What Franchisors and Prospects Are Saying About the New Franchise.com

By: Hunter Stokes for Franchise Insights

November 11, 2026 – Franchise.com, launched in 1994, was the first franchise directory to deliver online leads to franchisors. Franchise sales teams could finally stop endless road trips to franchise shows, and recruit from home or office.

Franchise Ventures bought the website and business of Franchise.com in 2006, incorporating it into its own platform. Beginning in July 2025, Franchise Ventures embarked on a focused effort to change the value proposition for prospective franchisees and franchisors. Just over a year since the new Franchise.com went live, we have some results to share.

This article is a departure from the usual sharing of metrics and best practices from broad surveys designed to aid in franchise development. It concerns a very different approach to lead generation designed and offered by the sponsor of Franchise Insights.

So here is a clear disclaimer that the facts and data herein are from the sponsor of Franchise Insights — Franchise Ventures.

There are findings here that may be useful to the broader franchise community as we all struggle to identify the best prospects in the midst of dramatic changes to the lead ecosystem and soaring lead costs.

Goals of the New Franchise.com Approach

Connect informed prospects who are ready to engage in direct conversations with franchisors
Let prospects buy – rather than be sold. Prospective owners research at their own pace, with analysis and planning tools, and hear from franchisors only when they’re ready.
Give prospective business owners a user-centric way to explore potential franchise options without a barrage of unsolicited calls.
Put the prospect in control of who hears from them. Franchisors receive only prospects who have chosen to be contacted by them, which is why these conversations are more likely to start and why they tend to continue.
Give franchisors a predictable supply of more qualified prospects, with quantity and price known in advance, so development teams plan around candidates rather than chase volume.

The Prospect Experience

The user proposition of Franchise.com embraces the fact that the decision to purchase a franchise is potentially one of the biggest life decisions for an individual.

Investing one’s net worth in a franchise comes with significant risk, and Franchise.com endeavors to provide a glide path to exploring the benefits of franchise ownership, with the ultimate goal of making connections with the best fit for an aspiring franchise owner.

Prospect Feedback

Two thirds, or 67% of satisfaction survey respondents report that easily making connections with franchises of interest is the feature that they most value from Franchise.com.

Franchise.com users are evenly spread down the funnel according to respondents to a recent feedback survey. About 16% report ongoing conversations with franchise representatives, having attended a discovery day (or scheduled one), or are currently reviewing documents in anticipation of a franchise purchase. Another 16% report that they have been awarded franchises.

The Franchisor Experience

Prospects (leads) from Franchise.com have provided extensive profile data, available to potential franchise matches on an opt-in basis. These prospects are further down the funnel than traditional “portal” leads, so they are fewer in number – and significantly higher in price, given the cost of acquisition and nurturing. Quantities are limited, as dictated by scarcity and demand.

Only franchises are presented to these prospects. While brokerage or referral firms play an important role in franchise sales, only franchises with direct offerings are presented in this environment.

Franchisor Feedback

64% Prospect Contact Rate – [a prominent QSR] reports connecting with nearly two out of three franchise prospects generated through Franchise.com from July through October 2026.
A recent prospect “made it to the FDD stage” – a leading senior care franchise
Commenting on a recent prospect “we have had two back to back meetings already. I like him and he seems very interested in starting a business” in our segment – a global logistics company
“I have spoken with [candidate name withheld] and he is a great candidate.” – national trade school
About a recent prospect “He has already entered the discovery process and we’re in the initial first step with him”. – national specialty retail food business

These are just a few highlights, and we look forward to presenting more comparative data on the effectiveness of a much more user-centric channel available only to franchisors.

If you would like to have an in-depth conversation about the new Franchise.com approach to sourcing franchise prospects to help you meet your franchise development goals, schedule a conversation here.

Further, I would personally welcome your feedback or questions about the new Franchise.com.

Franchise Ventures is the leading franchise lead-generation platform for potential franchisees to thousands of growing franchise systems in the United States and Canada. Its franchise lead generation brands include Franchise.com, Franchise Solutions, Franchise Gator, Franchise Opportunities, Franchise For Sale, SmallBusinessStartup.com and BusinessBroker.net, and together they provide the largest aggregation of prospective franchise buyers in the U.S.

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Contact Franchise Ventures to get your share of today’s aspiring franchise owners.

Published on Thursday, November 12th, 2026.