Adding a new franchise location should expand your market. It should not create a large amount of repetitive website work.
However, many franchise website systems make launching a new location page more difficult than it needs to be.
A developer may be needed to create the page. The page may need to be manually added to the website’s map and location directory. Universal content may need to be copied from other pages. Additional developer help may be required whenever new local content becomes available.
That is a little inefficient when you have five locations.
The inefficiency multiplies as the franchise grows. It can become very significant with 20 or 30 locations. With 100 locations, managing location pages can become a full-time job for someone.
A better franchise website system should make launching, managing, and improving location pages much easier.
Why Can Launching a New Location Page Take So Long?
Several common website limitations can slow down the process.
A Developer Is Needed for Routine Work
Some franchisors need a developer every time they want to create a location page.
They may also need developer help to:
- Change the page layout
- Add new content
- Add or remove a section
- Update location information
- Add staff or owner biographies
- Publish local testimonials
- Promote a location-specific event
If the developer is external, every change can add both time and cost.
This becomes a particular problem when the page is launched with limited information and a developer is always needed to add content later.
Universal Content Must Be Updated Manually
Some information will be shared across every franchise location.
This could include:
- Product or service information
- Certifications
- Company statistics
- Brand-level testimonials
- Common questions
- Information about the company
If this content is stored separately on every page, an update may need to be made repeatedly across the website.
That might be manageable with five locations. It becomes much less practical with 30, 50, or 100.
Location Pages Must Be Connected Manually
Creating the new location page may be only one part of the process.
Someone may also need to connect the new page to other website systems, including:
- The interactive map
- The master location directory
Every additional manual step takes time and creates another opportunity for something to be missed.
The Location Page Is Not Built as a Landing Page
Launching the page quickly is not enough.
A franchise location page should be a proper landing page. It should provide enough useful information to help a potential customer decide whether that location is right for them.
The visitor should not have to search across the rest of the website to understand what the location offers, why it can be trusted, and how to contact, visit, book, or buy from it.
What Should a Location-Page System Look Like if You Want to Launch Pages Faster?
A scalable system should reduce repetitive work while giving the franchisor appropriate control over universal and local information.
1. The System Should Not Require a Developer
A non-developer should be able to enter all the information needed for a new location page without requiring development skills.
The user should be able to add information through clear, structured fields rather than designing the page manually.
This gives the franchisor more control and reduces its dependence on outside developers for routine expansion.
Developers may still be needed when the underlying system or page framework changes. They should not be needed every time a new location opens or additional local information becomes available.
2. Every Location Should Use a Standardized Page Framework
Every new location page should start with a well-planned page framework.
The framework should determine:
- The order of the content
- The placement of calls to action
- How products or services are presented
- Where trust-building content appears
- How local information is displayed
- How visitors can contact, visit, book, or buy
A standardized framework keeps the brand and user experience consistent across the franchise.
At the same time, it should allow each location to include useful local information.
The goal is not to make every location page identical. The goal is to provide a strong, consistent foundation that can accommodate meaningful local content.
3. The New Location Page Should Connect to Other Website Systems
Once a location page is published, it should automatically connect to the website systems that help people find it.
These systems could include:
- The interactive map
- The master location directory
An integrated system built for growth reduces repetitive work and makes it less likely that a new location will be missing from an important part of the website.
It also allows the franchisor to manage location information from a more centralized system.
4. Universal and Local Content Should Work Together
Some content should be controlled centrally and displayed across every location page.
Other content should be specific to an individual location.
For example, a franchisor may use universal content about certifications and company statistics on every location page.
Each location could then add its own:
- Local owner or manager biographies
- Staff information
- Images
- Community information
- Hours
- Location directions
- Testimonials
- Events
- Other locally relevant details
The Story Web Design & Marketing’s multi-location website management system is designed around providing a system that enables centralized control and useful local content.
A proper website system should enable non-developers to make these changes easily and quickly. This enables the franchisor to maintain strong control over its brand while giving each location enough flexibility to provide useful local information.
5. Sections Should Be Easy to Turn On and Off
Not every type of content will be available when a new location page is created.
For example, the location may not yet have:
- Staff biographies
- Local testimonials
- Professional photographs
- Community information
- Frequently asked questions
The system should allow these sections to be turned off until the information becomes available.
When the content is ready, a non-developer should be able to add it and turn the section on.
The same principle can be used for temporary information.
If a location is holding an open house, the event section can be turned on. After the event, it can be turned off without rebuilding the page.
6. The Website Should Be Built for SEO and AI Search Optimization
Publishing location pages faster should not come at the expense of local SEO.
A standardized page framework can provide a consistent structure, but each page should also include meaningful local information.
The right balance will depend on the business. However, every location page should contain enough specific information to help both people and search systems understand the location.
A person evaluating the business needs relevant information to decide whether to pursue the product or service.
Google and AI systems also need relevant, specific, and well-structured content to understand:
- What the location offers
- Where it operates
- Who it serves
- What makes it relevant
- When the page may be helpful to someone searching
This can include:
- A locally relevant introduction
- Products or services available at that location
- Accurate contact information
- Hours
- Directions
- Local staff or ownership information
- Local testimonials
- Community involvement
- Location-specific questions and answers
The page should also have a clear URL, proper headings, accurate metadata and appropriate structured data. Google’s documentation explains how LocalBusiness structured data can help Google understand details such as business hours, departments and other location information.
You can learn more about building stronger multi-location SEO and AI search visibility into a franchise website.
Faster Should Also Mean Better
The goal is not simply to publish a page as quickly as possible.
The goal is to create a repeatable system that helps the franchisor:
- Launch new locations faster
- Reduce dependence on developers
- Control universal content centrally
- Add useful local information
- Keep the brand consistent
- Improve location pages over time
- Support local SEO and AI search visibility
- Help visitors decide whether to contact, visit, book, or buy
The website should become easier to manage as the franchise grows, not more difficult.
The Story created this type of system for Spirit of Math, a franchise organization with approximately 30 locations. You can see how the project improved location management in the Spirit of Math franchise website case study.
You can also read more about how to build a scalable multi-location website that supports continued growth.
Is Your Website Helping or Slowing Down Expansion?
If your team can create a strong new location page quickly, connect it to the rest of the website, and improve it without repeatedly calling a developer, your website system is probably supporting your growth.
If every new location creates another complicated website project, the underlying system may need to change.
The Story builds franchise website systems that help franchisors launch, manage and improve location pages across their networks.
If your current system is making expansion harder than it should be, let’s talk.