Multi-location
website

Why multi-location websites are different

A single-location business needs a good website. A chain needs a system. Every new branch adds pages, people who want to edit them, booking calendars, Google Business Profiles and local search phrases. If the website wasn't planned for that, each expansion turns into a pile of manual work and the site slowly falls out of date.

A multi-location website is designed around that growth. The brand, the services and the design live in one place. Locations are entries in the system, each with its own fields, staff, hours, photos and booking. Adding the tenth branch takes an afternoon, not a new project.

Location pages that rank and convert

For most chains, location pages bring more business than the homepage. Someone searching "physiotherapy near me" in Surrey sees the map pack, taps through and lands on the Surrey branch page, so that page has to work on its own. It needs the address and map, parking or transit tips, hours including holidays, the team with photos, the services available at that branch, prices if they differ, and a booking or call button.

Each location page also links to its own Google Business Profile, and the name, address and phone match exactly. I add LocalBusiness schema for every branch. All of this helps search engines connect the dots. For deeper work on rankings, see local SEO and the article on SEO for multiple cities.

Franchises: consistency without bottlenecks

Franchise networks have an extra challenge: independent owners who want some control over their corner of the site. I solve this with roles in a custom CMS. The franchisor controls the brand, the core offer, legal text and design. Franchisees edit their local details, team and promotions within set limits. Everyone works on one platform, and customers see one recognizable brand from Halifax to Victoria.

Booking and leads per branch

When booking runs through the website, the first step is choosing the location. After that, services and time slots come from that branch only. Notifications go to the right manager, and leads from contact forms are tagged with the location in your CRM. That's how the barbershop chain in my case studies runs booking across its shops. If you need chat-based booking too, a booking chatbot can sit on top of the same calendar.

Moving from several old sites to one

Many chains arrive with a mix: the original site, a separate page a franchisee built, a booking tool on another domain. I don't patch those. I build the new platform, move the content that's worth keeping and set up redirects from every old address, so links from directories and Google profiles keep working. Old domains can point to the right location page. The details of that process are on website migration.

Canadian specifics for chains

Chains that span provinces meet a few extra rules. Quebec branches need French versions at least as complete as English, which affects both the location pages and booking messages; I work in English, so that French content comes from your own team or translator. Privacy laws differ: PIPEDA applies broadly, while Quebec, BC and Alberta have their own private-sector acts, so the privacy policy and consent banner should account for where your customers are. Different time zones matter too: opening hours and booking slots must show local time, not head-office time.

How we work together

Large projects run on the same principles as small ones: a written agreement with deadlines, staged payments, three rounds of revisions and training at the end. You deal with me directly, not with an account manager. Domain, code and accounts are registered in your company's name. For marketing beyond the website, see marketing for franchises.