People start cannabis businesses for various reasons. Some see cannabis only as a means to financial gains, while others want to break down the stigma around cannabis and connect with those in their community. If you’re among those who focus on connection, and you want to connect with even more people, you should consider expanding your cannabis business online. The following tips can help you with that expansion.
Research Your Online Target Audience
Every physical business has a target audience within its community. Your target audience affects where you build your store, what products you stock, and your hours of availability. If you’re expanding online, you will also have a digital target audience. Some qualities of these target audiences may overlap, such as age ranges and genders, but some may look different since you can connect with even more people online. Research your ideal online target audience to learn how to build your website and social media accordingly.
Invest in Digital Marketing
You may need help building up your website and social media to reach your online target audience. After all, you’re in the cannabis business, not the marketing business. Professional digital marketers can take your target audience research and apply it in various ways, such as through pay-per-click ads and optimized website pages. Some business owners worry about the cost of this initial upfront investment, but it is worth it. Digital marketing will help you connect with a broader digital audience and contribute to your online store’s success.
Equip Your Website With the Appropriate Technology
While building a website and reaching new customers is exciting, you must also remember to make your website safe. Cannabis is still illegal in some states and the states that do allow cannabis sales limit it to buyers over the age of 21. You must equip your website with the appropriate technology to detect the age of potential online buyers. A system that can receive and interpret driver’s licenses or other official identification is ideal to keep you and your buyers safe.
Remind Recipients of Proper Waste Disposal
When your customers receive their online orders, they must follow local, state, and federal rules for proper waste disposal. There are guides to cannabis waste disposal that businesses and customers must adhere to. Many of the rules overlap, such as disposing of all cannabis paraphernalia in the proper way. Remind your customers that they must make any cannabis paraphernalia, including shipping boxes, unrecognizable, just as you do at your store. They should also mix cannabis waste with other forms of waste, such as shredded newspaper, with a shredded cannabis shipment box.
Expanding your cannabis business online is a great opportunity for your store to grow. The tips we provided above will help you navigate this opportunity so that you can better understand the logistics behind your expansion and the new rules you’re taking on. We hope these tips help your business thrive.
