With low startup costs and the freedom to work from anywhere, a web franchise is an exciting investment, offering growth and a far-reaching audience.
Join us as we explain how this model works and bring you expert advice from successful franchisees to help you navigate this exciting and lucrative landscape effectively.
For other industry opportunities please go to our franchise directory
The digital age has transformed the way that businesses operate, leading to the rise of the web franchise. 'Web' or 'online' franchising is an umbrella term for any franchise business model that operates in the digital space.
This can include the following, amongst others:
"Franchising should definitely be more shouted about in my opinion", Katie Bullon, franchisor at activ Marketing explains.
There are over 48,000 franchises operating in the UK as of 2024, with many already working digitally. What Franchise spoke with three leading online franchising experts to get their input on why the digital franchising space is one to watch.
The benefits of digital franchising are vast, says Tony Hill, CEO at myEPIC Marketing. Buying into a franchise takes away a huge chunk of the risks and challenges that come with starting up an independent business.
“Starting any business from scratch can be overwhelming – branding, systems, training and customer acquisition. With franchising, franchisees get a ready-made, proven business model. This significantly reducing the time, effort, and risk involved.
"They’ll get instant credibility, ongoing support, marketing resources, faster return on investment (ROI), and scalability. Essentially, franchisees get the best of both worlds – the freedom of running their own business, with the security of a proven system behind them."
Speaking about one of myEPIC Marketing’s biggest success stories, Tony told us: "One of our franchisees, Peter Lee, started without digital marketing experience but had a strong passion for business.
"Within six months, he'd built a thriving client base, secured recurring contracts and expanded his services beyond his initial local area.”
Discussing other benefits franchising can bring, Katie from activ Marketing talks about the flexibility that becoming a franchisee can bring for individuals with busy schedules but a hunger to succeed.
“I joined activ Marketing as a franchisee back in 2014. Before then, I worked within international roles and travelled a lot. When I had my first baby, that's when I went solo freelancing.
"I just felt like there needed to be something out there that meant I could grow on my own, but grow my own kind of thing. That’s when I found activ Marketing”, she said.
“I saw such huge potential for marketers because I knew what the model did for me. And so in January 2021, I acquired the UK and Ireland activ Marketing franchise business. I went from having 50 clients of my own to running a network of over 1,000 clients.”
The scalability of online franchises is evident. So too is the support that both seasoned and new franchisees can receive.
“With the backup of the activ Marketing team, franchisees can effectively run their own marketing agency without employing anyone," explains Katie. "They have access to all of the back office, the systems, the training and our accelerator programme. We give them an instant agency and the only way is up from there”.
Nic Johnson, director at It'seeze – a Hull-based web design franchise – took a leap of faith and moved from agency work to buying into a web franchise. “Once I'd got into it, I realised that, actually, buying a franchise was probably one of the best things we could have done," he explains.
When discussing the three key traits that aspiring franchisees need before entering the industry, Nic emphasises the importance of having the right attitude, strong relationship-building skills and a pragmatic approach.
“You’ve got to have a positive attitude in terms of the way that you approach things. I think you also need to focus heavily on sales and marketing, whatever franchise it is that you're in.
"Networking is probably going to be one of the things that's going to help you grow your franchise quicker than anything else.”
“Get out there, even if you're an introvert. Get known, start making connections, build relationships. It's amazing how well that can work for you in terms of building your business either locally or nationally.”
When it comes to selecting a reputable franchise, Katie from activ Marketing says, “It's all about ongoing support, not just the onboarding process.”
activ Marketing offers a wealth of support to both new and established franchisees, drawing from Katie's own experience as a former franchisee.
“Having been a franchisee before myself, it’s all about moulding every single franchisee that comes our way and elevating them to be as successful as they can in their own business.”
She explains that success within web franchises depends on how well individuals adapt and maximise the proven model, tailoring it to their unique strengths.
“I know from experience that franchisees that come in and use the model to the fullest to mould around their skills are the ones that absolutely do the most revenue within the business. They're bringing in the most new clients.”
By fully embracing the framework and leveraging their personal expertise, franchisees position themselves for greater growth and success. This is something Katie is passionate about fostering within the activ Marketing network.
Nic, on the other hand, highlights the importance of passion when making such a big decision. “Choose a franchise in an industry you're comfortable working in long term, or at least something that will make you happy and you look forward to doing,” he says.
After all, investing in a web franchise isn’t just about the financial success that comes down the road – it’s about choosing something you genuinely care about and can see yourself thriving in for years to come.
While it's important to be ambitious, Nic from It'seeze stresses the importance of being realistic, especially when it comes to generating ROI.
“It’s going to take time. With any franchise you’re starting from scratch. You need to get going, get found, get noticed. It's about making sure people are aware of you and building on that”.
Katie also added, “This isn’t a magic wand. It's not like you just buy a franchise and you miraculously have a six-figure business by the end of year one.
"It takes someone who really grasps what we're [the franchise] doing and learns from people who have been there and done that, whether that's me, my team, or other franchisees”.
However, Nic explains, the best online franchises give lots of support to new franchisees. “The franchise itself can help guide your business growth. However, you do need to take responsibility in terms of knowing about marketing, knowing how to get yourself out there and how to start attracting clients.”
Both Nic and Katie’s insights indicate that a successful franchise journey is grounded in strong support and a genuine passion for the product or service you're offering. If you're excited, well-supported, and eager to learn, you're already halfway to success.
Last year, the British Franchise Journal, published by the BFA, provided powerful evidence that franchising is one of the safest ways to own your own business. Its survey revealed that 99.5% of franchises succeed while 50% of start-ups fail (cited by Elite Franchising).
Comparing an independent business with buying into a franchise, Nic speaks of his satisfaction with both the financials of it and the ease with which he can run a business.
“It’s like having a big web design agency, but without the overheads. It’s a really handy thing having all those resources and all those people at hand. It means you don't have to worry about everything that goes with it.”
If you're interested in buying a web franchise, browse our wide range of franchise opportunities. You can also browse business franchises, consulting franchises, property franchises, recruitment franchises and education franchises.
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