Top Franchise Development Websites: Honorable Mentions

This month, 1851 Franchise’s Franchise Development Website Awards have returned **to celebrate the most effective and engaging development sites in franchising. A panel of nine expert judges evaluated each franchise development site according to three criteria: first impressions, quality of content and ease of use. Sites were scored on a five-point scale in accordance with these three criteria, with the overall website rankings based on a composite average of the judges’ scores.

These sites had several positive qualities, but there are a few areas where they each need some key improvements. In the coming year we’ll be keeping an eye on them and hope to celebrate them as part of the Top 100 in 2021.

The first impressions metrics for each franchise development site are determined in consideration of five subfactors: usability, UI/UX design, site performance, SEO and mobile accessibility. The content metrics are determined by the presence and strength of three subfactors: motivating content, calls to action and reasons to buy now. The ease-of-use metrics score was determined in relation to location, depth and ease of application.

This year's judges include Brent Dowling, CEO and co-founder of Raintree; Kay Ainsley, managing director of MSA Worldwide; Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review; Stan Friedman, president of FRM Solutions; Steve Beagelman, founder of SMB Franchise Advisors; Charles Internicola, founder of The Internicola Law Firm; Dianna Bailer, vice president of operations at Franchise Performance Group; Thomas Scott, CEO of Brand Journalists; and Tom Spadea, co-founder of Spadea Lignana Law Firm.

Here the average scores for the 20 websites that didn’t quite break our top 100 this year.

• First Impressions: 3.29

• Content: 2.86

• Ease of Use: 3.33

• Overall Average Score: 3.16

• First Impressions: 3.17

• Content: 3.33

• Ease of Use: 3.00

• Overall Average Score: 3.17

• Content: 3.14

• Ease of Use: 3.14

• Overall Average Score: 3.19

• First Impressions: 3.00

• Content: 3.00

• Ease of Use: 3.57

• First Impressions: 2.86

• First Impressions: 2.71

• Ease of Use: 3.71

• First Impressions: 3.33

• Content: 3.50

• Ease of Use: 2.83

• Overall Average Score: 3.22

• Content: 3.29

• Overall Average Score: 3.24

• First Impressions: 3.57

• Ease of Use: 3.43

• First Impressions: 3.71

• Content: 3.43

• Ease of Use: 2.57

• First Impressions: 3.43

• First Impressions: 3.86

• Ease of Use: 2.86

• First Impressions: 3.50

• Content: 2.75

• Ease of Use: 3.50

• Overall Average Score: 3.25