| Why use franchise lead generation web portals? | | | | The method franchisors who are not on a web portal |
| Because the portals produce the most leads for your | | | | use to get leads is though PPC campaigns by either |
| advertising dollar. | | | | buying generic terms or buying brand-specific terms. |
| Over the last couple of years I have witnessed more | | | | As to the former, millions of dollars are being spent |
| and more franchisors doing their own paid advertising | | | | each year by the franchise web portals on generic |
| on the internet. While most of these franchisors | | | | terms. Consequently, the cost of these terms is fairly |
| choose to supplement the advertising on franchise | | | | high, and small, to middle size franchise concepts |
| lead portals, some actually discontinue using franchise | | | | usually cannot produce an acceptable ROI from |
| lead portals all together. I think this is shortsighted on | | | | advertising solely in this manner. As to the latter, buying |
| the part of the franchisor for many reasons. Granted, I | | | | keywords that relate to one’s brand is only |
| am biased, but my bias comes from years of | | | | effective if the franchisor has a commonly searched |
| experience. | | | | upon name. It has been my experience that the vast |
| What all franchisors—and for that matter | | | | majority of franchises sold over the past five years |
| prospective franchisees—should realize about | | | | are not the result of the franchisee knowing the exact |
| franchise lead generation portals is that one of the | | | | brand that he or she wanted when they began to |
| industry’s greatest strength is getting prospective | | | | search. Rather, they probably had some idea of what |
| franchises to take a look at franchise concepts that | | | | industry they wanted to work in and then spoke with a |
| they would normally never have thought to inquire | | | | lot of different companies both within and outside of |
| about. The best lead generation portals—and I | | | | that industry. The very reason it may be cost efficient |
| obviously count Ad Engine along with the other | | | | to do one’s own PPC advertising is because no |
| Landmark Interactive companies—make sure that all | | | | one is searching upon the terms. And while that may |
| of their advertisers are getting leads. And not just the | | | | be cost efficient, it does not generate any leads. |
| household names like Subway or Aamco. Sure, we all | | | | Every week brings about an advertiser who decides |
| can generate leads for the big name franchisors, but | | | | that he or she can produce more leads by doing their |
| there are only so many of those to go around. | | | | own paid search campaigns. Sometimes, they are able |
| Moreover, many of the bigger names may have | | | | to successfully do it. More times than not, however, |
| capital and geographical requirements that shut out an | | | | that same advertiser comes back to Ad Engine for |
| otherwise-qualified candidate. That is where we, as an | | | | some level of advertising exposure. We do not think |
| industry, are so much more cost efficient than one | | | | that we are smarter than the advertiser or know their |
| who may be doing his or her own PPC advertising. | | | | business any better than they do, but we do have |
| There are literally thousands of keywords that I | | | | model that has proven to be very effective. And it has |
| manage in our campaigns every day. We have the skill | | | | done so for the biggest of franchises all the way |
| and expertise to monetize these keywords in such a | | | | down to the smallest and most obscure. |
| way that we can provide leads to our advertisers that | | | | Stated simply, we don’t know how to make pizzas, |
| they could not have come close to getting had they | | | | nor do we know how to sell pizzas. That is your job. |
| done it on their own. The reason for this is very simple: | | | | |