Today, everybody seems to be talking about “the Cloud.” No, they’re not talking about some hot new indie band from Toronto-  they’re talking about one of the biggest trends to hit the tech world since the web itself. The term “cloud computing” is used to describe the practice of locating your software applications and data on a network of servers, where they can be accessed from anywhere, at any time.

Cloud computing is rapidly becoming the best way to do business, because it takes full advantage of the “everywhere, all the time” nature of the internet itself. With cloud-based applications, there are no worries about whether one of your company’s computers is running at the moment, or how to log into one of your data servers. There’s no more looking for application installation disks, or upgrade codes. All of these time consuming tasks can be handled automatically for you, freeing you to do what you do best- offering great products and services to your customers.

That’s exactly what the ElementsLocal platform can do for your franchising business. Our completely web-based software service can project your national brand directly into every market in which you do business. You can trust that your brand, with its unique look and feel, and its unique products, services, and message, will be a click away from anyone, anywhere, any time that they are looking for what you provide.

From the start, ElementsLocal was built as a cloud-based software-as-a-service product, designed to enable a franchising business to attract customers to its existing locations, and to attract new franchisees to open new locations. ElementsLocal gives you the power to create and manage an entire fleet of websites that look and work exactly the way you want them to. Combined with our proven Search Engine Optimization and localized marketing expertise, ElementsLocal can help you rest assure that your franchise brand will truly be “everywhere, all the time.”

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.

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

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.

 In a world where marketing messages abound in nearly every aspect of daily life, a new, discerning consumer has evolved – one adept at filtering and tuning out information irrelevant to personal interests. Rightly so, franchise marketing tactics need to also undergo a major shift, since traditional outbound techniques such as advertising and unsolicited email blasts are increasingly becoming blocked or ignored.

                “Franchises should focus the majority of their marketing budget on inbound, not outbound initiatives,” said Jeremy LaDuque, CEO of Elements Inc., creator of ElementsLocal™, a new software solution for franchises that increases company leads through maximized search engine results. “When you push your message out far and wide with little discretion, you’re essentially crossing your fingers that it will resonate with a few individuals. Inbound marketing generates leads that are more abundant and credible, as potential customers seeking your services have been attracted organically through search engines, blogs and social media.”

• Get Local. Instead of relying on just one national web site for the entire franchise network, provide cross-linked autonomous and brand-compliant web sites for each location. As the franchisor, you benefit from:

o    A “network effect” of hundreds of web sites, each displaying relevant content about the company, being seen by search engines, which increases rankings and visibility

o    An ability to leverage each franchise by allowing franchisees to customize (according to franchisor specifications)  their web site with local content and local e-marketing campaigns

• Get Optimized. Some simple ways to get started with search engine optimization:

1)       Focus the attention of each webpage to just a few keywords

2)       Add relevant content about those select key words to that webpage

3)       Add those keywords to the title and meta tags of that webpage

Get Social. Social media is the fastest-growing segment of the Internet, and best of all, it’s much less expensive than most other marketing tactics. Get your franchise on board by:

o    Participating in social media sites such as Facebook and You Tube. Start a corporate Facebook profile and seek out fans or upload informative – or even humorous – videos that have “pass-along” potential, such as an engaging company story or client testimonials. This will help attract more visitors to your web site, increase your exposure within a larger audience and boost your search engine ranking.

o    Using a blog and/or Twitter to publish information about your business. Gaining “followers” or subscribers not only increases the audience for your company message, but also helps you gain valuable insight from the comments consumers leave on your posts.

• Get Efficient. Inbound marketing efforts are highly track-able, so employ various strategies to monitor the efficiency of your efforts. This will allow you to repeat what’s working, discontinue what’s not, and gauge what’s providing you with the best return on investment (ROI). Some helpful hints:

o    First, establish exactly what it is you want to track and make sure you have a way to measure what you want to track

o    Use statistical programs like Google Analytics to monitor web site traffic behavior – from number of pages viewed to length of time on the site

o    Use landing pages to track specific ad campaigns and/or marketing initiatives

o    Track throughout – from campaign to conversion to sale!

                “As franchises start to ‘think inbound’ in their marketing strategies, they’ll attract customers who are appropriate for and receptive to the company message,” said LaDuque. “This competitive advantage will not only save franchises money, but will also help them build lasting and loyal relationships with clients.”