Getting to be part of a franchise business is a big deal in itself. However, keeping it running smoothly and growing at the same time is a whole different ball game.

Franchise owners have their work cut out in keeping the health of their business at its peak at all times, but thankfully, there are several franchise marketing ideas that can be used to ensure the longevity and success of your business.

Here are 5 Franchise Marketing Ideas for Local Business Owners.

Franchise Marketing 1: Make Google Your Ally

Google has some extremely powerful franchise marketing tools on offer for business owners, chief among them being Google My Business. Get your business listed in Google My Business and other local listings as well so that the moment someone searches for it, they are presented with details such as your address, phone number, hours of operation, and driving directions.

Most importantly, customer reviews also pop up in these local listings, and that can give a huge boost to your business.

Franchise Marketing 2: Start Planning Early for the Festive Season

Among all your franchise marketing ideas, planning ahead for festive seasons deserve high priority. During times such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, sales figures rise sharply. Promotional coupons and offers like buy-one-get-one-free or free gifts with certain purchases are excellent franchise marketing ideas for the festive season.

You may even need to hire some extra hands to ensure the business runs without a hitch during the season.

Franchise Marketing 3: is a Franchise Website More Appropriate?

This is an important question that you have to ask. If your business is a franchisee of a large conglomerate, it would be better to have your own dedicated local franchise website, in order to rank high in local search results.

This important franchise marketing method would provide you the freedom to perform local SEO and other optimization techniques to improve your ratings and visibility.

Franchise Marketing 4: Be Clever with Keywords

Search engines nowadays make use of geographic locations extensively. Results can be tailored to be nearer in terms of distance to the location from where a person performs a search. Creating a location-specific online profile is certainly one of the best franchise marketing ideas that one can think of.

As a local business owner, your primary source of clients will be from within your immediate vicinity. Therefore, make it a point to target keywords with your location. For instance, if you are a franchisee of a car wash or a fast food chain, this will allow you to capture the audience who search for "car washes near me” or "burger joints near me”.

Franchise Marketing 5: Use PPC & Social Media to Your Advantage

Pay-per-Click (PPC) is a marketing model where you create an advert and pay a pre-arranged charge each time someone clicks on the ad. This will put your ad on top of the search results and it will also complement the organic visits on your site. A well thought-out PPC marketing strategy is one of the most effective franchise marketing ideas in your marketing toolkit.

Everybody who’s anybody these days is on social media. So doesn’t it make perfect sense to make your business visible on different social media channels? Popular social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pintrest and many others now offer paid advertising.

Direct mail is still one of the old-world franchise marketing ideas that work great for franchise marketing. This can be used to inform specifically targeted customers about loyalty programs and exclusive deals. However, we strongly advise you to combine print mail and email marketing techniques for better results.

Questions? We can help. Click Here.

Wondered why your website works better with responsive website design? Just a few years back, websites used to be viewed mostly on laptops and PCs. Not anymore. 

The consumer web is now predominantly on mobile phones and tablets, which is why responsive website design (RWD)

Here are the top three reasons why responsive website design makes sense: 

1. The web is now mobile first, and responsive website design means more business for you

Up to 94% of consumers now view your website on their mobile phones. Remember, mobile screens now come in many sizes and resolutions, right from the 320 x 480 pixels or lower dimensions of basic phones to 750 x 1334 pixels on the iPhone 7, or more.

Responsive website design(RWD) ports your website to any of these dimensions with ease, making the website browsing experience of your viewers intuitive and easy. What’s more, the same technology makes multiple device browsing of your website an easier and pleasurable experience. 

Now, not only are 80% of mobile phone users using their phone to shop online, up to 72% of them even use their phone to compare prices, right inside a store. Imagine your old adoptive technology website on these phones. It will take quite some effort before visitors can make sense out of your website, and by the time most of them would be looking for other options. In fact, 80% will abandon the website inside just 15 seconds. 

If your website has an average of 100 visitors a day, you are now losing 5 to 20 prospective customers every single day, to just one factor – responsive website design

2. Responsive website design means better search engine results

Mobile friendliness is now one of the factors which Google uses to rank your website, and the search engine recommends responsive website design(RWD) as a website best-practice. If your website is responsive, then Google will rank it higher, especially on mobile searches.

In addition, 55% of all social media interactions now happen on mobile phones, increasing the chances of your content being socially shared if your website runs on responsive website design.

3. Responsive website design makes it easier to manage your website

Before responsive website design came into vogue, website owners with significant mobile customers had to manage two websites – a full-fledged adoptive website and a stripped down mobile website. Content duplication was hard to avoid, and so was the constant threat of Google penalizing the website for duplicate content.

It’s complicated, to say the least. Imagine, a website user sharing a mobile URL from his mobile phone, and a laptop user clicking on it to see a tiny mobile screen size website on his large laptop screen.

With responsive website design(RWD) you have to manage only one website and one set of content, making it easier not only for your customers and prospects, but your marketing and web teams as well.

Need help with responsive website design? Email us at sales@izmoweb.com

As anyone who has kept pace with technology over the last few years knows, virtual reality uses powerful computer-based setups and goggles to completely engulf a user in an experience. In the auto space, this immersive experience takes the form of a simulated vehicle where users control what they see and explore the features and aspects that matter most to them.  As dealers increasingly focus on the overall customer experience (both online and in-store) to de-commodify the purchase of a vehicle and stand out from the crowd, virtual reality has the potential to offer a unique takeaway and perspective that is difficult to find anywhere else. All while delivering better leads in less time.

The virtual reality difference

We’re all used to 360-degree vehicle spins and images that allow consumers to “feel” like they’re sitting in the driver’s seat. This type of traditional, old-school marketing will always be valuable to shoppers, but it doesn’t go far enough.  That’s because the library of images that dealers get deliver the same limited, flat views that aren’t geared toward how a customer will actually experience the vehicle. The modern, new-school virtual reality experience is completely different. Shoppers don’t just feel like they are in the vehicle – they actually are immersed in a simulated environment where they are in control. They choose where to direct their attention and what aspects of the vehicle to explore. The result is an entirely unique experience and viewpoint that naturally fits every age range, buyer type, and lifestyle profile.  

How virtually reality will be used

Virtual reality is so new that its wide variety of uses hasn’t been explored yet. However, the possibilities to create compelling and unique customer experiences that pay off in more leads and sales have unlimited potential. Here are a few examples:

Highlight the benefits of each vehicle – Unlike spins or stagnant images that are the same for every vehicle, virtual reality offers the opportunity to highlight the unique features and benefits of a particular make and model. A user can virtually stand behind a hatchback and investigate how much room is really in the trunk. Or sit in the third row of a minivan and get a first-hand feeling for leg room. They can even look out through the open sunroof of a coupe.

Tailor experiences to the buyer – Every buyer is different, but up until now all vehicle presentations were the same. Virtual reality can change all that with experiences tailored for any customer lifestyle that can only be experienced in a simulated environment. For example, parents of a large family can watch grocery bags being loaded into the trunk of a minivan and know exactly how much cargo room is available. A safety-minded dad can climb in the driver’s seat and check for blind spots out a front windshield or understand the size and placement of airbags. An adventure junky can see how seats lie flat as a surfboard or kayak slides into place. Imagine in the future if a buyer could even try out the sound system or watch a DVD? The possibilities are there!

Turn viewings into qualified leads – Virtual reality can also turn more shoppers into highly qualified leads by narrowing down vehicle choice before the customer enters the dealership. Think about it: static images give an idea of the vehicle, but no sense of space or how it feels to actually be in the vehicle. Virtual reality engulfs the field of vision and tracks head movements so customers feel as if they are truly in the vehicle. This full immersion allows for educated vehicle decisions and helps shoppers essentially pre-qualify themselves before they interact with a salesperson.

Create a comfortable shopping environment – The vast majority of shoppers who go online to research and shop for vehicles do it for the convenience, but also because they want to set their own shopping pace. Virtual reality gives these shoppers an opportunity to gather information at a rate that is comfortable for them in an alternate format that is just as educational as spending hours on a showroom floor.  

Extend the reach of the showroom – The virtual reality format can extend the selling experience to additional departments in the dealership where customers are waiting – for example the service area – and offer a way to explore the idea of a new vehicle without the commitment of walking onto the showroom floor. It can break down the psychological barrier between “I’m here to have my vehicle serviced,” and “I’m here to buy a new vehicle,” and prime the pump for more sales in the future.

Save time for customers and employees – Today’s customers want to be in and out of the dealership in record time. Speeding up the transaction without compromising the experience is good for dealers too. It leads to happier customers, higher CSI, and more productive employees. Customers who immerse themselves in virtual vehicles know what they want. If a dealer employs additional technology such as online pricing and financing tools, suddenly 85% of the purchase steps are done before the customer ever steps on the floor. With only the test drive and document signing left to complete, in-store time can be as little as 30 minutes. That’s a win-win for everyone!

The auto industry is evolving rapidly, but no innovation has as much potential to move buyers faster to a purchase with a unique and compelling presentation as virtual reality. We’re just at the beginning of what this exciting new technology can offer dealers – stay tuned!

The power of the Internet coupled with how to sell to Millennials – now the largest generation in the US – has sent many in our industry into a tailspin. Since more people prefer to research and shop online, visits to an actual dealership are at an all-time low. Buyers today visit slightly more than one dealership before buying, down from 4 to 6 visits a few years ago. As a result, dealers are not seeing as many walk-ins, and it’s becoming difficult for manufacturers to control the buying process as they compete with information available on third-party websites and social media. At the same time, Millennials are proving to be a hard sell since they don’t trust traditional advertising. Yet this group has such enormous buying power – they bought 4 million cars and trucks last year and their share of the new car market jumped to 28 percent – no dealer can afford to ignore them. What’s an OEM to do? Think way outside the box with a Virtual Reality (VR) Lounge.

Lounge your way to leads and sales

This new sales concept is a lounge-like environment where customers can come in, enjoy a free beverage and snack, peruse literature about a specific vehicle, and then settle onto a couch with a VR headset and enjoy a fully immersive experience of a computer-generated vehicle.

It’s important to note this is not the 360-degree video championed by YouTube and some providers in our space where you get a feeling of being in a vehicle but you can’t interact with it. True VR allows consumers to navigate through their own journey, opening the sunroof, sliding groceries into the trunk, etc. The result is an entirely unique experience and viewpoint that naturally fits every age range and lifestyle.

The exhilarating lounge experience pushes consumers to make an appointment for an actual test drive with the dealer – getting them into the store and converting them to buyers. Most importantly, they talk (whether online or in-person) about the incredible experience with friends, who also show up at the lounge and become low-funnel shoppers.  

Go where the people are

The most exciting aspect of this concept is where you stage your lounge. Not in the dealership. We already know dealership visits are at an all-time low. That’s not where customers go to see new models and features. You put the lounge where the people are, specifically: malls, shopping districts, and restaurants. In these environments people are already relaxed and having a good time, so they are more receptive to trying a fun, new experience. In malls and shopping districts in particular, people are already “shopping” or “browsing” so they have disposable time and are already in that consumer mindset.

Manufacturers can also start small with pop-up stores in these different locations. This trend of opening short-term sales spaces has really taken off for a wide range of retailers. The beauty of VR is that the equipment and space requirements are minimal, but the engagement level is sky-high. You get a lot of bang-for-your-buck and an invaluable opportunity to engage, entertain, and convert, a wide range of shoppers.

Give Millennials what they want

Let’s circle back to those elusive millennial shoppers and explain how the VR lounge is tailor-made for them. We know marketing to this group is a challenge. They’ve seen it all and aren’t interested in being “sold” to. One thing is clear: they are very comfortable with technology and open to experiences with cool, new technology like VR. Just look at the astounding success of the augmented reality game Pokémon Go. While augmented reality essentially inserts virtual objects into a person’s real-world view, it’s not a stretch to assume a true VR experience would generate the same amount of buzz and excitement.

Millennials crave that exciting experience that’s leaps and bounds beyond traditional advertising. As Peter Naylor, senior Vice President of ad sales at Hulu, said recently in an Advertising Age article, any brand that is targeting an 18-to-34-year-old demographic should be thinking about VR; especially those brands that want to be known for innovation.

We’re in the midst of a dynamic and rapidly transforming market. Don’t let it put you in a tailspin. You can get more people into dealerships, snag those elusive Millennials, and increase sales, by thinking of new ways to use technology like VR that is exhilarating, convenient, and most of all, profitable.

Brian Wiklem is the Director of CG and Video Production at izmocars. He can be reached at Brian.Wiklem@izmocars.com.

Virtual Reality (VR) is going to be a game-changer in the automotive space. Those watching closely may have noticed an explosion of VR news coming from auto shows to manufacturer engineering plants to dealerships in 2016.

And while the technology is in its infancy, there are countless ways virtual reality is already being used to design, market and sell vehicles. Here are a few ways it is currently being used:

• The front runner, Ford Motor Company, has been experimenting with VR for the last several years now. They were one of the first to use Oculus Rift technology as a part of their Engineering process to create and evaluate their vehicles in a virtual setting. Ford Engineers put on the virtual head gear and can explore the nuts and bolts of their designs in a life-like setting before their vehicle plans hit the manufacturing plant.
• In January of this year, Audi rolled out their Virtual Reality Experience, or what executives are calling “the most flexible sales format ever invented in the car industry.” Shoppers use wearable technology to enter a VR showroom and virtually “build” their favorite Audi configuration. Once their dream Audi is built, the shopper can look at it inside and out to determine whether the vehicle is the right fit for their needs.
• Not to be outdone, Volvo created a virtual “test drive” with Google Cardboard where drivers were able to experience the new XC90 SUV before it even hit showrooms.

While the above bring the “wow” factor for future cars, others are using VR, or similar technology, to sell vehicles on lots today.

• Ferrari is using augmented reality to help consumers create the perfect vehicle for their needs. Its dealers, armed with virtual-powered tablets, help a buyer select a current Ferrari model and then use the application to swap everything from the vehicle color to wheels to interior options. The result is an endless variety of virtual configurations and colors allowing buyers to see what their custom-ordered car will look like before it’s built.
• And in what is perhaps the perfect VR experience, teen drivers at this year’s New York Auto Show saw just how dangerous it can be when a driver is distracted, thanks to Toyota Motor Company. Using Toyota’s “Distracted Driver Simulator” teens were invited to put on the virtual reality headset and stay focused on the road as low flying birds, loud fellow passengers, and other common distractions tried to take their focus from the road.  

While the above examples are in the early stages, and the majority of uses are housed within the confines of manufacturers, as an industry we should be seeing other uses of VR trickle down to dealerships in 2017.

 Imagine using VR to help your car shoppers build, configure, and even color the vehicle they want and view it prior to ever stepping foot in your showroom. Your transaction times would decrease and your customer satisfaction would soar. Providing CG-enhanced tools will help whittle down the time a buyer would spend at a dealership by arming them with the exact information they need after reviewing all options online.  The result? When that buyer walks into the dealership, it will be to test drive the exact vehicle they are looking for, and finalize the sale. 

While we haven’t begun to explore all of the ways virtual reality will help the automotive industry in the years to come, the technology and tools needed to put it to use are available today. And one thing about VR is becoming abundantly clear – it will have the ability to completely change the way we buy and sell cars.

The idea of virtual reality has always been mind-blowing. Put on a pair of goggles and be transported somewhere new without moving your feet. For decades, the technology wasn’t there to make this promise a reality. That’s all changed. Today, a wide range of big-name companies are experimenting with powerful new virtual reality technology to usher in a game-changing way of shopping: virtual retailing.  Now this technology is coming to the automotive space – and it’s happening fast. Get ready for the next generation of car buying to hit your dealership and change the way you sell vehicles forever. So what exactly is virtual reality, how did it usher in virtual retailing, and how is it going to change our industry?  Let’s dive into the details.

What is virtual reality and virtual retailing?

Virtual reality is a computer technology that replicates an environment and simulates a user’s presence in that environment.  It’s the complete immersion in a new environment through a headset that is the difference between it seems like I’m there to I’m there. This isn’t augmented reality, where you see what is actually in front of you, with computer-generated graphics and copy layered in as you move around (through a modified headset or a tablet or phone).  Virtual reality immerses you in a completely programmed environment where you can see, hear, feel, and interact. To put this in context, think about how you sell cars today. Your sales collateral and interactive platforms, including 360-degree spins, exist in two dimensions.  For customers to have a three-dimensional experience with a car, they have to come to your showroom and have a salesperson physically show them the car. Virtual reality breaks down that barrier and allows for true three-dimensional interaction (sliding into the driver’s seat, opening the trunk, listening to the radio) between a shopper and car without having to set foot on the showroom floor. When companies use virtual reality applications to sell products and services, it becomes virtual retailing and it moves customers down the sales funnel, faster.

How did we get here?

The roots of virtual reality reach back for decades. In the 1950’s a few visionaries saw the possibilities, but the technology wasn’t there to make it happen. The idea was still worth pursuing, and many did, including the military when it developed flight simulators during WWII. As technology progressed, entertainment companies such as Atari and Sega developed home-based units, but they didn’t take off due to the high cost and crude performance. Through the 1980’s and 1990’s various companies evolved the experience, but continued to be hamstrung by a display frame rate that was nausea-inducing at best because it was so far removed from how the human eye processes information. Then in 2011, an 18-year-old kid named Palmer Luckey put the pieces together using advanced technology and created a clunky headset which eventually morphed into the Oculus Rift. Facebook saw the potential and bought his company in 2014 for $2 billion (Palmer’s net worth now exceeds $700 million). When Facebook got involved, virtual reality took off. Samsung, Google, Sony, and other big companies developed their own technology and goggles. Content providers also started popping up, including movie studios, multimedia companies, and interactive agencies.

Where is virtual reality going?

Due to better, more powerful technology available at a lower price point, virtual reality applications are rolling out rapidly. Widespread consumer adoption is also exploding thanks to adaptors for phones, cameras, and game consoles (like the PlayStation 4), and new content for movies and social media. This brings us to exciting new developments in the auto industry. The future for virtual reality and vehicles is so new all the options haven’t been explored yet, but big leaps have been made.

How will VR affect auto?

Two notable examples include Volvo and Audi. In 2014, Volvo became the first automotive brand to use virtual reality to create virtual retailing. It used Google Cardboard to turn a smartphone into a basic virtual reality headset for a fully immersive weekend getaway test drive of the new XC90, months before it arrived in the United States. Volvo produced 1,927 individually numbered cars – all of which were sold through a virtual web shop within 47 minutes. At its peak, Volvo sold seven cars a minute. The social media posts promoting the release and sale were among the most successful organic content during the campaign – they outperformed average content by an astounding 638%.

 Last year, Audi introduced its VR Experience to select dealerships in growth markets. The experience features a headset that lets customers configure a virtual car and view every possible equipment combination and color on all of the brand’s models. The headsets are paired with headphones so users can hear sounds like doors closing and even the sound system. Audi dubbed the release “dealership in a briefcase,” since the system essentially offers the entire dealership experience in a device the size of a briefcase.

These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg. We predict virtual reality will eventually be used to train new dealership employees, and to break down barriers with top-funnel shoppers. Virtual reality systems will pop-up in service department waiting rooms, at malls, even airport kiosks. With applications taking off, we may soon have virtual reality commercials where viewers can immerse themselves in a test drive without ever leaving the couch. Perhaps most exciting, virtual reality will demonstrate actions that are impossible to offer in a dealership, or even on a test drive. Imagine for the first time, an avid mountain biker, surfer, or pet lover literally seeing their gear or pets going in and out of the car. It offers the opportunity to actually live with a car, as opposed to merely test-driving it. 

What about virtual retailing at my dealership?

Virtual retailing is the future of how you will sell cars. The younger generation shoppers love it, and are clamoring for it. In response, hardware companies are driving hard to get the technology out there. Companies are creating content as you read this to bring virtual reality to dealerships. OEM’s are already on-board and price barriers are dropping every day. However, the benefits aren’t just for consumers. The lead generation capabilities are enormous. Users immerse themselves in a tailored experience and give feedback, essentially doing all of the pre-qualifying for you. You can get rid of ineffective interactive kiosks (why bother with a kiosk if there are physical cars all around you?) and instead offer an immersive experience. In addition, virtual retailing requires fractional real estate, your customers see more in less time, and your salespeople work more efficiently.

The next generation of car buying is coming up fast, and it’s virtual retailing. Now is the time to get on board and learn more – before your competition beats you to the punch.

Computer graphics, commonly referred to simply as CG, continues to expand in the automotive space.  From brochure work, to automotive websites, television commercials, and even new applications such as augmented and virtual reality, CG has offset photography as the standard.