With over 80% of people searching online to find local businesses prior to purchasing goods and services, more and more franchises are responding by getting local with their franchise online marketing.

One way franchises are getting local is by having websites for each franchise location.  Using localized websites, franchise marketers are driving more and more traffic from local searches directly to the franchise locations their customers prefer.

However, large franchise systems run into “territory conflict” when they have multiple franchise locations in one densely populated metro area. This can cause confusion with consumers when they type in ‘hair cut Austin TX’ and find five locations near them. And what could be worse is if the first listing they find in the search engine is the furthest from them.

Elements, Inc., developers of the ElementsLocal™ software platform for franchise online marketing, has developed a new concept called “Metro Pages” to help avoid territory conflict.  By placing all of the neighboring franchise locations on a “Metro Page”, and placing a Google Map on that page, it allows customers to select the franchise location of their choice.  This drives more online leads to every franchise location, unveils more options   and simplifies the customer experience.

“One of the great things about our Metro Pages is that our system automatically creates the listings based on the pre-defined metro areas, or regions, of a franchise system.  This is just another example of our platform creating automated ways to increase organic, natural listings”, stated Jeremy La Duque, CEO Elements, Inc.  “Ultimately, we’re always looking for new ways to improve the expansion of a brand through online marketing while deepening customer engagement with that brand.”

Metro Pages will be released this month  as another valuable component of the ElementsLocal™ software platform.

“I really enjoyed the Webinar. It was very informative and well done” – Susan Black-Beth, CFE, Director of Franchising at Super Wash, Inc.

In the first in the series titled, Localized Online Marketing: Winning Over the “Locals”, Elements’ CEO and online marketing expert, Jeremy LaDuque, teaches how to create a local presence for every franchise location in order to improve local search engine rankings, reduce pay-per-click advertising, and ensure brand consistency. Webinar will take place on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 10:00 AM PST. http://elementslocal.com/register

With seniors considered the fastest-growing population, America is aging, so it’s no surprise that Always Best Care – provider of in-home care and assisted living placements for seniors – is an increasingly successful franchise anticipated to nearly double its growth in 2010.

Increasingly instrumental to the company’s further expansion, however, is its ability to appear local to its potential customers, which is why Always Best Care has teamed up with ElementsLocal™ – an innovative new solution designed specifically for franchises that helps increase web traffic and online leads by creating local web sites for each franchise location.

“We are a relationship-based business, so it is very important for our franchises to have a local presence on the Internet,” said Michael Newman, founder, president and chief executive officer of Always Best Care. “Our clients want to know that we are in their local community and that we are there when they need us.”

Research company eMarketeer recently found that local search is now more popular and relevant than regular search for people looking for a

Sport Clips, the nation’s leading purveyor of contemporary men’s haircuts with 650 locations in the US has chosen ElementsLocal, by ELEMENTS, for their websites, online marketing, and software needs. The unique ElementsLocal software platform will enable Sport Clips to better utilize their electronic communications and internet presence as a strategic focus to increase brand awareness, improve marketing effectiveness and increase clientele.

Sport Clips, currently listed as one of the top 50 fastest growing franchises by

Elements, in partnership with a leading online survey company, has just completed an extensive mail and online survey of United States Franchisee locations, on behalf of franchisors who want to know more.

After extensive analysis it became increasingly clear that franchisees believe the local independent competitors are significantly beating them at obtaining on line leads. The graphic below shows that over 75% of the respondents feel that local independents are doing a better job.