Congratulations. You’ve accepted the challenge of building a beautiful website for your cannabis business. If you’re a dispensary, what should you include? If you’re a cultivator, what can you promote? What makes matters worse is what comes after. A published website does not equal digital exposure. How do you build a cannabis friendly website in an unfriendly environment?
Your digital footprint can be summed up into two parts: Website Development and Digital Presence. One does not function well without the other.
Website Development is the heart. It includes all the content that lives on your website. Having great content is not enough to succeed. Each state has its own laws on what you can say and not say. Some questions to ask yourself:
- Does your website require an age gate?
- What should your privacy policy have?
- How should your disclaimer read?
- Is the website ADA compliant?
Digital Presence are the veins that funnel users into your website. You are presenting your website to the world in hopes users will be engaged enough to visit. The problem lies in the guidelines of digital marketing. As of today, you cannot market your cannabis website with paid search or social campaigns from major companies such as Google, Facebook, Instagram etc. Thinking outside the box is what will keep you afloat.
Trevis Thomas, from Upstream Media Junkies, says “Building a cannabis website in an unfriendly environment is an uphill battle.”
Needless to say, as full legalization looms on the horizon, it should not stop you from building your digital footprint today.
