Franchise Marketing, Understanding the Client's Journey
Understanding the Client's Journey
Marketers often spend too much time reflecting on what we refer to as the “customer journey.” This goes to show that we care about the experience between our customers and us, starting from the moment they learn about our existence till the time they buy from us, and even beyond.
The best way to appreciate this experience is by dividing it into steps, and understanding that clients are likely to drop out of the process at every stage. Most corporate marketers recognize these steps as the “sales funnel.”
Here is a simple example of a
Franchise Marketing
sales funnel; take out some time to determine the things that happen at every stage of the experiences your customers have with you, and you will learn a lot about how you can influence the process and assist your customers at every stage.
List of Services
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1. AwarenessList Item 1
It is at this stage that a customer learns about your existence for the first time and begins to form opinions about you based on their perceptions.
Naturally, this stage is managed by the activities of corporate franchisors – although it is also possible through references and referrals that are generated from the franchisee.
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2. DiscoveryList Item 2
At this stage, the customer has learned some information about your product, and then, he begins to deliberately seek to know more about you. This stage often entails research on the internet and physical inquiries.
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3. EvaluationList Item 3
At this stage, the customer has most probably decided to purchase something that is similar to what you are offering, but then, he is still in the process of deciding where to buy it from. He might stop by at your business, give you a call, or visit your website at this stage in order to look at your menu, hours, or price list. This stage can be influenced by the activities of both the franchisor and the franchisee.
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4. IntentList Item 4
At this point, the client has made the decision to buy from you. This means that they are already your customer to lose. Franchisors can lose the client at this stage through misinformation in the local business listings of the brand – such as incorrect hours, or wrong directions that will lead the client to the wrong place, eventually causing them to give up.
On their part, Franchisees can lose the business via poor experiences on the premises – such as uncleanness, low inventory, long wait times, poor customer services, or pricing.
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5. Purchase
It is at this stage that the transaction takes place, and it is normally within the total control of the franchise.
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6. Loyalty
This stage entails whether or not a customer will come back to buy again, if he will become an evangelist for your brand, or if he will offer you good or bad reviews. This stage is also normally within the franchisee’s control, except the issue is a decision to be made at the level of the franchisor – like pricing, product/menu, or policy.
Sometimes, the entirety of the sales funnel can occur in the time which it takes to spot an ice cream sign and buy a double scoop sundae. Other times, it might take weeks.
Understanding your customer's thought and decision making processes are quite important and will provide you with enough guidance for your sales activities and decision-making both as the franchisor and the franchisee.
Scooping Out The Competition
Many brands have already planned their positioning, considering other national brands. So, this is mainly directed to franchisees. Take out some time to find out your direct local market competitors. It is possible that they are other big brands, but then, they can also be other local small businesses that are not yet on the radar of the corporate franchisor. You should understand:
- Areas where they are stronger or weaker than you
- The people they attract, in comparison to who you attract
- The strategies they use for marketing their business
Knowing these things will assist you in setting up yourself for winning a larger piece of the local pie. For instance, if your competitor is a gym center, you can consider questions like; do they have better weight training equipment than you? Are they targeting mostly younger athletes and men?
Do they advertise on local radio? etc. If the answer to these questions is positive, then perhaps, you should take the opportunity to target women and older clients. Also, adding some nutrition classes for weight loss might give you an edge too, among others.
Establishing Your Authority
When you have known who your customers are and how they buy, as well as how you want to position your brand in the local market, then you can begin to implement the plan by creating content for it. For corporate franchisors, this entails investing some time for the creation of an interesting, informative brand website that carries engaging and dynamic content. Your content should be purposed to inform, educate, and entertain, more than it is meant to sell. Doing this will always encourage your customers to come back, as well as contribute to your organic SEO. The content that you place on social media should also be fashioned after the same precept so that it ultimately leads back to your business as much as is possible.
Experts say that you should put effort into making 60% or more of the posts you put on social media engaging and timely. 30% should be shared posts, and just about 10% should be about promoting your business. You should also invest in building links, as this will demonstrate the influence of your site, as well as boost your ranking and authority for Google’s algorithm.
Here are some tips to help you;
- Locate sites that are not linking to you yet but are linking to your competitors, using the GT Tools “Find Opportunities” features.
- Locate people who are referencing your site already and request that they hyperlink back to you.
- Make some public relations or news-making efforts and request that articles be linked back to your site.
- Request for links from commerce groups, local trade organizations, and community organizations.
- Sponsor scholarship programs and post them on local .edu websites.
- Sponsor events and request that they link back to you.
Having just a website will not cut it anymore in this digital age, especially for Plumbers in bustling cities like Toronto or across Ontario. With every homeowner and business now turning to search engines to find local services, zeroing in on online visibility is imperative to stand out from the rest. Finding and fixing SEO problems is vital to raising website ranks and getting more site visitors, which translates directly into more calls for leaky faucets and clogged drains. In this post, we will go over some of the most common SEO problems, how they affect the user experience on your site, and how tools like Green Lotus can positively impact your site’s performance, specifically for SEO for Plumbers . Common SEO Issues Plumbers Must Address The first step in making the best out of your website is to look for the most common SEO problems that can affect your rankings. For Plumbers, it's crucial to pay attention to these areas: Title Tags: These are like the labels on your pipes – they tell Google and potential customers what's flowing on each page. They should be unique and descriptive for every page. For a plumber, a strong title tag might be "Emergency Plumber Toronto | 24/7 Leak Repair Service" or "Licensed Plumber North York – Drain Cleaning & Water Heaters." They give both search engines and users insight into the page's content. Meta Descriptions: Think of these as the short, compelling messages that appear under your listing in search results. While they don't directly impact rankings, a good meta description can significantly improve click-through rates. For instance, a plumber could use: "Experiencing a plumbing emergency in Toronto? Our reliable and experienced plumbers offer fast, affordable solutions for homes and businesses across Ontario. Call us now!" Headings: These are your internal service categories on each page, helping to organize information for users and search engines. Well-structured headings using relevant keywords can improve a page's relevancy in search engine results. They also indicate to the user the subject and relevance of the content. Consider headings like "Our Residential Plumbing Services," "Commercial Drain Cleaning in Toronto," or "Signs You Need Professional Water Heater Repair." Image Alt Tags: In the world of Plumbers, showing before-and-after photos of your work is powerful. Alt tags provide descriptive text for images on your website, improving search visibility, especially in image searches. Instead of "faucet.jpg," use "Leaky Faucet Repair Toronto Before and After" or "New Water Heater Installation North York." Website Speed: If your website takes too long to load, users will be frustrated, leading to a high bounce rate. Website speed directly affects user satisfaction and conversion rates, making it an important SEO factor. Imagine a homeowner with a burst pipe in their Toronto home; if your website is slow to load, they'll call the next plumber on the list. Mobile Friendliness: More and more potential clients are accessing sites via mobile devices; therefore, a mobile-optimized site is crucial. A large proportion of potential clients can be lost on non-responsive websites. If someone searches for "plumber near me" on their phone, your site needs to be quick and easy to navigate on a small screen. How Website Speed Affects Your Plumbers' SEO Rankings What is lightning-fast website speed, and why is it important for Plumbers? Google has explicitly stated that page speed is a ranking factor, so websites that load fast provide better performance organically. Higher Bounce Rates: A slow website leads to higher bounce rates as people typically avoid pages with long loading times. This leads to a worse user experience and can damage your website’s authority and earnings. For example, a property manager in North York looking for a commercial plumbing service won't wait long for your site to load before moving to a competitor. Studies have shown that even a one-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% decrease in conversions. For plumbers, where emergencies are common, a slow site can directly cost you a job. Conducting regular audits to pinpoint speed problems and implementing necessary changes will enhance user experience and increase your likelihood of ranking higher on search engines. The Importance of Mobile-Friendliness for Plumbers Given the increasing amount of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile-friendliness is essential in website design. If your site isn't optimized for viewing on mobile, you risk driving away a large segment of your potential clients. Mobile-First Indexing: This is Google's method, where they primarily use the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. If you own a website that isn't mobile-optimized, it can mean a bad user experience, low engagement, and thus missing out on many business opportunities. For Plumbers, this means if a client in Toronto is searching for "emergency plumbing services" on their phone, your site's mobile performance directly impacts your visibility. Google's algorithm updates, including those focused on helpful content and user experience throughout 2024, have continually emphasized the importance of a strong mobile presence for local businesses. This makes having a seamless mobile experience critical for effective digital marketing for Plumbers . On-Page SEO: Making the Experience Better for Plumbers On-page SEO, which consists of optimizing elements within your website, drastically improves the user experience. This includes content quality, meta tags, and internal linking. When talking about a positive user experience, you need to admit that it is not only about the visual appearance of your site but also about how easy it is for people to use your site and find what they are looking for. For Plumbers, excellent on-page SEO means: Detailed Service Pages: Clearly outlining all the plumbing services you offer, from drain cleaning and leak detection to water heater installation and pipe repairs. Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Displaying positive feedback from satisfied clients prominently, building trust and credibility with new prospects. FAQs and Helpful Articles: Answering common plumbing questions like "How to fix a running toilet" or "What to do for a burst pipe," which positions you as a knowledgeable and reliable expert. Local Service Area Pages: Creating specific pages for the areas you serve, such as "Plumber Etobicoke" or "Drain Repair Mississauga," with localized keywords. If your website is hard to navigate or slow, you will drive potential customers into the arms of your competitors. This is where a strong digital marketing for Plumbers strategy shines. For example, a plumbing company in the US increased their organic leads by over 60% by focusing on local SEO and creating helpful content that addressed common customer pain points, according to a case study by WebFX. This shows the clear benefits of a well-executed SEO for Plumbers strategy. Tools as a Critical Component of Search Engine Optimization When dealing with website performance, efficient SEO tools are a must. Tools such as Green Lotus provide end-to-end guidance in spotting technical SEO problems, so you can get your site into shape. They offer information that can improve your site's visibility and performance. Regular audits using these tools can help your website stay healthy and search engine-ready. These tools can identify issues like missing alt tags, slow-loading images, or unoptimized content, allowing you to fix them and ensure your site is always ready to bring in new business. Conclusion Neither a car nor a website runs well for ages without proper maintenance, because both need regular checks to help detect any problems for your benefit. Optimizing your title tags, meta descriptions, headings, image alt tags, website speed, and mobile-friendliness will dramatically improve your site’s user experience and ranking in the search results. Knowledge of technical SEO is critical, and tools like Green Lotus will help you keep your website healthy, so you can boost your content with the best of them! If you're a plumber in Ontario looking to stop the leaks in your online presence and attract more clients, understanding and addressing these SEO issues is a game-changer. For a comprehensive review of your website's performance and a tailored strategy to improve your search rankings, consider connecting with the experts at Green Lotus. Let us help you ensure your online pipeline is flowing smoothly.
Having just a website will not cut it anymore in this digital age, especially for General Contractors working on large projects in a bustling region like Toronto or across Ontario. With businesses and property owners increasingly turning to search engines to find reliable partners, zeroing in on online visibility is imperative to stand out from the rest. Finding and fixing SEO problems is vital to raising website ranks and getting more site visitors, which translates directly into more project inquiries and successful bids. In this post, we will go over some of the most common SEO problems, how they affect the user experience on your site, and how tools like Green Lotus can positively impact your site’s performance, specifically for SEO for General Contractors . Key SEO Issues General Contractors Must Address The first step in making the best out of your website is to look for the most common SEO problems that can affect your rankings. For General Contractors, it's crucial to pay attention to these areas: Title Tags: These are like the project titles on your blueprints – they give a clear idea of what the page is about to search engines and potential clients. They should be unique and descriptive for every page. For a general contractor, a strong title tag might be "Commercial General Contractor Toronto | Office Renovations" or "Residential General Contractors North York – Custom Builds." They give both search engines and users insight into the page's content. Meta Descriptions: Think of these as the brief project summaries that appear under your title in search results. While they don't directly impact rankings, a compelling meta description can significantly improve click-through rates. For instance, a general contractor could use: "Trusted general contracting services across Ontario for commercial, industrial, and residential projects. Delivering quality, on time, and on budget. Request a free consultation!" Headings: These are your internal section labels on each page, helping to organize information for users and search engines. Well-structured headings using relevant keywords can improve a page's relevancy in search engine results. They also indicate to the user the subject and relevance of the content. Consider headings like "Our Commercial Construction Portfolio," "Project Management Services in Toronto," or "Why Choose Us as Your General Contractor." Image Alt Tags: In the visual world of General Contractors, showcasing your completed projects with images is paramount. Alt tags provide descriptive text for images on your website, improving search visibility, especially in image searches. Instead of "site_photo.jpg," use "Completed Retail Renovation Toronto" or "New Industrial Warehouse Construction North York." Website Speed: If your website takes too long to load, users will be frustrated, leading to a high bounce rate. Website speed directly affects user satisfaction and conversion rates, making it an important SEO factor. Imagine a potential client reviewing your portfolio; if the images load slowly, they might move on to a faster competitor. Mobile Friendliness: More and more potential clients are accessing sites via mobile devices; therefore, a mobile-optimized site is crucial. A large proportion of potential clients can be lost on non-responsive websites. If a business owner searches for "general contractors near me" on their phone, your site needs to be quick and easy to navigate. How Website Speed Impacts Your General Contractors SEO Rankings What is lightning-fast website speed, and why is it important for General Contractors? Google has explicitly stated that page speed is a ranking factor, so websites that load fast provide better performance organically. Higher Bounce Rates: A slow website leads to higher bounce rates as people typically avoid pages with long loading times. This leads to a worse user experience and can damage your website’s authority and earnings. For example, a developer in Toronto looking for a reliable general contractor for a new project won't wait long for your site to load before moving to a competitor. Research shows that conversion rates can drop by an average of 4.5% for every additional second of page load time beyond the first second. Conducting regular audits to pinpoint speed problems and implementing necessary changes will enhance user experience and increase your likelihood of ranking higher on search engines. The Importance of Mobile-Friendliness for General Contractors Given the increasing amount of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile-friendliness is essential in website design. If your site isn't optimized for viewing on mobile, you risk driving away a large segment of your potential clients. Mobile-First Indexing: This is Google's method, where they primarily use the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. If you own a website that isn't mobile-optimized, it can mean a bad user experience, low engagement, and thus missing out on many business opportunities. For General Contractors, this means that if a client in North York is browsing for commercial renovation services on their tablet, your site's mobile performance directly impacts your visibility. Google's algorithm updates, including significant ones in March and August 2024, have consistently reinforced the importance of a strong mobile user experience, integrating it deeply into their core ranking systems. This makes having a seamless mobile presence critical for effective digital marketing for General Contractors . On-Page SEO: Making the Experience Better for General Contractors On-page SEO, which consists of optimizing elements within your website, drastically improves the user experience. This includes content quality, meta tags, and internal linking. When talking about a positive user experience, you need to admit that it is not only about the visual appearance of your site but also about how easy it is for people to use your site and find what they are looking for. For General Contractors, excellent on-page SEO means: Showcasing Your Work: High-quality images, videos, and detailed descriptions of your completed projects, categorized by type (e.g., commercial, residential, industrial). Detailed Service Pages: Clearly outlining all the general contracting services you offer, from design-build and project management to various types of construction. Case Studies and Client Testimonials: Highlighting successful projects with specific results and glowing feedback from satisfied clients, building trust and credibility. Local Landing Pages: Creating specific pages for service areas like "General Contractor Mississauga" or "Commercial Construction Etobicoke," tailored with local keywords. If your website is hard to navigate or slow, you will drive potential customers into the arms of your competitors. This is where a strong digital marketing for General Contractors shines. For example, a general contracting firm focusing on inbound marketing, which includes strong SEO and content, reported achieving "at least an inquiry per day" and significant performance improvements, as noted in a construction marketing case study. This highlights the tangible benefits of focused SEO for General Contractors . Tools as a Critical Component of Search Engine Optimization When dealing with website performance, efficient SEO tools are a must. Tools such as Green Lotus provide end-to-end guidance in spotting technical SEO problems, so you can get your site into shape. They offer information that can improve your site's visibility and performance. Regular audits using these tools can help your website stay healthy and search engine-ready. These tools can help identify issues like broken links, unoptimized images, or slow server response times, allowing you to fix them and ensure your site is always ready to attract new projects. Conclusion Neither a car nor a website runs well for ages without proper maintenance, because both need regular checks to help detect any problems for your benefit. Optimizing your title tags, meta descriptions, headings, image alt tags, website speed, and mobile-friendliness will dramatically improve your site’s user experience and ranking in the search results. Knowledge of technical SEO is critical, and tools like Green Lotus will help you keep your website healthy, so you can boost your content with the best of them! If you're a general contractor in Ontario looking to strengthen your online presence and attract more projects, understanding and addressing these SEO issues is a game-changer. For a comprehensive review of your website's performance and a tailored strategy to improve your search rankings, consider connecting with the experts at Green Lotus. Let us help you build a stronger online foundation for your business.
Having just a website will not cut it anymore in this digital age, especially for Electricians in bustling cities like Toronto or across Ontario. With every homeowner and business now turning to search engines to find local services, zeroing in on online visibility is imperative to stand out from the rest. Finding and fixing SEO problems is vital to raising website ranks and getting more site visitors, which translates directly into more calls and jobs. In this post, we will go over some of the most common SEO problems, how they affect the user experience on your site, and how tools like Green Lotus can positively impact your site’s performance, specifically for SEO for Electricians . Common SEO Issues Electricians Must Address The first step in making the best out of your website is to look for the most common SEO problems that can affect your rankings. For Electricians, it's crucial to pay attention to these areas: Title Tags: These are like the labels on your circuit breaker box – they tell Google and potential customers what's inside. They should be unique and descriptive for every page. For an electrician, a strong title tag might be "Emergency Electrician Toronto | 24/7 Electrical Repair" or "Licensed Electrician North York – Residential & Commercial." They give both search engines and users insight into the page's content. Meta Descriptions: Think of these as the short, catchy descriptions under your listing in search results. While they don't directly impact rankings, a compelling meta description can significantly improve click-through rates. For instance, an electrician could say, "Need a trusted electrician in Toronto? We offer reliable electrical installations, repairs, and upgrades for homes and businesses. Free quotes available!" Headings: These are your internal wiring diagrams on each page, guiding users and search engines. Well-structured headings using relevant keywords can improve a page's relevancy in search engine results. They also indicate to the user the subject and relevance of the content. Consider headings like "Our Residential Electrical Services," "Commercial Electrical Upgrades in Toronto," or "Signs You Need an Emergency Electrician." Image Alt Tags: In the world of Electricians, showcasing your work with images is key. Alt tags provide descriptive text for images on your website, improving search visibility, especially in image searches. Instead of "wire.jpg," use "New Electrical Panel Installation Toronto" or "Commercial Lighting Repair North York." Website Speed: If your website takes too long to load, users will be frustrated, leading to a high bounce rate. Website speed directly affects user satisfaction and conversion rates, making it an important SEO factor. Imagine a homeowner with a flickering light in their Toronto home; if your website is slow, they'll call the next electrician. Mobile Friendliness: More and more potential clients are accessing sites via mobile devices; therefore, a mobile-optimized site is crucial. A large proportion of potential clients can be lost on non-responsive websites. This is especially true as Google's mobile-first indexing prioritizes how your site performs on mobile for ranking. If someone searches for "electrician near me" on their phone, your site needs to load fast and look good. How Website Speed Affects Your Electricians SEO Rankings What is lightning-fast website speed, and why is it important for Electricians? Google has explicitly stated that page speed is a ranking factor, so websites that load fast provide better performance organically. Higher Bounce Rates: A slow website leads to higher bounce rates as people typically avoid pages with long loading times. This leads to a worse user experience and can damage your website’s authority and earnings. For example, a property manager in North York looking for a commercial electrician won't wait long for your site to load before moving to a competitor. Studies indicate that a page load time of over 3 seconds can increase bounce rates by over 30%. Conducting regular audits to pinpoint speed problems and implementing necessary changes will enhance user experience and increase your likelihood of ranking higher on search engines. The Importance of Mobile-Friendliness for Electricians Given the increasing amount of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile-friendliness is essential in website design. If your site isn't optimized for viewing on mobile, you risk driving away a large segment of your potential clients. Mobile-First Indexing: This is Google's method, where they primarily use the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. If you own a website that isn't mobile-optimized, it can mean a bad user experience, low engagement, and thus missing out on many business opportunities. For Electricians, this means if someone in Toronto is looking for "residential electrical services" on their tablet, your site's mobile performance directly impacts your visibility. Recent Google algorithm updates, including the helpful content updates, have further emphasized the importance of user experience, making a seamless mobile presence critical for effective digital marketing for Electricians . On-Page SEO: Making the Experience Better for Electricians On-page SEO, which consists of optimizing elements within your website, drastically improves the user experience. This includes content quality, meta tags, and internal linking. When talking about a positive user experience, you need to admit that it is not only about the visual appearance of your site but also about how easy it is for people to use your site and find what they are looking for. For Electricians, excellent on-page SEO means: Detailed Service Pages: Clearly outlining all the electrical services you offer, from panel upgrades and wiring to lighting installation and safety inspections. Customer Testimonials: Displaying positive reviews from satisfied clients, building trust and credibility. FAQs and Helpful Content: Answering common electrical questions like "How to reset a tripped breaker" or "When to replace old wiring," which positions you as a knowledgeable expert. Local Landing Pages: Creating specific pages for service areas like "Electrician Etobicoke" or "Electrical Repairs Mississauga." If your website is hard to navigate or slow, you will drive potential customers into the arms of your competitors. This is where a strong digital marketing for Electricians strategy shines. For instance, a small electrical company in California saw their organic leads increase by 62% in 90 days simply by optimizing their website with relevant keywords and creating informative blog content, according to a Marketing 360® case study. This clearly demonstrates the power of focused SEO for Electricians . Tools as a Critical Component of Search Engine Optimization When dealing with website performance, efficient SEO tools are a must. Tools such as Green Lotus provide end-to-end guidance in spotting technical SEO problems, so you can get your site into shape. They offer information that can improve your site's visibility and performance. Regular audits using these tools can help your website stay healthy and search engine-ready. These tools can help identify issues like broken links, unoptimized images, or slow server response times, allowing you to fix them and ensure your site is always ready to attract new clients. Conclusion Neither a car nor a website runs well for ages without proper maintenance, because both need regular checks to help detect any problems for your benefit. Optimizing your title tags, meta descriptions, headings, image alt tags, website speed, and mobile-friendliness will dramatically improve your site’s user experience and ranking in the search results. Knowledge of technical SEO is critical, and tools like Green Lotus will help you keep your website healthy, so you can boost your content with the best of them! If you're an electrician in Ontario looking to brighten your online presence and connect with more clients, understanding and addressing these SEO issues is a game-changer. For a comprehensive review of your website's performance and a tailored strategy to improve your search rankings, consider connecting with the experts at Green Lotus. Let us help you illuminate your path to online success.
