The new site features an improved design and added navigation features to allow customers to quickly and easily find their way to different pages within the site. Featured on every page is the Oxi Fresh locator, which allows users to enter their zip code and instantly find the nearest Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning franchise, along with current local specials and contact information.

“A lot of time and research went into our site redesign in order to provide the best possible user experience for our customers,” said Jonathan Barnett MBA, President of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning ®. “Not only is finding local Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning services now faster and easier than ever before, but we think our customers will really love the new wow factor of our site.”

Improved navigation on the site includes new drop down menus to allow visitors to find any page in any category easier. In addition, an added navigation box on the left side of every page lets the user know where they are on the site at all times so users can quickly jump from page to page.

In the future, the Oxi Fresh website will offer online scheduling so customers can make carpet cleaning appointments online without ever using the phone. Currently visitors to the site can find the phone number for the nearest Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning franchise online or call 877-OXIFRESH to be connected to an Oxi Fresh in their area.

The new Oxi Fresh site not only helps customers, but helps Oxi Fresh franchisees as well with the power of online marketing. With a low cost of ownership, easy operation and low overhead, and tested and proven marketing programs, Oxi Fresh franchisees can experience outstanding growth very quickly.

Oxi Fresh currently has over 180 locations in the U.S. and offers protected territories of up to 110,000 households. For additional information or to view the new website, visit www.OxiFresh.com.

About Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning®

Oxi Fresh was established in 2006 and currently has over 100 units in the United States. Using innovative products and technology, Oxi Fresh franchisees are able to offer oxygen powered cleaning which cleans all the way down to the bottom of the carpet pile, transforming the carpet right before a customer’s eyes. Oxi Fresh is committed to being an environmentally friendly business by using efficient and low energy solutions. The non-toxic carpet cleaning agents are applied with a low moisture process and are safe for children and pets.

What do you think? Share a comment below.

(Relentless Marketer)  Here’s a quick, easy, steady, effective and FREE way to build your blog traffic.
Each Tuesday & Wednesday about 500 bloggers gather at WordlessWednesday.com to post links to their photo-only posts.  Join the Wordless Wednesday gang and you build traffic in 4 ways:
1)  Increase your post count.  Putting up a weekly picture is an easy way to add 52 posts per year.
2)  Increase in-bound links.  WW gives you a weekly link to your blog post.  Leave comments on other WW blogs for additional trackback links.
3)  Increase your comment count.  Participating in WW will add comments and new commenters to your site.  Even “Happy Wordless Wednesday” comments will boost your search engine rankings.
4)  It’s fun and adds to the overall interest of your blog.  Too many blogs are text-heavy and lack interesting visuals.  This will help you get more visual.
Here’s how to boost your traffic with Wordless Wednesday:
Every Tuesday: post an interesting or fun picture to your blog, preferably one that involves your business, products, employees or customers..
Tuesday evening: Go to www.WordlessWednesday.com.  Follow the instructions and post a comment and link to your picture post on Wordless Wednesday – Tuesday Edition.
EARLY Wednesday am:  Go to www.WordlessWednesday.com.  Follow the instructions and post a comment and link to your picture post on Wordless Wednesday.
Extra traffic tip:  visit a few other WW entries and leave comments.  Use your photo post URL when placing the comment.  Many times the blog owners will reciprocate with a comment on your blog.
Now go forth, blogger, and be wordless.
Here are a few of my favorites:
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Free Diner, Sign Not Included
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 12/19/07: Why We’re Fat…
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 12/26/07: Honest Advertising
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 1/2/08: Hard Driving Message
Wordless Wednesday 1/9/08: The Big Boys
Today’s Franchise Pic: Cleopatra’s Value Meal
Relentless marketer Sean Kelly is a 20 year veteran of the franchise industry, and founder of the award-winning marketing firm IdeaFarm. In 2006, he founded the FranBest franchise network, best franchise opportunities, the top new franchises, franchise marketing, franchise public relations and small business marketing. Contact him at seankelly[at]ideafarm.net.

Manchester, NH – A website designed by SilverTech won top honors as the “Coolest Franchise Website” in a contest hosted by The Franchise King, an industry leading consulting firm.

Featuring roll over flash animation and a clean, fun design that engages audiences of all ages, the new Rita’s Ice site www.ritasice.com was recognized as “a gorgeous website” by the contest sponsor.

Rita’s Ice is the leading Italian Ice franchise in the nation and is ranked a “Top 25 Performer” franchise by The Wall Street Journal. With more than 500 stores in 17 states, it is expanding into new territories rapidly.

In addition to the consumer website, SilverTech also created a website that targets potential Rita’s Ice franchise owners (www.ownaritas.com).

A website designed by SilverTech for Pizza Fusion (www.pizzafusion.com) was also among the top nominees for the honor.

About SilverTech Inc.
SilverTech, Inc. is a national interactive agency based in New England that expertly solves online marketing, technology, operations, fundraising, and communication challenges for businesses by creating value-driven web, digital and data-powered solutions. Services such as strategic consultation, site architecture, website design & development, multimedia graphics & animation, search engine optimization, online marketing, performance analysis, web application development and content management solutions are designed or customized to fit exact business requirements.

With that said, there are a few tried and true principles that you need to do when optimizing your website. The first of which is getting quality, one-way links pointing to your website.

The more quality links you can get pointing to your website, the higher you will rank, period.

One of the easiest known ways to get quality, one way links is by finding website directories and free article submission sites, then submitting your articles and website to them. This can be a very tedious process, but always a very rewarding process at the same time.

You can either submit your articles to these directories manually, pay someone to do it for you, OR you can use one of the article directory submission programs out there. The best program for the money that we’ve found is a program called “Article Submitter” created by internet marketing expert, Brad Callen.

This program allows you to submit your articles to over 700 article directories and can save you an incredible amount of time in doing so. You simply enter your article details into the software once, and then select the directory you would like to submit to. The software will then, automatically fill in all of the submission criteria for each directory and allow you to quickly submit your articles.

Not only does this save you time in submitting your articles, but it saves you an incredible amount of time in just finding these free directories online. I highly suggest grabbing an article submission program if you decide to take advantage of one of the easist ways to get quality, one way links to your website.

You can learn more about Article Submitter and how you can download your FREE copy here: Click Here!

Most prospective franchisees start their research process by going to GOOGLE and typing in specific keywords (say, “best new franchise” or “pizza franchises”) and clicking “Search”.  GOOGLE then searches across tens of thousands of websites to pick those they think are most relevant to the search.  The websites GOOGLE “ranks” highest appear first in the list, and get the lion’s share of attention, traffic, and, over time, sales.  Several factors – which you can control – influence whether GOOGLE puts your website at the top of the search list, or leaves you buried forever.

Search engine guru Danny Sullivan has posted an in-depth but straightforward guide to understanding GOOGLE “pagerank” (as it’s called), how to see how your website is currently ranked by GOOGLE, and how you can increase your franchise marketing effectiveness by  increasing your pagerank and traffic from GOOGLE searches.  Read it here: 

What Is Google PageRank? A Guide For Searchers & Webmasters

He’s set it up so you can access specific topics individually, if you’d prefer, using these links:

• Google’s Definition: PageRank As Votes
• Recent Google Edits Emphasize PageRank Just One Of Many Factors
• PageRank For Searchers: Google Toolbar
• PR Stands For PageRank, Not Public Relations
• PageRank In The Google Directory
• PageRank For SEOs
• Seeing PageRank In Search Rankings
• PageRank Versus “Toolbar” PageRank
• PageRank Tech Talk
• Conclusion (Especially For Those Thinking I Don’t Have Time To Read)

The Company: 

Woodland Hills, CA-based A DESIGNER’S EYE is a franchise-based, home and garden design company dedicated to providing homeowners with quality design talent at reasonable rates. A DESIGNER’S EYE franchise owners use high tech tools and a highly creative business system to make professionally planned design projects fun and affordable for the average homeowner.

(Incidentally, A DESIGNER’S EYE has been nominated for the Top New Franchise award at TopNewFranchises.Com.)

The Franchise Lead Referral Program:

The new program aimed at increasing awareness of their franchise program among bloggers, business consultants, life coaches, and other people who influence public trends.

The program offers a tiered rewards system with cash payments directly to the individual making the referral upon the successful sale of a franchise. The company encourages people who want to participate to learn more about the company and its offering at http://www.ADEfranchising.com.

The lowest incentive level is $500 cash per successful sale with increasing amounts depending on what the referral source does to promote the franchise program. In order to participate, individuals and companies should register their intent to refer prospects to A DESIGNER’S EYE.

“It’s important that anyone referring our company do their homework and know what they’re referring people to. We offer a great franchise system, but we’re really interested in attracting top-notch franchisees. That makes us very selective about who we can offer a franchise to. The best way to refer someone is by knowing what we’re about and who we’re looking for… all of which is posted on our website,” Fofanoff explained.

To do so, please contact Stephen Fofanoff, President of ADE Franchising via email at Stephen(at)ADesignersEye.com or by phone at (818) 936-3333.

 Legal Without Disclosing Referrers as Brokers/Salespeople?

According to Fofanoff, the A Designer’s Eye program is an ”advertising referral program” to generate leads, and was given a green light by his franchise attorney.  Says fofanoff:  “Once the prospect is in our sales process, we control the process at that point. Before that, they are just looking at websites and talking to people.”

________________________________________

Are you marketing a NEW franchise opportunity?

(new = franchised since 2000)

Are you nominated for the Top New Franchise award at TopNewFranchises.Com?

To get with the program, email info[at]ideafarm.net for instructions on participating in this innovative, interactive campaign.

For more information on free listings with Franchise Brief, visit the website at franchisebrief.com.

FIVE WAYS TO AVOID THIS SITUATION!

1. When such a transaction takes place, produce via a professional source a very thorough and concise press release explaining the deal.
2. If facts and/or dates are confusing, put together a precise timeline of events with bullets representing each step.
3. Make sure your facts are consistent and delivered by a spokesperson who is preferably an officer of the company.
4. Do not “dodge” questions. Answer them in a very clear and concise manner. If there are matters you choose not to discuss, have an answer ready such as “we are not prepared to discuss that matter at this time”.  Then offer to get back to the reporter eventually with a proper answer.
5. Once negative items are revealed in the press, or accusations made by others, answer these with ONE clear statement stating your position and the facts.
6. Do NOT get into a “match” with the accusers, constantly going back and forth making claims and denials.  One dignified statement should suffice.  After that if it truly becomes an issue of libel or slander, it is time to speak with your legal counsel. 

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE

Welcome to Part 4 of the Franchise Marketing series:  Justin Queen’s Top 5 Mistakes Franchisors Make with Internet Marketing

Mistake #4:  Franchisors Overspend on Portal Advertising.  

Portal advertising has certainly established and maintained its credibility as a lead generation tool over the years.  A major obstacle faced by franchisors that pay for portal advertising is that they are being displayed with a sea of concepts similar to theirs.  Portal advertising should be budgeted into most e-marketing campaigns every year, but you will get a lot more mileage out of sending prospects directly to YOUR website where they can stay focused on the benefits of YOUR concept.  Also, be cautious which portals that you may choose to engage.  There has been a notorious problem with lead swapping with some major portals which have resulted in charging franchisors for leads that were never interested in their concept.

  AGREE?  DISAGREE?  LEAVE A COMMENT & TELL US WHAT YOU THINK.

Justin Queen is Founder of Blue Zeus Interactive Marketing. 

Blu Zeus Interactive Marketing provides interactive marketing strategy, design, and development. Learn more at the BluZeus website.