On franchise recruitment websites, brochure requests via web forms are the lifeline of business growth. However, it is not uncommon for the form specifications to be misaligned with user needs, causing many prospective franchise owners to drop out and resulting in serious lost opportunities.

HITOWA Life Partner Co., Ltd., which we introduce here, was facing exactly this issue: on the franchise recruitment site for its core brand “Osoji Honpo,” the conversion rate (CVR) had stagnated, leading to significant opportunity loss. The situation had become, in the words of the business manager, “a war of attrition with no end in sight.” Under these circumstances, the company decided to implement BOTCHAN EFO, a chat-based EFO (Entry Form Optimization) tool.

How did they overcome concerns about the target audience, achieve their goals in the very first month of implementation, and lead the business to a V-shaped recovery? We spoke in detail with Mr. Sugimoto, the business owner, and Mr. Chiwaki, who drove the initiatives on the front line, about the background to the introduction, the story behind the dramatic results, and the collaboration with partners that underpinned this success.

Company Introduction: A Franchise Headquarters Led by “Osoji Honpo” That Creates New Value in Everyday Life

HITOWA Life Partner Co., Ltd. operates as a franchisor of lifestyle support services. Centered on its main brand, “Osoji Honpo,” the company offers a wide range of services that support everyday living, including house cleaning, housekeeping services, and services for seniors.
Leveraging its nationwide franchise network and accumulated expertise, the company works with franchisees to deliver high-quality services. Guided by the philosophy of “Always bringing new value to everyday life,” it advances its business while valuing connections between people.

“Osouji Honpo” service website: https://www.osoujihonpo-fc.com/

Introducing the Team: Driving Transformation from Both the Business Leader and On-site Manager Perspectives

Mr. Masatoshi Sugimoto, Deputy General Manager, Osoji Honpo Business Division, HITOWA Life Partner Co., Ltd.

After many years involved in the operations of “Osoji Honpo,” including overseeing supervision for both eastern and western regions, I now head the franchise加盟店 development division. From supporting加盟店 to driving new development, I make decisions with a constant focus on ultimate profitability, bearing responsibility for the overall growth of the business.

Ms. Aiko Chiwaki, Assistant Manager, Management Strategy Division, Osoji Honpo, HITOWA Life Partner Co., Ltd.

With the mission of attracting customers for franchise owners, you will be primarily responsible for managing online advertising.
You will be a key player on the front line, analyzing constantly changing market conditions and performance metrics, and handling everything from planning to execution of initiatives to maximize conversions.

Challenges before implementation: “It was a war of attrition with no end in sight.”

On the franchise recruitment website for “Osoji Honpo,” although the majority of traffic was generated through advertising, the conversion rate (CVR) remained significantly below the expected level. Mr. Sugimoto, the business manager, looks back on the situation at the time as “critical.”

Mr. Sugimoto:
“The conversion rate for brochure requests, which is the starting point of our business plan, was falling far short of the target. If left unaddressed, it was clear this would inevitably affect the entire business, and the situation was extremely severe. How to turn our advertising spend at the time into tangible results was a major challenge, and as the person in charge, I was under pressure to make a difficult decision on how to break through this situation.”

Mr. Chiwaki, who is in charge of ad operations on the front lines, was also grappling with a serious sense of challenge.

Mr. Chiwaki:
"We also considered reducing the number of form fields as a measure to improve CVR. However, on the other hand, the sales representatives who make follow-up calls told us that having more fields is helpful for understanding customer information in detail. Caught in the middle, we were unable to arrive at a fundamental solution."

With the conversion rate stagnating and CPA (cost per acquisition) soaring, the company was looking for a new approach—different from conventional form optimization—at a time when these issues were having a significant impact on its business plan.

How we discovered BOTCHAN EFO and why we chose to implement it: a “failure scenario simulation” that dispelled our concerns

In a situation where we saw no way out, the turning point came through a referral from an advertising agency we do business with.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“Our contact at the agency introduced us to BOTCHAN EFO, describing it as a tool that is extremely effective for improving CVR. After hearing the details, I saw real potential in this new UI (user interface) in the form of a chatbot.”

However, the consideration of implementing the system did not proceed entirely smoothly.
Many prospective franchisees were in their 40s or older, and there were concerns about whether a chat-style input form would truly be accepted. What dispelled those concerns was the proposal put forward by wevnal sales representative Inagawa.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“In response to our concerns, Mr. Inagawa from Sales went so far as to present concrete contingency plans for what to do if things did not go well. Because he provided a detailed simulation that covered not only a vision of success but also risk hedging, we felt confident that ‘even if it fails, we will be able to find the next way forward,’ and were able to decide to implement it with peace of mind. The decisive factor in the end was not just the positive aspects, but the way he addressed and stayed close to our anxieties.”

Introduction process and decision criteria at runtime: from cautious A/B testing to achieving the target in the first month

Out of concern for the target audience, we began implementation cautiously with an A/B test against the existing form. We set the display ratio to 50:50, intending to objectively assess the effectiveness of the chatbot. However, the results far exceeded our expectations in a very positive way.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“Initially, we had set a goal of improving our CVR by 130% over three months, but to our surprise, we achieved that target in the very first month after implementation. We immediately decided to switch over fully.”

Behind this dramatic improvement was the ongoing, hands-on support provided by Customer Success after implementation.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“It didn’t end with simply achieving our goals. Our account manager, Ms. Semba, kept coming to us with new ideas, saying things like, ‘We can also improve this area,’ or ‘Shall we try this kind of test?’ Each time we ran A/B tests, such as changing the design of the callouts, we saw incremental improvements. When overall site conversions dropped due to changes in advertising conditions, she even contacted us before our agency did, asking, ‘Your numbers are down—are you okay with this?’ It is very reassuring to know that she is always monitoring the situation, and she is an extremely reliable partner in driving our PDCA cycle.”

Results and value after implementation: a clear impact with CVR up by more than 160% at peak and CPA improved by 125%

The introduction of BOTCHAN EFO did more than simply improve CVR; it became the catalyst that turned around an underperforming business as a whole.

[Quantitative Results] Achieved up to a 160% increase in CVR and a 125% improvement in CPA

In A/B tests conducted after implementation, the pages where BOTCHAN was introduced recorded a CVR more than 160% higher than pages without BOTCHAN. In addition, CPA improved by 125%, significantly contributing to the optimization of advertising spend and the overall profitability of the business.

[Qualitative Results] V-shaped recovery of the entire business and the new momentum generated within the team

Mr. Sugimoto:
“With the introduction of BOTCHAN EFO and the resulting improvement in CVR, the number of information requests—which is the starting point for everything—has stabilized. As a result, downstream processes such as seminar participation and contract volume have also trended upward, enabling us to achieve our contract targets for two consecutive months. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a complete V‑shaped recovery, but there is no doubt that BOTCHAN EFO served as a key trigger in creating that upward trajectory.”

Mr. Chiwaki:
“Now, as we continue to receive one improvement proposal after another, they have become a truly ‘reliable partner’ who helps us aim even higher. Compared with the difficult situation we were in before, this is a truly significant change.”

Future outlook and key initiatives: the next stage we aim for together as partners

Building on the successful experience gained with “BOTCHAN EFO,” the company is now considering the rollout of new initiatives.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“Going forward, we would like to take on initiatives such as following up via LINE with users who have left our website. At the same time, there are aspects that require greater internal understanding, such as how this will align with conversions generated through advertising. From the stage of persuading internal stakeholders, we hope to move ahead with these new initiatives in partnership with wevnal, with their support along the way.”

Expectations for BOTCHAN are rising, not merely as a tool provider, but as a partner that grows the business together.

Advice for people facing the same challenge: “Set aside your preconceptions and just try it first.”

Finally, we asked both of them to share a message for corporate representatives facing similar challenges.

Mr. Chiwaki:
“Our main target is people in their 40s and above, so at first we had a preconception that ‘a chat-style interface probably wouldn’t be accepted.’ But as you can see, the results speak for themselves. What I want to convey is: don’t write something off as impossible from the start—have some faith and try it first.”

Mr. Sugimoto:
“From a cost-effectiveness perspective as well, we believe BOTCHAN EFO is a tool with significant advantages. Even when we evaluate CPA including the costs associated with BOTCHAN EFO, the results are more than satisfactory. It is definitely worth implementing it once and assessing it based on your own company’s situation.”

HITOWA Life Partner Co., Ltd. took on the serious challenge of stagnant CVR in franchise recruitment with a new approach: a hands-on, support-oriented use of chatbots.
Armed with this success— which became the starting point for a V-shaped recovery— the company’s efforts will continue to move forward.

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