Evaluation of franchise system websites: The evidence from Croatia

This paper mainly aims to provide in-depth research on how Croatian franchisors utilise the possibilities of the digital environment in terms of their digital presence. The main focus of digital presence analysis is set on franchisors’ official website and supporting communication channels. For research, this paper focused on creating and testing a specialised evaluation model. The proposed model is dominantly based on three applicable models (Martinez & Gauchi, 2010; Rao & Frazer, 2005; Stefanović & Stanković, 2014) and revised according to the situational factors. A redesigned model was used to evaluate websites of Croatian franchisors, mainly focusing on the provided information, website usability, communication possibilities, and promotional activities. This research paper offers two main outcomes. The first outcome is the redesigned evaluation model, which was applied and tested with several provided improvement guidelines. The second outcome is the comparative analysis of the selected Croatian franchisors in terms of their digital presence and its relationship to several market-related indicators. The paper presents a literature review on franchising e-presence worldwide. The research results presented in this paper offer a better insight into the use of websites by Croatian franchisors. Based on their use, certain conclusions can be made. Consequently, a contribution is made to theoretical research about franchising in Croatia and can serve as a framework for further research in the region. Based on the findings of this paper and the information provided by Croatian franchisors about their products and/or services to current and potential buyers, investments in websites result in wider franchising networks and greater success in the market. © 2021 De Gruyter Open Ltd. All rights reserved.