Using franchisee input to implement an effectiveonline solution

It goes without saying that in a franchise organization, franchisee input is vital to any successful program. Nowhere is this more important than when improving franchise Web sites and facilitating online ordering.

Through much trial and error--and a healthy amount of franchisee and customer

The key is to remember eight simple rules.

Rule 1--Feedback is critical.

This sounds simple enough, but a simple survey form isn't enough. A better way is to suggest ideas and concepts and allow franchisees to comment. Allow a lot of room for open-ended comments. Keep the discussion focused, and make sure that you ask how feedback fits into the overall brand strategy. This will keep the emphasis on objectives and not on small details.

Rule 2--Don't wait until it's too late to ask

Some companies will ask franchisees for feedback after they have already designed their sites or have exhausted their development budgets. Ask early, before you write code, but not before you have a strategy. The best feedback tends to come early enough in the cycle to affect changes, but not so early that the overall direction and strategy for the site is unclear.

Rule 3--Keep changing

Elicit franchisee input constantly and have a mechanism in place to make changes quickly. Listening to suggestions, and acting on them quickly, increases franchisee commitment and involvement in a Web site. While large-scale enhancements are needed periodically as technology changes, small improvements such as bug fixes, interface updates and eliminating bottlenecks are often more important overall to franchisee adoption of and satisfaction with your Web site.

Rule 4--Make it match the model

As the corporation, you may know trends and have more invested in research, but franchisees are on the front line with customers. Why change your customer relationship drastically online? This upsets franchisees and customers. Get franchisee input on how to make your current business model work online. If your business is inherently local, then make the Web site local. If franchisees feel that your Web site is in conflict with their proven business model, they won't adopt it.

Just as importantly, follow your own rules. If you have stringent territory controls in the real world, don't abandon them in the virtual world. Set up safeguards for your franchisees, breaking them only when the customer decides they want to go elsewhere.

Rule 5--Take control and then give it back

Having a consistent look and feel for your Web site is crucial to building a brand. Decide which features you need to have and then make them available across the network. Make it simple (and free) for franchisees to have a strong differentiation online. This will get you franchisee buy-in and eliminate the need for them to build their own sites. But make sure you give a lot of local control to your stores, allowing them to customize offers, add personal touches and update your corporate template. Franchisees are entrepreneurs. Eliminate their ability to distinguish themselves, and they will go it alone.

Rule 6--Invest in the back office as much as in the site itself

The best franchisee input happens every day. Build strong tools to allow the local owner and key staff to quickly and easily manage little details like wording and individual product sets. Let them change the site dynamically, without needing HTML or database training. Give them a clear manual, and allow them to receive feedback on who is using their sites. By making administering the Web site easier, franchisees will give you valuable feedback on what's working in their markets. Solid reporting tools will also let you gauge if customers agree with the variations in local implementation and allow you to adopt best practices.

Rule 7--Don't forget the customer

Franchisees sometimes have a wish list of features that are based on how they would like to do business, instead of how customers really do business. When getting feedback from franchisees, ask for customer validation. Be wary of input that is based on what the franchisees would like customers to do, but is not validated by real customer requests. Spending time and money on hypothetical customer needs drains resources. Responding quickly to customer requests, however, builds brand loyalty and drives sales.

Rule 8--Market your Web site to new and existing franchisees

Input is a two-way street. If your Web site is working for certain franchisees, market those successes constantly. Allow your franchisees to be heroes, and use innovative features as a lever for keeping current franchisees and convincing prospective franchisees of why your concept is better than an independent's or a competitor's business model.

The rules for using franchisee input for building effective Web sites are broad, but sticking to a discipline approach of combining strategic leadership with focused input pays dividends for franchisees, customers and the franchise system. More importantly, a cooperatively-built Web site strengthens the brand through broader implementation and greater consistency.

Ron Zayas is vice president of marketing for Sir Speedy, Inc. He can be reached at the e-mail address rzayas@sirspeedy.com.