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๐Ÿ†† ๐Ÿ†ƒ ๐Ÿ…ต: This Was a Bold UX Choice

WTF: Website Tactics for Franchises - a newsletter with Madalina Iordache

TL;DR (Too Long; Didnโ€™t Read)

Welcome to WTF: Website Tactics for Franchises, a newsletter by me, Madalina Iordache,ย where I share the good, the bad, and the baffling in the world of franchise websites. Todayโ€™s edition features:

  • one fallen tree, one mini bridge, and one big olโ€™ lesson in user experience. Letโ€™s get into it.

Madalina Iordache standing on the tiny wooden bridge built over a fallen tree

A Bridge Tooโ€ฆ Unnecessary?

After my Sedona hiking high wore off, I went looking for trails in South Florida. Less majestic, sure, but still good for the step count.

Thatโ€™s when I stumbled across this masterpiece in a local park (photo evidence included). A full-on wooden staircase and bridge โ€“ built over a fallen tree. I paused. I pondered. I asked: WHY?

You could easily walk around it. Or step over it. Heck, you could limbo under it if youโ€™re feeling spry. Yet someone said: no, letโ€™s build stairs. Letโ€™sย elevateย this moment.

WTF Moment: Solving a Problem That Didnโ€™t Exist

Naturally, I thought about websites (as one does). (No? Just me?)

Too often, we get so close to our own website that we start seeing problems that arenโ€™t really problems. We pour time into features that no one asked for. We optimize things no one clicks. We build digital bridges over metaphorical twigs.

This is why user testing matters.

You donโ€™t need a crystal ball or a sixth sense. You need a real human, seeing your site for the first time, trying to get something done. And then youย watch. You learn. You resist the urge to shout, โ€œThe link is RIGHT THERE!โ€

Park Trail or Website Trail: Whatโ€™s Actually Worth Building?

Before you throw budget at a redesign, hereโ€™s what we recommend:

โœ”๏ธย Run user tests with real-life scenarios โ€“ โ€œHow would you schedule an appointment?โ€ not โ€œCan you find the form?โ€

โœ”๏ธย Use heat maps and session recordings โ€“ Watch where people click, scroll, rage-click, or bail. Itโ€™s like digital people-watching (without the binoculars).

โœ”๏ธย Find the real friction points โ€“ Is your website actually confusing? Or are you just tired of looking at it?

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Just because you can build a bridge doesnโ€™t mean you should.

Especially if the other side of the tree leads toโ€ฆ absolutely nothing. (True story. It was just a dead end with some leaves.)

User Testing: The Bench You Didnโ€™t Know You Needed

Maybe your users donโ€™t need a bridge. Maybe theyโ€™d prefer a bench. Or a map. Or a better call-to-action.

And the only way to find out? Ask them. Watch them. Learn from them.

Donโ€™t get lost solving imaginary problems.

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Warmly,

Madalina โ€œUX, But Make It Existentialโ€ Iordache

CEO at Bright Pink Agency

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P.S.ย Whenever youโ€™re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you turn your website from a headache into a trusty, gorgeous, hardworking marketing tool:

  1. See ourย favorite franchise websitesย for inspiration

  2. Download theย The 5 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Franchise Website

  3. Book a freeย website auditย (I promise, no tiny bridges involved)

  4. Ready to chat? Letโ€™s talk aboutย your next website project

P.P.S.ย Not sure what your website really needs โ€“ but youย knowย it needs something? Ourย BrightStart planย is your trail map. Itโ€™s a strategic starting point with an in-depth audit (and optional user studies) to guide whether you need a redesign, a detour, or just a better bench.

Bright Pink who?

At Bright Pink Agency, and we build high-performing franchise websites that attract more of the right candidates, customers, and leads. If your website isnโ€™t working as hard as you are,ย letโ€™s chatย about getting your franchise website in shape. No fluff, no nonsense โ€“ just smart, strategic moves to help you grow.