or you if have gaps in your system you may want to consider a clickable map that directs the prospect to click any state to see available territories (that directs them to a listing of clearly identified, state specific territories).”

Make it Easy

Franchise recruitment websites are a critical component of the franchise sales process; a majority of candidates will visit your version of this site before deciding to invest in your brand. Make it easy for these people to find key information about your company and the unique opportunity that you provide. 

Matthew Job is chief marketing officer for Local Search Masters. Find him at fransocial.franchise.org.