How Franchise.com’s President Thinks About Where Franchise Buyers Start Their Search
Franchise.com is the most comprehensive franchise research platform, and for prospective owners it is often the first stop in a long decision. We spoke with Hunter Stokes, President of Franchise.com, about how franchise shoppers research opportunities today and why visibility in search, including AI-driven search, matters more than ever for franchise brands. It’s a conversation that overlaps our work at Signal Hill Strategies, helping companies reach qualified buyers through SEO and GEO (generative engine optimization).
Q: How are prospective franchisees researching opportunities today?
Hunter Stokes: Buying a franchise is a big financial and personal commitment, so people do a lot of homework before they ever talk to a brand. They compare categories, investment levels, and what support looks like, and they tend to do it on their own first. By the time someone raises a hand, they’ve usually formed opinions.
Q: What does that mean for franchisors trying to generate leads?
Hunter Stokes: Volume isn’t the goal. A brand can attract plenty of clicks and still struggle if the people arriving aren’t a fit. The brands that do well meet buyers at the research stage with clear, credible information, and the leads that come from that are better informed and more serious.
Q: Search is changing, with more people asking AI tools for recommendations. How does that affect your role?
Hunter Stokes: It raises the bar on being clear and trustworthy. When someone asks an AI tool about franchise opportunities, the answer draws on whatever information is well organized and easy to find. That puts a premium on accurate, comprehensive content, which is why our focus on depth of information matters.
Q: This is where firms like Signal Hill Strategies come in. How do you see the connection?
Hunter Stokes: Signal Hill’s approach, building visibility across Google and AI engines and tying it to qualified leads rather than raw traffic, reflects how franchise buyers actually behave. They research, compare, and decide in stages. Brands need to show up at each of those stages with content that answers real questions.
Q: What should a franchise brand do first if its search visibility is weak?
Hunter Stokes: Start by understanding the buyer. What questions do they ask before they’ll consider you? What would make them trust you? Then build content and a site experience around those answers. Tactics matter, but they only work if they’re grounded in how your buyer evaluates a decision.
Q: How should brands measure success?
Hunter Stokes: Look past traffic to lead quality and what happens downstream. Are inquiries turning into conversations, and conversations into awards? A smaller number of strong leads beats a large number of weak ones.
Q: Any advice for brands thinking about their growth strategy?
Hunter Stokes: Be patient and consistent. Visibility compounds when you keep investing in being genuinely useful to people who are researching. The brands that treat it as a long-term asset tend to see the payoff.
To learn more about Franchise.com or to find your own franchising opportunity, visit their website.
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