Case Study

Designing a Franchise-Ready WordPress Multisite with Interactive Location Mapping

Sani Philip | | 5 min read

Introduction

HomeWell Care Services, a nationwide in-home care provider, operates over 150 independently managed franchise locations across the United States, each delivering core services like companion care, personal care, specialty care, and signature programs tailored to local markets. HomeWell required a digital platform to unify these franchise websites under one trusted brand while ensuring consistent branding and synchronized corporate content across all sites. The platform also had to be intuitive for visitors to discover nearby locations and job opportunities-without the inefficiencies of manual updates across a massive multisite network.

 

Challenges

  1. Scaling a 150+ Franchise Network - HomeWell's digital footprint was built around a large network of franchisee sites. Every location required:
  • The same design, navigation, and core functionality
  • Unique local content: addresses, phone numbers, service emphasis, testimonials, and CTAs.

Manually configuring each new location and keeping them all in sync was slow and fragile. As the franchise network grew, so did the risk of design drift, outdated content, and inconsistent user experience from one location to another.

  1. Global Consistency vs Local Flexibility - Corporate marketing needed a way to:
  • Maintain consistent brand messaging, service pages, and selected blog content across all locations
  • Keep individual franchise owners free to tailor their own pages, SEO, and calls‑to‑action

Without a controlled way to share content, every update meant repetitive work for multiple sites, and there was no guarantee that all locations would stay aligned with the latest corporate messaging.

  1. A Nationwide Locations Map That Really Works - The client also wanted a "Find Your HomeWell"       page where visitors could:
  • See all franchise locations on a single interactive map
  • Quickly scan location names, phone numbers, and addresses
  • View current job openings for each franchise
  • Jump straight from the map to the relevant franchise website

With 150+ locations, simply dropping individual pins onto a map wasn't enough. The interface had to stay readable in dense metro areas, feel fast and responsive, and present detailed franchise information without overwhelming the user.

Our Approach

The work began by treating HomeWell's franchise network as a single product rather than 150 separate sites. The first priority was to design a WordPress Multisite architecture where global and local responsibilities were clearly defined: a master site owned the shared theme, layouts, and patterns, while each franchise site owned its local content and SEO. This architecture‑first approach made it possible to scale the same experience consistently to every new location.

With the foundation in place, the focus shifted to content operations. Instead of asking teams to manually copy and paste pages across franchises, a controlled broadcasting workflow was introduced. Corporate could push specific service pages and blog posts to selected locations, while permalink rules tied URLs to franchise IDs so that shared content still felt local and could be tracked per market. This kept the content layer flexible for franchises but predictable for the business.

Finally, the location's experience was treated as a key user journey, not just an add‑on. Location data was modeled so every franchise could surface its name, contact details, and job links in a consistent way. The map was then implemented with clustering in mind from day one, ensuring it could handle 150+ pins without becoming noisy. Each interaction-from scanning the sidebar list to clicking a pin and opening a rich popup-was designed to shorten the path between "I need care" and "I've found the right local HomeWell office."

Solution

  1. WordPress Multisite with a Master Template

The foundation of the rebuild was a WordPress Multisite network.

  • A master site defined the global theme, navigation, and core page structures.
  • Reusable Gutenberg blocks and patterns were created for features like service sections, testimonials, and resource panels.
  • New franchise sites were created by cloning the master configuration, then filling in location‑specific details.

This gave HomeWell a single, maintainable codebase with the flexibility to bring new franchises online quickly.

2. Selective Broadcasting and Franchise‑Aware Permalinks

To keep content in sync without sacrificing local control:

  • Implemented a content broadcasting workflow from the main site to selected franchise sites.
  • Corporate teams could push only the pieces that needed to stay aligned-such as key service pages or specific blog posts-while leaving local pages untouched.
  • Permalink logic was customized so broadcast posts could generate franchise‑specific URLs based on each location's ID, helping both SEO and analytics.

This eliminated repetitive copy‑and‑paste work and ensured that core content stayed current everywhere.

3. Custom Locations Map with Clustering and Popups

The "Find Your HomeWell" page was designed as a dedicated location experience.

Key behaviour:

  • The page loads all franchise records and plots them as pins on an interactive map.
  • A sidebar lists the same locations, including name, phone number, and address, so users can browse either visually or via the list.
  • Clicking a pin opens a rich popup showing franchise details plus direct links like "Visit Website" and "View Jobs."

Handling 150+ locations:

  • Implemented marker clustering so nearby franchises are grouped into cluster markers at lower zoom levels.
  • As users zoom in or click on a cluster, it expands into individual pins, keeping the map readable and performant.
  • This approach prevents overlapping markers in dense regions and guides users smoothly from a national overview down to specific local offices.
  • The result is an interactive, user‑friendly location finder that supports both care seekers and job seekers.

4. Accessibility & SEO Enhancements

  • Followed WCAG 2.1 guidelines for improved accessibility.
  • Integrated structured data for better search engine rankings.
  • Optimized meta tags, headings, and alt texts.

5. Security & Compliance

  • Applied SSL encryption and security best practices.
  • Ensured compliance with GDPR and other relevant regulations.
  • Conducted security testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities

Result

  • Faster rollout and updates: New franchise sites can be launched by cloning the master configuration and updating content, reducing setup and update time from days to hours.
  • Consistent brand experience: A shared design system and broadcast content keep all 150+ sites aligned with HomeWell's brand and service messaging.
  • Improved discoverability and conversion: The map and sidebar listing make it easy to find the nearest location, get in touch, and explore job opportunities-directly from the locations page.

Conclusion

This project brought together architecture, UX, and performance: by leveraging WordPress Multisite, selective content broadcasting, and a custom clustered locations map, HomeWell can now manage more than 150 franchise sites as a single, scalable platform. The result is a consistent brand experience, faster launches for new franchises, and a seamless 'Find Your HomeWell' journey that connects people and caregivers at the local level.

 

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