The Role of Technology in the Success of Franchise Businesses in India

In recent years, technology has played a significant role in shaping the franchise businesses of India. With the increasing use of digital platforms, franchise businesses have improved their operational efficiency and expanded their reach. Technology allowed franchises to understand their customers better and provide higher convenience, from online delivery systems to data analytics and CRM tools. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the role of tech in the franchise world and understand where and how it can be a game changer. 

Why technology is a necessary component in every industry today

You don’t need to have a tech franchise to require tech investment in your operational activities. Technology has become an indispensable tool in every business that saves time, cuts costs, improves efficiency and enhances customer experience. Whether you sell tech products or not, you must invest in technology to use apps that help you run your business smoothly. These could be delivery apps or customer management apps software. Tech is now essential in every field, and continuing without it would mean setting yourself up for failure. 

Instead, franchise owners should invest in technology to derive maximum benefits in the long run. The most important use of technology is social media usage. Having a social media presence has now become a ‘must’ for most brands, and leveraging their online audience is how brands are maximising profits. So, let’s talk about the different ways technology can lead to successful franchise businesses in India one by one. 

Enhancing franchise management through software and apps

After getting customers, the next factor that matters is how you manage them. All successful franchise businesses in India have excellent software management. Here are all the ways technology is helping achieve this.

• CRM tools: All user data is processed and stored efficiently and systematically. CRM tools help organise the business, regulate customer interaction, and facilitate proper feedback reception. Centralised databases accessible to the franchisee and the franchisor make coordinating and sharing easy.
• KPIs: Technology makes tracking effortless and gives real-time insights into the key performance indicators of the franchisee-franchisor collaboration. Tracking data helps identify the points needing improvement and makes the process more transparent. 
• Easy sharing: Technology helps to form better communication bridges between the franchisee and the customers and between the franchisor and the franchisee. Sharing updates or best operational practices can be an example of this.

Read More: Funding Options For Starting A Franchise Business In India

Leveraging social media to expand franchise reach

Franchise businesses in India now realise the influence and reach of social media. They use it for marketing their businesses well and forming an online community. For example, a cafe might post its dishes and ambience on Instagram and attract a fresh wave of customers. Social media marketing uses visual mediums, which are more effective than emailers or coupon-based schemes. Here are all the ways social media can help a business. 

• Creating a strong brand identity: Posting engaging content and generating buzz around the brand helps attract potential franchisees. Besides this, sharing brand updates and product launches and responding to customer queries can all be done through social media. 
• Targeted advertising: A franchise selling coffee blends needs to target locations where coffee is a popular drink with their ads. Using tools like Facebook ads, franchise businesses in India can create highly-personalized and pacific campaigns that bring sales and build loyal customers. 
• Connecting with franchisees: Social media is used to connect with potential franchisees, introduce them to the benefits of joining the brand, and attracting qualified candidates becomes easier with technology. 

Moment marketing and meme marketing are huge industries today and will continue to grow in future. These are all examples of how leveraging social media can help create an audience and, eventually, a loyal community. 

Innovation in customer experience with technology

Customer experience is crucial for gaining revenue, attracting new customers, and retaining existing ones. Technology helps add creativity and more convenience to a customer’s experience with the brand. Let’s look at some examples where technology is helping provide a better customer experience. 

• Mobile apps: Food delivery and online shopping industries use mobile apps to help customers have a comfortable brand experience. Franchise businesses in India can personalise user experience through subscriptions, loyalty programs, offers, and in-app reservations. Even though every user has the same app, it’ll be a different experience for each of them based on their journey.
• Self-service kiosks: This concept is still new in India, and self-service outlets are yet to gain prominence. But globally, this concept works great and leaves less scope for errors. For example, a fast-food franchise using self-service options will give customers a faster and more personalised experience with fewer errors. 
• In-app modifications: It is now possible to serve customers better based on their preferences and past purchases. The recommendations vary for each person due to their different journeys with the product or brand. 

Conclusion

Technology can play a significant role in innovating and improving the customer experience in franchise businesses in India. By providing personalised options, faster service, and a safer environment, franchise businesses can build brand loyalty, attract new customers, and yield higher revenue. Successful franchise businesses always use technology as a helpful aid, not a replacement for human interaction. Humanising the brand and establishing a direct connection with the audience is essential, and technology should be a support for this, not an obstruction. 

Using technology correctly can lead to significantly reduced costs, better efficiency, and less marketing expenditure because the approach would become more targeted. Some franchise businesses would benefit more than the rest simply because the role of technology is more significant there. Fast food, retail, education, home services, and fitness industries will see the most benefit when they harness the power of technology to streamline their business operations.