1. Not having a professionally designed responsive website.
If your website looks like your cousin designed it, you are missing out on new customers. Your website should be professionally designed and built. It should also allow you to edit website content easily. Finally, your website should be “responsive.” In other words, it should display equally as well on regular computer screens, tablets and mobile devices. Keep in mind that potential customers will be searching for your marijuana dispensary business on mobile devices. If your website does not display well on mobile devices your business will suffer.
2. Not having your website professionally optimized.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to ensure that your website is found by people using Google to do custom keyword searches. There are thousands of searches each month on Google for marijuana dispensary business terms. If your website is not optimized, you will not show up for these important keyword searches. Hire an Internet marketing agency that specializes in the marijuana industry to employ SEO elements on all your website pages.
3. Having your in house employees do your Internet marketing and social media marketing.
Website design, Internet marketing and social media marketing are not for amateurs. You get what your pay for when you hire a professional agency to oversee your entire Internet marketing strategy. Professional agencies have an entire team that specializes in each discipline within Internet marketing and creative website design. Using your own employees may seem like a good idea. However, your business will suffer due to lake of expertise that is needed to successfully manage all the elements of Internet marketing.
4. Failing to understand the importance of local marketing.
Smartphones and mobile devices are exploding in popularity. A majority of people trying to find recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries will be using a mobile device when searching for dispensaries. If you do not have well-optimized local listings (Google and Yahoo), you will not show up for local searches. In addition, Google Plus reviews are key to gaining more local business.
5. Thinking you do not need marketing because you are currently busy.
The marijuana dispensary business is relatively new. In Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, most of the dispensaries have been very busy. However, as more states legalize and more dispensaries pop up, business will become much more competitive. Don’t lag behind. Now is the time to gain an advantage on your competition by having a professionally designed website and a well managed Internet marketing strategy.