2019 AFDR Highlights: Top Digital Sales Producers by Category

This is the fifth in an ongoing series of highlights from the 2019 Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR). The 2019 AFDR, unveiled at the 20th annual Franchise Leadership & Development Conference, is based on responses from 109 franchisors representing 34,058 units (26,838 franchised and 7,220 company-owned). Participants in the survey consisted of franchisors that completed an extensive online questionnaire.

Responses were aggregated and analyzed to produce a detailed look into the recruitment and development practices, budgets, and strategies of a wide cross-section of franchisors. The data and accompanying commentary and analysis provide the basis of the 2019 AFDR. Ordering information is below.

(Conference attendees received a complimentary copy.) This week: Top digital sales producers by category: franchise ad portals, SEO, PPC, social advertising, remarketing, email marketing, and sponsored content. Respondents were asked to segment their digital spending as it relates to sales.

No major changes here from previous years, other than a drop in SEO to 16 percent, its lowest percentage since 2013 (when it was a usually high 49 percent before settling into an average of 22.5 percent for 2014-2017). Sponsored content, a new category this year, accounted for 3 percent of digital sales.

Portals, after a slight decline last year, returned to their average range of the previous 3 years to account for 1 in 3 sales. Remarketing as a digital sales source rose slightly. And at 9 percent, email marketing remained close to last year's 10 percent, up from 4.

5 percent in 2015 and 6 percent in 2016. A look into the weighted scores shows the rankings more balanced, noted Diane Phibbs, chief content officer at Franchise Update Media, who presented the findings at last fall's Franchise Leadership & Development Conference in Atlanta. Yet even in this age of extreme data, more than 1 in 10 respondents (12 percent) still checked off "Other" or "Don't Know," down from 21 percent last year, and slightly lower than the preceding years.

Again, it may be worth looking into attribution. For brands that don't know where more than 1 in 10 of their digital sales came from, there's room for improvement. Top Digital Sales Producers 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Digital Franchise Ad Portals 33% 26% 32% 33% 35% 23% Search Engine Optimization 16% 20% 22% 24% 24% 49% Pay-Per-Click 15% 13% 16% 15% 15% 6% Social Advertising 6% 7% 5% 4.

5% 4% 4% Remarketing 5% 2% 4% 4.5% 4% N/A Email Marketing 9% 10% 6% 4.5% N/A N/A Other 6% 9% 9% 9.