STAR Awards
Smoothie Cafe brand story. Its clean, mobileoptimized design supports SEO-rich content while franchisee voices and authentic storytelling provide a transparent look into the ownership experience. Key features include content tailored to multi-unit prospects, a structured discovery journey, and personalized tools for candidate convenience.
“ This recognition reflects the thoughtful strategy, creative excellence, and measurable impact behind the site,” says Cheryl Fletcher, chief development officer.“ Rather than treating it as a functional asset, the team approached it as a core driver of franchise development, merging best-in-class user experience, storytelling, and brand consistency. The site communicates who Tropical Smoothie Cafe is and what makes the opportunity unique, helping the right prospects feel confident and inspired to take the next step. This strategic and emotionally resonant approach sets it apart in a competitive category.”
Fletcher says that since its launch, the site has driven high-quality traffic and strong engagement, exceeding industry benchmarks for conversion performance. Prospects arrive informed and aligned with the brand, leading to conversations early in the process and a short education curve. The website has become a core asset to support national growth goals and positioned the brand as a strong, scalable investment to help build meaningful connections with future franchisees.
Overall Best Online Lead Form Submission & Follow-Up BrightStar Care
Shelly Sun Berkowitz Founder & CEO BrightStar Care
Leaders at BrightStar Care believe some of the key features of the brand’ s franchise website are the transparency about territory availability, franchisee testimonials, and unit economics, so a franchise prospect can conduct their due diligence before deciding to engage. The site highlights the characteristics of the brand’ s most successful franchisees to help a candidate assess their fit before proceeding. Prospects can then contact BrightStar via phone or engage with an online AI chatbot to ask questions. BrightStar keeps a phone number on its site to help retain a personal touch for prospects who want to discuss a franchise opportunity directly with a representative.
Shelly Sun Berkowitz, BrightStar Care’ s founder and CEO, says the lead conversion to application has increased with candidates having greater access to information and a chat AI tool to make it easy to engage. She says making the phone an option accommodates candidates who want a“ do it for me” approach. For those who prefer a“ do it yourself” method, BrightStar offers comprehensive information on the website and automated tools to allow a candidate to book an appointment without having to get on a call until they are ready.
“ Growing the brand with culturally aligned franchisees is critical,” Berkowitz says.“ Prompt, personalized follow-up helps us maximize connectivity and create a great first impression as we evaluate franchise prospects to join our brand.”
Best Franchise Development Website( up to $ 100,000) Snapology( Unleashed Brands)
Abby Fogel VP of Brand Management & Communications Unleashed Brands
Unleashed Brands sought to build a franchise development website for Snapology to attract, educate, and convert qualified prospects by telling the brand story in a way that feels inspiring and approachable. The team wanted to highlight both the business model and the mission, showing the effect franchise owners can have on their communities. Every page was created to guide candidates in the process, help them find what they need, understand the investment, and take the next step toward ownership.
The website balances creativity and performance with a clean design, strong visuals, and clear messaging that walks users through the discovery journey. Candidates can explore start-up costs, training and support, available territories, and how to get started. The site blends brand storytelling with a smart conversion strategy.
Abby Fogel, VP of brand management and communications for Unleashed Brands, says Snapology has seen significant improvements in both lead quantity and quality. The brand experienced a large increase in total leads from 625 in 2023 to 2,684 in 2024, and it generated more than 1,100 leads through September 2025. The qualified lead ratio rose from 7.2 to 10.9 %, a sign that the brand is connecting with candidates who are aligned with the brand and prepared to take the next step.
Fogel added that in the first year after the relaunch, the conversion rate improved, rising from 1.49 % in 2023 to 5.87 % in 2024. She says these results confirm that the website is effectively attracting the right prospects and converting them into meaningful franchise opportunities.
“ The Snapology website delivers measurable results and reflects best practices in franchise development marketing,” Fogel says.“ It effectively communicates who we are and what we stand for while producing strong performance outcomes. The site also demonstrates a thoughtful approach to user experience, ensuring that content and design work together to support the candidate journey.”
Best Franchise Development Website($ 101,000 to $ 250,000) Hungry Howie’ s
Steve Clough Vice President of Franchise Development Hungry Howie’ s
Hungry Howie’ s launched its new franchise development website in December 2024 with the intention of becoming more SEO friendly. The brand’ s goal was to increase the site’ s functionality and include blogs and videos to help drive leads.
“ We wanted to make sure the content we are putting on the site was relevant for people who are researching franchises,” says Steve Clough, Hungry Howie’ s vice president of franchise development.“ Visually, it is a pretty, eye-catching site. There are pictures of storefronts and designs but also the food. Our franchise is 53 years old, and people need to understand it is a successful brand that has withstood the test of time.”
Clough says the new website reduced the amount of text and relied on images and headlines as the key messages. Hungry Howie’ s has seen the amount of organic search traffic double under the new site with an increase in visitors continuing to trend upward. The changes to the website have also helped streamline leads and reduce the number of unsuccessful leads the brand receives.
Best Franchise Development Website($ 251,000 to $ 500,000) Mighty Auto Parts
Lamar Russo Director of Franchise Development Mighty Auto Parts
46 | Franchise Update | Issue 4, 2025