Franchise Direct: Standing With the Internet Giants of '98

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - Apr 5, 2012) - The world's largest franchise directory www.FranchiseDirect.com has tracked their online history since 1998 -- the year Google launched -- with Facebook timeline (www.facebook.com/FranchiseDirect).

"We've always kept our visitors in mind and looked for innovative ways to improve the usability of our site and streamline its performance. Building our Facebook timeline has allowed us to reconnect with our history and this exercise has enabled us to visualize how innovation is an integral part of our organization's culture. Exploring social media was a natural step for us," said Marie Maurice, head of Social Media at www.FranchiseDirect.com.

While implementing Facebook's timeline, it was clear that screen shots of the site, with ten international sites, would be ideal for taking online users through the dotcom bust in 2000, through the burial of their HTML-based site in 2007 and rebirth with PHP the following year.

As the company launched their Facebook timeline, it received its two-millionth application from visitors interested in opening a franchise.

"We only started keeping records in October, 2005 (the year YouTube was born) and by December that year we had made 10,000 connections between franchisors and those looking for a business," said Maurice.

"By the following September of 2006, we had received 250,000 applications, doubling to 500,000 in May 2007. By Christmas 2008 we had broached the 1 million mark."

The timeline tracks the history of the franchise industry right from Isaac Singer's sewing machine franchise in 1858, to the opening of Burger King and McDonalds in 1954.

"We've added screen shots of Franchise Direct through the ages, to give you an online visit down memory lane. Starting in 1998 (the year Google opened office), through the dotcom bust in 2000, the timeline will give you tingles as you look back on how the internet used to look, feel and click," continued Marie Maurice.

Individuals interested in starting their own franchise business can browse the range of exclusive offers and apply for information by logging on to www.franchisedirect.com.

About Franchise Direct: Franchise Direct is an online portal for the franchise community that operates a suite of ten multilingual sites in the world's major economies.