As much as enterprise brands would like to make it otherwise, the matter of fact is that from all the lead sources out there (a lead is a prospective franchisee), leads from franchise portals are still the #1 source of franchise prospects.
The franchise portal market has been very competitive and this is to the benefit of individuals looking to start their own business, as well as franchisors who are looking for high-quality lead sources and a healthy stream of franchise sales.
With a ton of websites available, some looking like the yellow pages in the 60s and others like a spaceship from NASA, it is important that you can identify the best. Apart from the obvious signs like too many pop-ups and a slow loading site, there are a few key factors.
These factors can make a fantastic experience for a lead-looking to start a small business or the next big thing.
What Makes The Best Franchise Portal
It is easy to assume that a franchise web portal is simply a franchise directory and that it doesn’t really matter which one you use to do your research.
However, this is far from the truth and if you want to be looking at the best franchises and not sifting through countless irrelevant franchise brands, then you should know how to spot the best franchise portal too.
These are the key factors we have identifies that make a high-quality franchise website:
5 Key Factors
- Content Quality
- Website Traffic and Conversion Rates
- Content Quantity
- Website Design and User Experience
Content Quantity
Franchise websites that cover a significant number of brands, industries, and regions are amazing. Due to this one source, you can have a big variety of franchises that you could consider.
Consider websites that include both USA Franchises and International, as well as a range of companies, from enterprise brands to mid-market brands and even those that are small but up and coming.
Similarly, the ideal franchise website will include brands from several industry sectors, with a range of business model options that can suit both those ready to put in a large investment, as well as those looking for low-cost franchises with a small business model.
Website Traffic and Conversion Rates
Website traffic might not be an obvious benefit for prospective franchisees but this is one of the key factors that the top franchises look out for when choosing their advertising partners.
This is also a result of the website’s quality of both company information and blog content, as well as website speed, all of which contribute to their success in showing up on Google search results (SEO Score) and hence reaching more leads.
To go a step further, the conversion rate of a franchise website is the number of portal leads that go on to successfully become future franchisees. Although this is not openly available information, reports indicate 0.3% average conversion rates and so if a franchise website has a higher rate, then you know it is a good one.
What does this mean for someone looking for a franchise opportunity? It means that you are much more likely to find the right franchise for you and successfully join the brand in the future.
Content Quality
Information Quality is fundamental. The last thing you want to do is go on one website to get the franchise brand name and then three others to get the details on the location, investment requirements, and contact details of the franchisor.
No, a good franchise portal will have a comprehensive list of information that franchise leads will need, all neatly arranged on the website for users to easily find the requested information.
For an even more rounded experience, the best franchise portals will also include the latest in franchise industry sector reports and press releases so that you can keep on top of the industry news.
Some of the best franchise websites even offer a franchise quiz which will then provide you with a curated list of the best franchises for you, hence speed tracking your journey to becoming your own boss.
Website Design and User Experience
The best franchise websites have an easy-to-navigate layout, clear categories in their menu, and an efficient, yet comprehensive franchise search function that will allow users to both openly browse but also be more specific when looking for specific franchising opportunities.
All Rounded Network and Contacts
Franchise portals are still the number one source of franchise leads for franchises and as such the competition amongst them is increasing.
The best franchise portals are those that have evolved to offer a service, not only a catalog of franchise brands so that both potential franchisees and franchisors can save precious time and money.
These portals will offer free access to a franchise consultant, usually one of their experts in franchise sales and generally franchising, as well as a way to reach out directly to the franchise business and their team.
We also appreciate franchise portals that link those leads directly with the franchise brokers and broker networks, further supporting the franchise sales process.
So which are the Top 10 Franchise Websites currently available? We have rounded them up for you in the following, curated list
Top 10 Franchise Portals (Websites)
1. BizBuySell
- Region: International
- Franchise Resales: Yes
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: Yes
- Support: Broker
BizBuySell focuses solely on existing franchise business resale and has been marked as the number one website for those looking to become the new owners of an existing business or franchise. It is definitely worth noting that, as part of the BrokerWorks Company, they have direct access to an immense broker network that allows them to find and advertise the best franchise opportunities.
2. All USA Franchises
- Region: USA
- Franchise Resales: Yes
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: Yes
- Support: Listings only
One of the few all-American franchise portals out there, All USA Franchises are experts in franchising and wants to be the first to list all 3,000+ franchises currently in the USA.
Since they offer a free listing for the Franchisors, it is not a surprise that they have the biggest number of franchises out of all portals.
Thankfully, what could have been a daunting search for leads is now easy as all franchises are neatly categorized and can even be searched by keyword.
Our favorite part of this site though, is their section on franchising resources such as, brokers, lawyers, advisors, and even training materials for prospective franchisees.
3. Americas Best Franchises
- Region: USA
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings only
Another one of the all-American Franchise portals, Americas Best Franchises is a younger, more modern player focusing only on businesses in the USA.
Their site is very clean and simple and allows users to search the various industries, investment requirements, or locations of the franchise business.
For those leads that are undecided, they even allow a search by the A-Z Directory. What we like about the portal is their rich learning center, where they offer training on the basics, financing, offer advice, as well as connect you to their vast network of partners.
4. Franchise Business Review
- Region: USA
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: Yes
- Support: Listings only
As the name suggests, Franchise Business Review offers some of the best brand reviews out there, and they do this for over 1,000 businesses in a variety of industries.
They focus on areas such as training, franchisee support, community, and leadership. They also offer a Top 200 list, as well as a unique search option based on special interest, such as ‘Recession Proof’ or ‘Second Career’.
5. Entrepreneur.com
- Region: USA and International
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings only
Another one of the all-American Franchise portals, Americas Best Franchises is a younger, more modern player focusing only on businesses in the USA.
Their site is very clean and simple and allows users to search the various industries, investment requirements, or locations of the franchise business.
For those leads that are undecided, they even allow a search by the A-Z Directory. What we like about the portal is their rich learning center, where they offer training on the basics, financing, offer advice, as well as connect you to their vast network of partners.
- Region: USA and Canada
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings only
Franchising.com offers multiple search options including the industry, investment level and location in which you are looking to start your business. Our favorite part of this franchise website though is that it is presented as a news or magazine website.
They regularly share updates from their franchises, high-quality industry news, trends, and analytics for those both new and experienced in franchising.
7. Franchise Direct
- Region: USA and International
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings only
Out of all the available portals, Franchise Direct has the most simple user interface, making it a breeze to navigate through their directory of multiple franchises.
8. Franchise Gator
- Region: International
- Franchise Resales: Yes
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings and links to additional resources
Franchise Gator has been competing in the franchise sales portals game for 20 years and has nearly perfected the franchise lead generation process.
Leads can find the franchises that are of interest to them, based on the industry, money they are able to invest, and location.
Those leads than simply request information, after which point Franchise Gator shares all relevant information for the particular franchise and supports them through the financing options.
9. Franchise Opportunities
- Region: USA-only
- Franchise Resales: No
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: No
- Support: Listings only
Franchise Opportunities stands out from the other franchise sales portals, in that they have a comprehensive knowledge library for beginners, under the “Cool Stuff” Section.
New and potential franchisees can calculate their investment net worth, read about the process of buying a franchise, and even a Finance Centre for sharpening your finance skills.
10. Franchise.org
- Region: USA and International
- Franchise Resales: Yes
- Direct Contact With Franchisors: Yes
- Support: Adviser and broker (with membership)
This is the official portal of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and as such, will include all the IFA members (that’s 1,600+ franchises).
Being the global association for franchises and a foundation, they showcase their advocacy efforts, industry news, and fantastic events and webinars, all in one location.
Final Thoughts
Before diving into franchising, it is always best to do thorough research like all successful businessmen.
Even more important is to spend your time researching the right platform, where the most relevant information is available to you in the simplest form.
The industry has evolved and you should make the most of it by looking for those offering the most complete service, apart from a directory, a network, and connections with brokers, advisers, and experts who can guide you through your entrepreneurial journey.
