How can we convincingly showcase the benefits of franchising to potential business sellers and buyers?

Background

Once upon a time in the world of business ventures, there was an exceptional company named Franchise Ready. They were masters of franchising, providing top-notch services. Led by visionary Doug X, Franchise Ready catered to two groups: ambitious ‘Franchisors’ looking to expand through franchising, and affluent ‘Franchisees’ seeking investment opportunities.

Now, our story takes an interesting turn as we delve into the challenges faced by Franchise Ready. Imagine a quest to enhance the user experience on their website! Their goal? To make it easy for both franchisors and franchisees to find desired resources. With a reputation for fostering prosperous relationships, Franchise Ready embarked on an adventure to create a more user-friendly online platform.

Join us on this enchanting journey as we uncover the solutions Franchise Ready conjured to overcome these challenges. Prepare to be amazed by their creative prowess and the delightful transformation of their online realm.

Challenge

At the start of the Franchise Ready project, our team at Collabrium faced several challenging tasks. Firstly, we had to simplify the complex user interface to improve user engagement. Secondly, we enhanced the user experience by adding a search bar with filters and creating product listing and detail pages. Franchise Ready also needed help managing enquiries more efficiently to expand the number of brands listed and increase franchise contracts. To address these challenges, we built a comprehensive new website with a user-friendly sitemap and implemented key features to enhance the user experience. We also emphasized Franchise Ready’s meticulous support system, building trust and assisting users in making informed decisions.

Research & Strategy

We conducted qualitative research to understand Franchise Ready’s business. Our target audience analysis helped us comprehend the specific needs of franchisors and franchisees, enabling us to design a platform to meet their unique requirements.

We also conducted a competitive analysis to identify best practices and market gaps, which guided our strategic approach.

Additionally, we executed a UX audit, evaluating the existing website for usability. This helped us identify user pain points and informed our redesign strategy.

This research and strategy phase shaped our approach to develop a solution that meets the needs of Franchise Ready and its users.

Solutions

In our Franchise Ready website redesign, we crafted solutions for two user groups – franchisors and franchisees.

For franchisees, we streamlined their search process by placing a search bar on the homepage, supported by a list of featured brands. This enabled swift identification of brands, inquiry submission, or exploration of other brands on the product listing page.

For franchisors, we developed a dedicated page with a ‘how it works’ section. It starts with visually appealing post-it style graphics displaying commonly asked questions, followed by a three-step franchising process highlighting key benefits of collaborating with Franchise Ready.

Contacting Franchise Ready is made effortless through a simple enquiry form, optimizing user experience for both franchisors and franchisees.

Results

The Franchise Ready website redesign exceeded expectations in both functionality and aesthetics. The responsive website with a filtering system greatly improved the search experience for franchisees, enhancing navigation and efficiency. User enquiry forms were tailored separately for general enquiries, franchisors’ business listing needs, and franchisees’ brand interest, streamlining communication processes for a quicker and more effective response. The user-centric interface with high-quality images and graphics elevated the visual appeal of the site, increasing engagement and time spent. These improvements optimized the user experience for franchisors and franchisees and positioned Franchise Ready as a leader in the franchise industry.