Hidden Costs Of An Outdated Dispensary Website (And How To Fix It)

Even if you think an old dispensary website is “good enough” as it is … think again. Outdated dispensary websites can cost you in more ways than one — and here’s how.

Shrinkage, loss, whatever you want to call it … dispensaries can lose money on investments, just like any other business.

Sometimes loss happens through stolen inventory. Sometimes it’s an accounting typo. And sometimes, it’s having an old dispensary website that’s just not doing the heavy lifting it should.

So let’s check out three ways your outdated dispensary website costs you money (and leaves cash on the table at the same time).

#1: SEO

If your dispensary’s website isn’t fast, isn’t user friendly, and isn’t optimized for mobile … it’s likely your search engine rankings aren’t doing too well either. And those online rankings can make or break your brick-and-mortar dispensary.

Why?

Because SEO has a direct impact on whether your customers can find you, and whether they will choose your dispensary over a competitor.

It’s a big deal. And even little things like missing meta titles and alt tags can impact how much Google likes you.

So even if you’re thinking “yeah but my dispensary has no shortage of customers, why do they need to find it online anyway?”

Good question. If you’ve already got a booming business, SEO probably isn’t at the top of your list right now.

But it will matter when you need to hire a new budtender. It does matter to the customers you already have. And could matter if you ever decide to sell, expand, or pivot your dispensary.

So when it comes to SEO, yes, dispensaries need it, too.

Dispensary Website Pro Tip For SEO

Effective SEO puts your website above those of your competitors. Imagine someone searching “dispensary near me” on Google.  You want that person to find your dispensary, right? Right.

So the first step to improving your SEO is updating your dispensary’s website. That’s because Google doesn’t like slow, unfriendly websites … and your customers don’t either!

#2: Digital Marketing

Your dispensary’s website is BOTH a marketing tool and a sales tool — so let’s explore this from the marketing side, first.

Most digital marketing strategies aim to attract more website visitors (that’s called traffic). The more traffic, the better — you want that. And that’s because more traffic gets you more leads which gets your dispensary more sales and so on and so forth. In this case, marketing tees the ball up, sales hits the home run.

So how do you get the digital marketing ball rolling? Dispensaries commonly use strategies like SEO (as mentioned earlier), content marketing, and social media marketing to rake in the traffic.

But if your website is covered in cobwebs … those strategies probably won’t pay off (and that’s called wasting money).

Why?

Because slow, old websites don’t convert as well as fast, updated ones.

Your customers want a seamless experience. So when they tap a link on a social post and get transported to a website that won’t load on their phone, they close the tab and find another dispensary.

Even if you’re not interested in getting more customers, this impacts your current customers, too. There’s always competition and other dispensaries want your audience’s attention. That means it’s up to you to invest in marketing and invest in an updated website to keep making $$$.

Dispensary Website Pro Tip For Digital Marketing

Other dispensaries are adding online dashboards, instant customer service chats, and e-commerce features to their websites as you read this.

If you don’t keep your dispensary customers happy … another dispensary will …

#3: Sales

Marketing builds awareness, and sales cash in on it. They’re two sides of the same coin, and an outdated dispensary website impacts them both differently.

As we already know, an ancient dispensary website chokes marketing efforts. In turn, this cuts off the sales faucet, too … and that’s true whether you’re a brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, or hybrid business.

Why?

Because customers who can’t find your dispensary’s website won’t visit your storefront.

Because customers who don’t know about your website won’t add ecommerce products to their virtual carts.

Because customers who can’t use your website will choose a competing dispensary instead.

Tale as old as time. And that list goes on and on for websites that are hard to navigate.

So take a minute to imagine your dispensary’s website. Imagine that it’s faster, it’s optimized for search engines, it’s mobile friendly, and it personifies your brand. Now THAT’S a website that gets more checkouts, more calls, more traffic (online and in-store), and above all, more sales.

Dispensary Website Pro Tip For Sales

Work with a professional web design team that specializes in dispensary websites. Doing so makes the shopping experience better for your dispensary’s customers, and better for you.

After all, things like detailed product pages, automated chat bots, and ecommerce tracking lightens the load on you (and your team). That means more time for sales and building a bigger, better dispensary.

Final thoughts on outdated dispensary websites

Old dispensary websites aren’t fun, efficient, or easy on anyone — including you. That’s why it’s important you work with a professional web designer to update your dispensary’s website according to best practices as outlined in this guide.

Here’s a quick roundup of all the insider info:

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