Category Archives: Online Tools

Start Moving to HTML5 Now and Don’t Be Left Behind

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

It is time to leave rich media browser plug-ins like Flash and Silverlight and start adopting HTML5. Here are the advantages and opportunities for why Franchise Marketers should consider leaving rich media browser plug-ins like Flash and Silverlight and adopting HTML5:

Future is HTML5

  • Adobe and Microsoft have announced the discontinuation of their rich media browser plug-ins: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27328/
  • You’re essentially using HTML5 today. Unlike the failed XHTML 2.0 specification, HTML5 is an evolution of HTML4/XHTML 1.0. You know most of it already. There are 28 additional tags and a few new techniques, but you won’t be using a completely new mark-up language.
  • HTML5 is the future and is ‘mobile” friendly.
  • Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera support HTML5 today.

These are some HTML5 Features you should be using RIGHT NOW without worrying about clashing with older browsers: JETBRAINS WEBSTORM.

Bottom line is that anything that allows simpler, cleaner code and cleaner simpler marketing is going to adhere better to SEO best practices, which the ElementsLocal software platform supports, and you should too.

Moving Toward the Cloud

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

Today, everybody seems to be talking about “the Cloud.” No, they’re not talking about some hot new indie band from Toronto-  they’re talking about one of the biggest trends to hit the tech world since the web itself. The term “cloud computing” is used to describe the practice of locating your software Cloud Computing applications and data on a network of servers, where they can be accessed from anywhere, at any time.

Cloud computing is rapidly becoming the best way to do business, because it takes full advantage of the “everywhere, all the time” nature of the internet itself. With cloud-based applications, there are no worries about whether one of your company’s computers is running at the moment, or how to log into one of your data servers. There’s no more looking for application installation disks, or upgrade codes. All of these time consuming tasks can be handled automatically for you, freeing you to do what you do best- offering great products and services to your customers.

That’s exactly what the ElementsLocal platform can do for your franchising business. Our completely web-based software service can project your national brand directly into every market in which you do business. You can trust that your brand, with its unique look and feel, and its unique products, services, and message, will be a click away from anyone, anywhere, any time that they are looking for what you provide.

From the start, ElementsLocal was built as a cloud-based software-as-a-service product, designed to enable a franchising business to attract customers to its existing locations, and to attract new franchisees to open new locations. ElementsLocal gives you the power to create and manage an entire fleet of websites that look and work exactly the way you want them to. Combined with our proven Search Engine Optimization and localized marketing expertise, ElementsLocal can help you rest assure that your franchise brand will truly be “everywhere, all the time.”

How Can Franchises Take Advantage of Everything Google Offers?

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

Google is the most popular search engine in the world for a few good reasons. Its simple uncluttered interface, vast number of webpages and great results are among the top reasons.

But that’s not all Google has to offer and we find Franchise businesses using Google more and more to market and advertise, enhance their social media and mobile marketing, analyze their website traffic and even optimize and split test how effective the conversion is on their websites.

So ELEMENTS has decided recommend some of the hottest Google tools we see Franchises using today. ELEMENTS will also be conducting a FREE webinar on this topic on June 21st (click here to sign up >>).

Local Search & Advertising

1) Google Places

One of the largest impacts to the local search arena stems from Google Places, an online local directory of businesses. Most importantly, Google Places is no longer a separate search product anymore. Google now displays Google Place’s search results blended directly into Google’s general or “Everything” search when the search terms indicate that the end user might be looking for a product or service that can be satisfied locally.

Google Places Local Blend

Franchises now must ensure all of their locations are setup properly and optimized in Google Places in order to show up when people perform searches that can be satisfied locally.

2) Google AdWords Location Extensions

AdWords is Google’s PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising platform. Google has added location extensions to their AdWords system which allows the owner of the advertisement to display their advertisements to specified locations. Location extensions help make the consumer aware that the product or service they are looking for can be fulfilled locally.

3) Google Keyword Tool and Google Trends

By using Google’s free Keyword Tool, companies are better able to determine what keywords people are searching for and which keyword term targets would just waste their website’s valuable real estate. To receive top rankings in Google a company must play by their rules, expand their offerings and monetizing the marketability of their products or services. Getting traffic is great, but converting traffic into sales or leads is the true goal of the SEO game.

The Google Trends Tool can help your company determine search traffic trends when comparing multiple sets of keywords. For example, the following search comparing Netflix, Block Buster and Hollywood Video shows the dramatic difference in searches for those three businesses:

Google Trends

Social Media

4) Social Signals Effect Rank

Recently both Bing and Google have admitted that mentions of and links to web pages found in public social media postings can positively effect a website’s search engine rankings. The idea behind this is that social media users will share links to websites that they trust and enjoy so the more users sharing these links through social media the more perceived value these websites have. However, not all social media personas carry the same weight. Search engines look at the “social authority” of the user that shared that link and give more value to links shared by users with more credibility.

5) Google +1

At the time of this publication Google +1 is currently in beta testing mode. The idea behind Google +1 is to use one’s social network (Google contacts) for recommendations on which search results they found the most for their own search queries. So if your friend marked a result as valuable, there is good cause for the Google search engine to think that you might like it as well because you both exist within the same social circle.

Today (June 1st), Google has launched their +1 Button which can be added to any website to encourage friend recommendations in the same way that Facebook users can currently “like” a website page. In a way, Google is leveraging its’ entire user-base as quality control staff. While Google states that under the current system recommendations only come from the user’s social network, we can foresee a time when Google will recommend websites from outside of your social circle based on the number of +1’s a website has received and the perceived social authority of the rankee.

Click here for more information on the +1 Button.

6) Google Places Reviews

Earlier we discussed the importance of Google Places to local search. Perhaps the most important factor in getting a Place’s page to rank well is the number of positive reviews a business has in relation to their local competition. The reviews found on Google Places can be drawn from several places. One such place is the social review website Yelp. Google also has its’ own social review system (formally called Hotpot) which has now been integrated directly into Google Places. Both Yelp & Google Places allow users to track reviews and interact with their friends within their social network. According to Google, they now have millions of users rating places more than a million times per month.

7) Google’s Realtime Social Media Search Results

Alongside their Everything and Places search Google has various other search types. One of these variant searches is Google’s Realtime search. Google’s Realtime search results display “up-to-the-second” updates from various social media outlets including news articles, blog posts and Tweets. The search result page is no longer a static listing, but instead updates when a new post relevant to your search query is detected by Google.

These real-time searches can be beneficial for businesses looking to leverage current trends in their marketing efforts or for franchises looking to react quickly to protect their brand when trouble arises.

8) Google’s Algorithmic Changes that Recognize Brands

Social media mentions of a company name will pass along a brand impression for that company. The more mentions of a company’s name Google can find the more likely it is to treat that business as a notable brand. Brands have become an important factor to Google when determining search engine rankings because Google now considers brand name products and services as more trustworthy and therefore ranks brands higher than their non-branded competition.

Franchises can leverage social media to expand their company’s brand impression. Companies should encourage their employees to create personal LinkedIn profiles and link them to their company. Facebook posts & Twitter tweets can now be found in both Google’s Realtime search and its’ Everything search giving more exposure to a company’s brand name than franchises with inactive social media accounts that are not engaging existing or potential customers through those social mediums. Serious and authentic blog commenting with a mention of your company’s brand is just another social media outlet that can garner your brand’s name more exposure.

Aside from social media there are other very useful ways to expose your brand’s name to consumers. Successful offline advertising can have a positive impact on brand recognition. Franchises could even publish an eBook or two about franchising and about their brand which not only will receive mentions from social media and traditional media sources like press releases, but these books can also be found in online libraries like Google Scholar.

Mobile Marketing

9) Google Mobile Location Based Ads

Google AdWords offers location centric mobile advertising to allow local businesses to target leads based on the user’s immediate location. These location based ads offer the interested user an expandable map with turn by directions and a click-to-call phone number. There is some chatter at Google about other new “rich ad units” for mobile coming down the pipe to further leverage the mobile platform, including ads meant specifically for tablet devices.

10) Google Places Offer Mobile Coupons

When customers find a specific local store or service on Google Places through their mobile device, that business can offer digital coupons directly to that device in order to convert that lead into a walk-in customer. Owners of the devices can then show the business their coupon directly on their phone without having to print it out on a piece of paper. One of the best benefits of Google Place’s mobile coupons is that the coupons get distributed for free, unlike many offline paper distribution methods.

Traffic Metrics & Conversion Optimization

11) Google Analytics Traffic & SEO Metrics

Google Analytics is a free traffic reporting tool that allows companies to tunnel deeply into their visitor and website metrics in order to better determine the success of their website. Just some of the valuable visitor and search metrics one can obtain from Google Analytics are the most popular pages on your websites, the keywords that are driving search traffic to your websites, what external websites are sending your website traffic and the level of engagement of your website.

Google Analytics has completely changed how businesses look at their website’s statistics. This free hosted solution makes adding metric tracking to your website a breeze and provides in depth reporting second to none. Along with these valuable benefits, Google Analytics also allows companies to integrate their Google AdWords & Google AdSense campaigns into its reports, to set goals with varying values for conversion tracking and to build custom scheduled statistical reports.

In the franchise space specifically, ELEMENTS has begun using Google Analytics to provide rollup reporting across an entire franchisee network of websites as well as offering franchisees access to their own individual Google Analytics reports.

12) Website Optimizer for Conversion Optimization

The success of a website cannot purely be determined by the number of visitors to a website alone. Most websites have conversion goals like a checkout through their shopping cart or a newsletter sign-up for future targeted marketing. This is where conversion optimization comes into play.

Conversion optimization is the process of altering a page on a website in order to increase the amount achieved goals. Sometimes this can mean changing the call to action text or adding a big green button to the page. Conversion optimization is an art form but with Google’s Website Optimizer almost anyone can learn how to better their conversions on any given page.

In its simplest form, Website Optimizer allows you to create to competing pages and then it splits the traffic between the two pages and determines which page has the best conversion or goal achievement ratio. Website Optimizer also allows a company to alter individual page snippets in order to determine which of these snippets on the page lead to the most conversions.

Using Metro-Pages to Avoid “Territory Conflicts”

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

With over 80% of people searching online to find local businesses prior to purchasing goods and services, more and more franchises are responding by getting local with their franchise online marketing.

One way franchises are getting local is by having websites for each franchise location.  Using localized websites, franchise marketers are driving more and more traffic from local searches directly to the franchise locations their customers prefer.

However, large franchise systems run into “territory conflict” when they have multiple franchise locations in one densely populated metro area. This can cause confusion with consumers when they type in ‘hair cut Austin TX’ and find five locations near them. And what could be worse is if the first listing they find in the search engine is the furthest from them.

Elements, Inc., developers of the ElementsLocal™ software platform for franchise online marketing, has developed a new concept called “Metro Pages” to help avoid territory conflict.  By placing all of the neighboring franchise locations on a “Metro Page”, and placing a Google Map on that page, it allows customers to select the franchise location of their choice.  This drives more online leads to every franchise location, unveils more options   and simplifies the customer experience.

“One of the great things about our Metro Pages is that our system automatically creates the listings based on the pre-defined metro areas, or regions, of a franchise system.  This is just another example of our platform creating automated ways to increase organic, natural listings”, stated Jeremy La Duque, CEO Elements, Inc.  “Ultimately, we’re always looking for new ways to improve the expansion of a brand through online marketing while deepening customer engagement with that brand.”

Metro Pages will be released this month  as another valuable component of the ElementsLocal™ software platform.

Always Best Care Franchise Gets “Local” Online

Posted on by Tony

With seniors considered the fastest-growing population, America is aging, so it’s no surprise that Always Best Care – provider of in-home care and assisted living placements for seniors – is an increasingly successful franchise anticipated to nearly double its growth in 2010.

Increasingly instrumental to the company’s further expansion, however, is its ability to appear local to its potential customers, which is why Always Best Care has teamed up with ElementsLocal™ – an innovative new solution designed specifically for franchises that helps increase web traffic and online leads by creating local web sites for each franchise location.

“We are a relationship-based business, so it is very important for our franchises to have a local presence on the Internet,” said Michael Newman, founder, president and chief executive officer of Always Best Care. “Our clients want to know that we are in their local community and that we are there when they need us.”

Research company eMarketeer recently found that local search is now more popular and relevant than regular search for people looking for a local product or service, so it’s not surprising that a strong, localized search-marketing strategy is now considered one of the most critical components of an overall web marketing approach for companies with franchises in distributed markets.

And according to an article by ElementsLocal CEO Jeremy LaDuque published in the current issue of Franchising World, companies not leveraging a local online presence are fast losing customers to competitors who are.

Before signing on with ElementsLocal in late 2008, Newman became aware that his franchisees were no longer satisfied with having just a location-specific landing page on the franchisor web site. However, in an effort to protect brand integrity, Always Best Care policy prevented franchisees from creating their own, independent sites.

“We were looking for a solution that would empower our franchisees and give them the right tools to reach out to their local markets, yet we also wanted to make sure our company message was the same across the board,” said Newman. “Essentially, we needed a platform that enabled them to have their own web sites that would comply with the national brand.”

ElementsLocal offered just that solution. The San Luis Obispo, CA-based company provided each Always Best Care franchise location with its own web site – fully optimized to get the best results in search engines like Google – that can be regularly updated with content specific to that franchise location while still maintaining the corporate brand.

These location-specific updates, which can range from video testimonials of local clients to the franchise owner’s involvement in various local organizations, increase the company’s organic search engine rankings when potential customers perform local searches.

Consumers put considerably more stock in local and organic search engine listings, so although paid search campaigns such as Pay-Per-Click advertising can still add value, a franchise’s opportunity for greater return on investment really lies in influencing where it shows up in the organic results.

In addition, people better identify with information local to their community and gain peace of mind that the business is run by their neighbor – not a national corporation. Franchisees also benefit by saving on marketing expenditures, not only due to increased organic search rankings, but also because they’re able to target additional marketing efforts, such as paid search, to a smaller, local radius.

Bill Mathis, owner of the San Diego, CA, Always Best Care franchise, could not be happier with the services ElementsLocal has provided.
“It’s perfect. I was able to create a web page that reflected my business in San Diego, not that of the franchisor’s location,” Mathis said. “The site has the look and feel of the corporate office, but also the look and feel of my community.”

Taking advantage of the many ElementsLocal components available, Mathis has uploaded videos to his site, posted emblems of his local Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, provided link-backs to other local service agencies relevant to the senior population, and even posted pictures of himself and his wife so that clients can see who they’re talking to when they call.

“ElementsLocal has given me so much more of a presence on the Internet, which is increasingly important, because I know that in the very near future, the majority of my business referrals will be generated through this medium,” he said. “I’ve worked with a lot of different web page programs, and this is by far the easiest to operate. After just 15 minutes of training with the ElementsLocal staff, I was ready to go.”

Always Best Care franchisees are also pleased with the fact that the local web sites have helped attract more potential local employees, which keeps application numbers for open positions up and recruitment costs down.

“Across the board, everyone is noticing an improvement,” said Newman. “Signing on with ElementsLocal has been a good move and it’s been the right move. They are one of the few companies that actually get it and understand what we are trying to achieve at a local level without compromising the brand.”

Driving Leads Through Mobile Internet Technology: The importance of adding “mobile” to the marketing mix

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

This article was published in Franchising World Magazine in August 2009. http://www.franchise.org/Franchise-Industry-News-Detail.aspx?id=47280

In a world where technology has infiltrated the very fabric of our social culture, consumers have evolved to be human spam filters, adept at tuning out the constant messaging coming in from TV and banner ads, billboards, email newsletters and the like. With marketers now realizing that the age-old premise, “if you display it, they will see it,” may no longer be viable, the current buzz throughout board rooms, marketing forums and coffee houses is whether or not Mobile Internet Marketing is the next effective and practical progression in the marketing mix.

As companies question the effectiveness of traditional “outbound” marketing initiatives like broadcast and billboard advertisements, which push a message out far and wide, hoping that it resonates with a few individuals, they’re putting more emphasis on “inbound” marketing strategies that organically attract potential and already interested customers through search engines, blogs and social media. This has spurred franchises to take a closer look at making their messaging more local. Franchisors have moved from national level marketing, to regional, and local, by way of localizing online presence for every franchisee, and are now faced with Mobile Internet Marketing and wondering where it fits and what benefits it offers.

The shift from traditional marketing efforts to inbound, permission-based initiatives has also created the requirement that communication with potential customers become more personal. Addressing people by their first names and narrowing the message to focus specifically on what a potential customer has “signed up for” is replacing more impersonal, mass messages.

Mobile Internet Marketing offers the next wave of inbound, localized, personalized marketing by providing a more intimate, targeted, and increasingly proximity-aware method of reaching consumers.

 

And Mobile Internet Marketing is here now.

Are you ready for the burgeoning mobile world?

The mobile phone is unique in that it’s a convergent device that brings together voice, Internet and technology all in one place. Its very nature is that it’s always on, always with you, intimately aware of your favorite content and music, and always connected to your network of friends. Marketers will soon be able to leverage its location-based technology, as well.

According to Nielson Mobile, we’ve reached “critical mass” in the mobile world, with 40 million people in the United States categorized as ‘”active” mobile users. Even more, 144 million of the total 254 million mobile subscribers have data on their mobile phone, which allows them to use text messaging and access the Web.

This mobile phone penetration can be startling when you realize that in the U.S., there are more mobile devices than TVs and personal computers (PCs) combined.

And even more interesting is the information on who’s using them. Despite the belief that the mobile world is made up primarily of young people, Nielson’s data shows that 11.8% of mobile users are between the ages of 18-24; 27.4% are 25-34; and a staggering 37% are 35-54.

In addition, recent data compiled by M:Metrics shows that the world has surpassed the 3 billion mark on mobile phones, making brand marketers now fixated on this “third screen” (PC, TV and now phone) and curious about the marketing opportunities best suited for this new medium.

Before delving into opportunities available to franchise marketers for appealing to new markets, crossing cultural barriers and satisfying current customers through the mobile phone, let’s explore exactly what Mobile Internet Marketing is.

 

What is Mobile Internet Marketing?

Mobile marketing begins with the mobile web, which refers to browser-based web services such as the World Wide Web or Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) using a mobile device such as a cell phone, PDA, or other portable gadget connected to a public network.

Although newer mobile devices use standard browsers (one you would use on a PC), a WAP browser on a mobile device provides all of the basic services of a PC-based browser, only simplified to operate within the restrictions – such as the smaller view screen – of a mobile phone. WAP web sites are also written in a special language so that a WAP browser can access it. Both of these browsers are being used by people surfing the Net on their phones.

In addition to browsing the Internet, people are also text messaging. According to the CTIA – the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, more than 110 billion texts were sent every month in 2008, for a total of over 1 trillion text messages for the year.

Also known as a Short Message Service (SMS), text messaging can be used in several ways by marketers. When you “push” a text message out, you are sending a marketing message, such as a coupon or a client communiqué, directly to a potential customer, much like Expedia sends flight status updates via SMS. You can also create a “pull” message by communicating with someone who has actively engaged with a traditional marketing message. TV programs like American Idol have made this a popular marketing approach by running contests that require voting via a mobile phone. In this model, the initial message is conveyed through TV, radio or billboard advertisements and creates a call to action to text a code to a certain number.

When discussing Mobile Internet Marketing, one cannot leave out the almighty iPhone. The iPhone has revolutionized downloadable applications – software programs you can choose to download to your iPhone that perform some action, similar to a program on your PC. The “App Store” for iPhone applications touts 50,000 programs, which have been downloaded one billion times. Applications include everything from games like Tetris to productivity tools to Loopt, which allows users to connect with friends by seeing where they are at all times.

Palm and Blackberry have also come out with respective application stores for their mobile devices.

 

The key factors of Mobile Internet Marketing

Some fear that Mobile Internet Marketing will result in the mobile inbox becoming just as cluttered as the email inbox. However, the highly permission-based quality of mobile marketing makes it more relevant and targeted than any other marketing method, including email. It’s also believed that psychologically, consumers are more apt to “trust” mobile marketing because of the intimate nature and connectedness one has with their phone.

In addition to the relevance mobile marketing offers to potential consumers, immediacy based on location, or presence-based marketing, adds to its effectiveness. If the Holy Grail of marketing is reaching the “right customer with the right message at the right time,” then mobile marketing may have found it.

The ability for marketers to provide timely messages has already arrived. Take a pizza franchise, for example, that can text you a coupon code to order a Pizza at 5 p.m., just as you’re driving home from work. And for franchises that target the college audience, services such as eCampusCash may be appropriate, as they offer a multitude of coupons that they will text to potential customers’ phones. Customers then simply show the text to the business to use the coupon. And although it’s not here quite yet, text messages based on a customer’s location that pop up regarding a business they’re interested in when they’re in proximity, are indeed coming.

Another key factor to Mobile Internet Marketing is how social media ties in. Social media sites like Facebook and MySpace can now be updated on the go with mobile devices. And considering the mobile phone is one’s “constant companion,” it has become as integral to social media marketing as the Web itself.

 

How to use Mobile Internet Marketing

First, make sure your website is “viewable” to the mobile world. Your current website may not be as user-friendly on a mobile phone as it is on a PC. You should speak to your web developer to make sure your website is properly optimized for viewing on mobile phones. Some Content Management Software (CMS), like ElementsLocal™, allows you to update your own company and local franchisee websites, making it easy to revise for both the PC and mobile phone. Further, software like ElementsLocal even offers features that allow users to send text messages to their mobile phones from a company website, making it easier for a potential customer to continue browsing your business’ website, even as they move from their PC to their mobile phone.

You should also consider whether your company even shows up in the mobile world. Having a presence in Google and Yahoo on a PC does not necessarily mean you’ll show up on a mobile device. For starters, people can access your business’ location in a multitude of ways on a mobile phone, from browsing the Internet and texting Google your business name to using an iPhone application that is designed for a specific use. The common element is ensuring you’re listed not only in search engines like Google and Yahoo, but also local search engines like Google Maps and online directories like the local online Yellow pages. These directories are used by major companies to attain your address and contact information.

Once your company is “in” the mobile revolution, customer service can be dramatically improved. Again, using the example of Expedia texting you your flight status, take into account the possibilities of updating a potential customer with timely details about your company that they may find critical while they’re on the go. Always Best Care, an in-home senior care service franchise, is working on sending text message updates to clients’ loved ones with pertinent information about appointments. In the future, this service will also allow family members to pinpoint a client’s location via GPS using mobile technology.
Messages like this can go beyond just customer notifications and into marketing messages. The immediacy of Mobile Marketing can greatly benefit customer loyalty and VIP programs. Think about a hair salon franchise that during slow periods sends out a text message offering a discount for customers who show up in the next hour.

Advertising dollars continue to move to mobile phones, as well. EMarketer forecasts that advertisers will spend $3.3 billion on mobile advertising in 2013, up from $648 million in 2008, while Experian Marketing Services predicts that mobile advertising, including mobile search, social networks and location-specific services, will become a more viable marketing strategy as consumers continue to adopt smart phone technology.

If nothing else, consider this. Think about the web firm that convinced you almost a decade ago to start building your email lists to stay ahead of the game. Call it déjà-vu or just good planning, but it’s critical to start building your text message list now. As a consumer initially responds to a campaign by sending a text message, a marketer also captures his or her cell phone number. This valuable information, given by the consumer with permission, can then be used for future marketing campaigns.

 

The Conclusion on Mobile Internet Marketing

As franchises continue to strive to improve communications with customers and create brand awareness in an increasingly technological world, it’s hard to ignore the benefits of mobile marketing. Any brand that ignores mobile technology could be losing potential customers to competitors who are leveraging the technology and, more importantly, missing an opportunity to take the next step in creating a local marketing presence both on the Web and the mobile phone.

In conclusion, Mobile Internet Marketing does need to be a part of your brand’s overall marketing plan, and it should rank in priority with your corporate website, local websites, social networking and email messaging strategies.

Mobile Internet Marketing can’t be ignored as a viable solution to keep your company on the forefront of leveraging technology to improve brand awareness, extend product and/or service offerings and, most importantly, provide greater value and service to your customers.
Jeremy LaDuque is the President and CEO of Elements Inc., developers of ElementsLocal™, a software solution for localized websites designed specifically for franchises. He can be reached at (805) 547-1160 or jladuque@elementsinc.net.

Latest Survey Results: What Are Franchises Saying About Local Leads

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

Elements, in partnership with a leading online survey company, has just completed an extensive mail and online survey of United States Franchisee locations, on behalf of franchisors who want to know more.

 

After extensive analysis it became increasingly clear that franchisees believe the local independent competitors are significantly beating them at obtaining on line leads. The graphic below shows that over 75% of the respondents feel that local independents are doing a better job.

 

77%  Local Independents are dominating Local Market

13%  Franchisees lack budget or time

10%  Franchisees lack expertise

 

Local competitors can be better positioned because of many reasons. Chief among these reasons is the fact that Google can now discern when a franchisee is really a micro site on a corporate web site. Some forward looking franchisors are actually creating brand controlled, fully autonomous web sites for their franchisees.

 

 

With a fully autonomous site (meaning it has it’s own domain name) Franchisees obtain a much higher Google ranking and significantly increase leads. These entrepreneurial companies are harnessing the power of the ‘network effect’ and combined power of their franchisees through cross links and local content to not only increase leads for their franchisees but to also increase leads for future franchise sales.

 

Reasons Local Competitors Win:

·         Google Knows They are Local

o    Independent URLs

o    Contains Local Content

·         Shoppers Feel They Are Buying Local

Solutions:

·         Allow Franchisees to add local content

·         Create Corporate Controlled Autonomous web sites

·         Cross-link all Franchisees and Corporate sites

 

Results:

·         Higher Search Ranking

·         Lower Pay per Click Costs

·         Increased Leads/Sales

·         Happier Franchisees

 

                Jeremy LaDuque is the president and CEO of Elements Inc., an interactive web agency that assists businesses in solving critical challenges through forward-thinking implementation of web strategies and business solutions. Elements is the creator of ElementsLocal, an innovative software solution for franchises that helps increase company leads by maximizing search engine results. For more information on ElementsLocal, visit www.elementslocal.com and take the Tour. For additional tips from Jeremy or to set up an interview, editorial media can contact Jordan at On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or jordan@thepressroom.com.

The Inbound Advantage: Tips to Evolve Your Franchise’s Marketing Strategy

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

 In a world where marketing messages abound in nearly every aspect of daily life, a new, discerning consumer has evolved – one adept at filtering and tuning out information irrelevant to personal interests. Rightly so, franchise marketing tactics need to also undergo a major shift, since traditional outbound techniques such as advertising and unsolicited email blasts are increasingly becoming blocked or ignored.

                “Franchises should focus the majority of their marketing budget on inbound, not outbound initiatives,” said Jeremy LaDuque, CEO of Elements Inc., creator of ElementsLocal™, a new software solution for franchises that increases company leads through maximized search engine results. “When you push your message out far and wide with little discretion, you’re essentially crossing your fingers that it will resonate with a few individuals. Inbound marketing generates leads that are more abundant and credible, as potential customers seeking your services have been attracted organically through search engines, blogs and social media.”

          

  • Get Local. Instead of relying on just one national web site for the entire franchise network, provide cross-linked autonomous and brand-compliant web sites for each location. As the franchisor, you benefit from:

o    A “network effect” of hundreds of web sites, each displaying relevant content about the company, being seen by search engines, which increases rankings and visibility

o    An ability to leverage each franchise by allowing franchisees to customize (according to franchisor specifications)  their web site with local content and local e-marketing campaigns

  • Get Optimized. Some simple ways to get started with search engine optimization:

1)       Focus the attention of each webpage to just a few keywords

2)       Add relevant content about those select key words to that webpage

3)       Add those keywords to the title and meta tags of that webpage

 

Get Social. Social media is the fastest-growing segment of the Internet, and best of all, it’s much less expensive than most other marketing tactics. Get your franchise on board by:

o    Participating in social media sites such as Facebook and You Tube. Start a corporate Facebook profile and seek out fans or upload informative – or even humorous – videos that have “pass-along” potential, such as an engaging company story or client testimonials. This will help attract more visitors to your web site, increase your exposure within a larger audience and boost your search engine ranking.

o    Using a blog and/or Twitter to publish information about your business. Gaining “followers” or subscribers not only increases the audience for your company message, but also helps you gain valuable insight from the comments consumers leave on your posts.

  • Get Efficient. Inbound marketing efforts are highly track-able, so employ various strategies to monitor the efficiency of your efforts. This will allow you to repeat what’s working, discontinue what’s not, and gauge what’s providing you with the best return on investment (ROI). Some helpful hints:

o    First, establish exactly what it is you want to track and make sure you have a way to measure what you want to track

o    Use statistical programs like Google Analytics to monitor web site traffic behavior – from number of pages viewed to length of time on the site

o    Use landing pages to track specific ad campaigns and/or marketing initiatives

o    Track throughout – from campaign to conversion to sale!

                “As franchises start to ‘think inbound’ in their marketing strategies, they’ll attract customers who are appropriate for and receptive to the company message,” said LaDuque. “This competitive advantage will not only save franchises money, but will also help them build lasting and loyal relationships with clients.”

               

10 Ways to Improve Lead Generation and Close More Sales

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

The International Franchise  Association’s (IFA) Annual Convention in San Diego, CA offered a wide variety of very relevant roundtable discussions to attendees. ELEMENTS Inc.’s executive team, Jeremy LaDuque (CEO), Michael Boyer (CMO) and Steve Bridge (CFO), participated in six of them covering topics such as lead generation, online marketing and optimizing follow-up on online leads.

Immediate follow through is one of the most powerful things franchisors said will help generate more leads and create more closed sales from those leads.

1. 24-Hour follow up

The number one most effective strategy is to follow up with in 24 hours of the initial contact with your potential client. Statistics show that the success of following up on a lead increases by 70 percent if you follow up within this critical time. The consensus at the Internet Marketing Roundtable showed that immediate follow up is the most effective way to guarantee positive results from internet leads.

2. Automate your response to customers

Use an auto-responder program. This program or function is usually offered by your email provider and sends an automated response when a specific email address receives an email., You may already use this for an automated reply when you’re on vacation. However, you can employ the same automated response system with your sales force. When a potential client emails sales@yourfranchise.com, they receive an automatic response thanking them for their inquiry. This provides your client with immediate assurance that you are interested in their business and will contact them soon.

3. Use a drip campaign

By putting together a drip campaign, your franchise will send out emails on a predetermined schedule automatically. For example, you may send out an email every two weeks for several months. Your email topics would provide your target audience with more in-depth information about your franchise; then a customer testimonial; followed with news or an update on your products, its use or your community participation. There are several great reasons for a drip campaign:

  • You keep your name fresh with your users, prospects and clients
  • You proactively provide news and updates to your users
  • Your target audience continually sees that good things are happening with your company.

One franchise owner said that he has used drip campaigns for many years and swears by them. He referred to recently closing a deal with a client who had submitted an inquiry on their website four years ago!

4. Spend time on those that matter

In order to use your time efficiently, invest in some type of sales automation software to qualify leads from the internet. Automating the first few steps to qualify prospects is key. For example, if your automated reply asks a question or prompts the user for more information and they respond, you can qualify that person as a more serious prospect than someone who does not follow up with you.

5. Think like a buyer, not a seller

One of the main issues discussed throughout the IFA convention was that marketers typically think as sellers of their products and services. The consensus solution was by thinking creatively, sales and marketing need to think as buyers of their products and services. This manifests itself in many ways. One primary example is focusing on your benefits instead of your features.

6. Social Media

Social Media…one of the hottest topics everywhere. We discussed obvious heavyweights such as Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn and concepts like blogging (with WordPress or BlogSpot, for example) and micro-blogging with Twitter. Taking the time to participate in this huge and growing phenomenon seems to be universally beneficial, both for your website and for business. Ideas about social media include

  • Starting or investing time in your Linked In profile to connect with others
  • Starting a corporate Facebook account; creating a Myspace account.
  • Upload videos about your company story, or client testimonials to You Tube.

By doing this you can provide links to these rich and engaging videos in your auto-responders and create drip campaigns from any social media sites.  And most importantly was to provide links to your social media and networking accounts on your website, email and any other forms of electronic communications.

7. Start your own blog

One of the easiest ways to get involved with social media that seemed to be prevalent amongst franchises was blogging. There are many services that will allow you to create your own blog. An even easier way to participate without maintaining your own blog is to comment on other blogs and include links back to your site.

8. Per Click Advertising

Pay per click (PPC) advertising is an Internet Marketing strategy that everyone has obviously been using for several years now. The advantages are that you can control it, measure your return and track everything. However, as more and more people use PPC it gets more competitive, thus more costly. The most frequently asked question was ‘how do we continue to use PPC and get the most return from this strategy?’ We had the opportunity to discuss how to optimize marketing dollars with a few franchises and suggested a simple but more effective way of devising pay per click terms.

First, use what are called ‘geographic’ and ‘long tail’ terms. Start with geographic terms. For example, ‘closets san diego.’ This will cost less than ‘closets california’ or ‘closets new york’. Then, as geographic terms become more competitive start to look for ‘long tail’ terms. A long tail term is one that takes advantage of the 80/20 rule. This rule suggests that 80 percent of people look at 20 percent of search terms. This leaves 80 percent of search terms available and the other 20 percent searching them. Another way of putting this is to devise longer keyword phrases, like ‘closest installers san diego’  because they cost less. Research also suggests that the more people think about the terms they type in the more serious they are about buying and not just shopping.

9. Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to the fullest

Research shows that over 70 percent of people on search engines such as Google will chose an organic listing, or one that shows up naturally, that’s not listed under ‘sponsored links’ over paid-for links in the sponsored areas. So, logically getting your website ranked organically using SEO techniques is one of the best methods of online marketing. The challenge most franchises face is understanding SEO is laborious and confusing and often they don’t know where to turn for help. Our ElementsLocal software provides our clients with a solution that helps them take full advantage of natural SEO. Let us know if we can provide you with SEO services.

10. And always track

The saying is ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure.’ You can rinse and repeat what is working, what’s not and what’s getting you the best return on investment (ROI) if you track your online marketing. There are many different, yet effective, methods of tracking their online marketing. Solutions ranged from: Google Analytics, custom in-house solutions, fully outsourced solution providers who deliver reporting monthly and systems that leverage off-the-shelf software like SalesForce.com.

Use these techniques to boost your marketing campaigns and online marketing strategies. All marketing programs take time and effort, but your work will be rewarded when you can measure that investment and see a return. Employing even a few of these strategies should help decrease your costs and increase your success.

8 Marketing Strategies to Increase Franchise Sales

Posted on by Jeremy LaDuque

ELEMENTS Inc.’s executive team, Jeremy LaDuque (CEO), Michael Boyer (CMO) and Steve Bridge (CFO), participated in six roundtables at this year’s International Franchise  Association’s (IFA) Annual Convention in San Diego. The roundtables covered lead generation, online marketing and optimizing follow-up on online leads.

As we spoke with franchisors we discovered these invaluable strategies for increasing franchise sales:

1. Market within your own franchisee network:

Using what you have at your immediate disposal is always the most efficient and cost effective way of marketing amid an economic downturn.  Contact your franchisees to discuss any possible marketing opportunities that you may have in their respective regions.  This type of marketing can be a sensitive matter as you would need your franchisees’ cooperation and possibly customer lists. Make any campaigns of this nature symbiotic; it is essential to initiate a “win-win” scenario for both the franchisor and the franchisee.

A simple but effective example of this would be to arrange a marketing plan in which you send postcards or coupons to customers of the franchisee.  Your coupon offering could say “Franchise opportunities in your area” on the back. This type of initiative will not only promote the brand, but will provide customers with motivation and incentive to visit the franchise location as well.

A secondary benefit of this type of marketing is that you are establishing an “exit plan” for franchise owners. By courting interested parties looking to purchase franchises you are providing opportunities for franchises looking to exit. This also helps create a level of trust between the franchisor and the franchisee. This method of marketing was brought up time and again at IFA this year as one of the first and foremost ways to increase franchise sales.

2. In Store Advertising:

You can gain great advertising opportunities by harnessing the popularity and frequency of visitors to your franchise locations.  Again, find “win-win” scenarios for you and your franchisees and work with them to expand your lead generation opportunities.

3. Networking:

Networking is still one of the most important marketing solutions available in your arsenal. As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”  There are several ways that you can use this method sell more.  Anything from opening up the old-school rolodex to email marketing, and social networking sites (LinkedIn) are all effective strategies proven to lead to more franchise sales.

4. Local Media:

Local press is an important tool for creating lead generation.  In today’s precarious economical state, any publication of new business is hailed as a positive step for the economy and will be welcomed by all factions of media.  Be sure to announce that your franchise is interested in expanding locally, but emphasize the benefits and positive impact that a franchise will have on local consumers and economy.

5. National Media:

If you have the means, national press will provide your franchise with the highest exposure possible, however this is something that only a few franchises at the IFA convention were able to leverage. One innovative example of this case is the 10 Till 2 Part Time Placement Service company, which was able to attract national attention with their novel idea of providing part time work to people whose family obligations do not allow for a full time position. This type of creative thinking can lead to exciting results.

6. Internet Marketing:

The internet is an obvious and powerful tool which can be used in a myriad of ways to promote your franchise.  In fact, everyone at IFA attested to owning a website while working aggressively to refine their internet marketing strategies.  The majority of internet marketing strategies for franchises involved pay-per-click advertising scenarios. Pay-per-click marketing strategies are favored because advertising with the most popular search engines directly (Google, Yahoo, MSN…etc), still provides faster positive results while also supplying detailed and track-able information to help you optimize your marketing campaigns.

Yet another important aspect of internet marketing is catering to organic or natural search results, and many franchise companies were interested in further developing their organic marketing campaigns.  We introduced our ElementsLocal solution that directly addresses this growing need for organic results. ELEMENTS launched the ElementsLocal software last year to answer the three-fold need franchises have:

  • Reduce pay-per-click costs
  • Increase leads
  • Protect brand identity

Simply put, the ElementsLocal software does all three of these by providing each franchisee with their own unique website. This larger network increases organic search results and provides the franchisor with BrandSecure tools to protect the brand.

7. Portal Websites:

Web portals present information from diverse sources in a unified, streamlined fashion and provide yet another powerful lead generation tool at your disposal.  Portal websites such as Franchise Gator or MatchPoint provide prospective franchises with multitudes of information about franchising as well as powerful search capabilities to further explore potential franchising opportunities.  These systems have been specifically designed to help franchisers, overcome many marketing hurdles.

8. Tradeshows

Tradeshows are a great way for current or prospective franchise owners to learn a great deal about the industry through face to face interactions with many other franchise owners.  Tradeshows also provide a significant opportunity for existing franchise owners to enhance brand and product visibility, promote new and existing products, generate leads, and drive sales.

These strategies and techniques should help you give you some ideas for marketing your franchise and franchisees. Attending the IFA Convention opened our eyes to the exciting opportunities we have to better market your businesses online. We truly enjoyed the time we spent with franchises, discussing what works and what does not work for them. Remember that significant results to your online marketing and advertising takes time and energy, but it’s worth the effort when you can measure that investment and see a return. Employing even a few of these strategies should help decrease your costs and increase your success.