7-Eleven has updated its franchise recruitment Website, including making the site mobile friendly.

7-Eleven’s Franchise recruitment Website has been redesigned to enhance the ease of applying for one of its store franchises.

In fact, the company branded its franchise process as “Franchisease.”

“We are emphasizing that it is easy for qualified candidates to apply for, own and grow their number of franchise stores in areas where we do business,” said Greg Franks, 7-Eleven vice president of franchise systems. “The Website’s look is more modern and simplified. It’s easier to navigate and has cleaner lines, imagery and text.”

But the re-branding team did more than just update the look, the department did months of research on what makes a site appealing, and analyzed where webpage visitors landed and lingered, as well as what competitors were doing online.

“More importantly, we wanted to be mobile device-friendly,” said Franks. “We serve people who are on the go, connected 24/7 and want content delivered to their fingertips, and this includes being mobile-device friendly.”

Imagery is dominant on the pages. There is more interaction and even some animation. Social media is imbedded. There are more original content, blogs and franchisee profiles explaining the benefits of a 7-Eleven franchise and showcasing the company’s technology and operations support.

The site is divided into three easily digested segments: the basic contract, the applicant’s experience and financial information.

Something that no other franchise company offers is “Franchising 101,” a description of what franchising is all about. It’s more of an education rather than a sales tool and includes a glossary of terms to help the novice understand, for example, what a “franchise disclosure document” is.

Franks said shortly after the new website was launched in late summer, the team saw the number of applications rise.

“We believe our new approach is paying off,” added Franks. “Visitors are staying longer on the pages and the bounce rate (exiting the site) has gone down.”

7-Eleven Inc. continues to grow and expects to have a net of approximately 200 stores added to its U.S. store count this year.