Online shopping and ordering is at an all-time high (thank you, COVID). To keep up, businesses of all shapes and sizes have needed to update their online presence. This hasn’t just impacted retailers and restaurants, but also one of the fastest growing online markets: cannabis dispensaries.
The online menu for your dispensary is a crucial part of doing business. About 30% of dispensaries now offer online ordering – and this number is sure to grow in the future. This means keeping your online menu up-to-date is a must.Â
Let’s go over why having an up-to-date online menu for your dispensary matters and some interesting menu extras to boost online sales.Â
Why an up-to-date online menu matters
Keeping your online presence up-to-date can be a nuisance. But if you’re receiving a good deal of orders online, staying updated is necessary. Customers will expect your online shop to be as seamless as your in-person store experience.Â
However, updated online menus aren’t just about the customer. There are plenty of benefits for your dispensary too, including:
- Efficiency in real-time offerings: Selling something you don’t have is a nightmare. With an up-to-date menu, you can minimize mistakes with out-of-stock items.
- Great customer service:Â Customers expect online ordering to go smoothly. When it does, the convenience factor is huge.
- A convenient funnel for filling and delivering orders: It’s easy to fulfill and deliver online orders because it’s all spelled out – and you don’t have to waste time taking calls or attending in person.
- Pushing offers and specials for the day/week/month:Â An up-to-date menu also allows you to get creative with marketing offers. Add special offers to your menu in the checkout pathway.
- Retaining shopping data for more specific marketing:Â Ideally, your online ordering system will also let you capture some customer data. This can be helpful for marketing to returning customers and understanding your audience.
- Reaching more customers who wouldn’t otherwise buy: Social rejection of cannabis is real. Some customers will feel more comfortable ordering online than going in person.Â
- COVID-friendly: When online ordering replaces in-person purchases, you’re also promoting COVID-friendly practices.Â
As you can see, your online menu can be a key source of information about your customers and a way to make your fulfillment and delivery channels super-efficient. Like other areas of your website, it’s a must-have.
Other great ideas for your online menu
If you’re really looking to spruce things up, you might consider some menu extras. These are features that could help drive your online sales even more. In fact, for many businesses today, these features make up a substantial part of their online marketing.
For example, your dispensary could benefit from:
- Real photos of products:Â People love photos, as well as information about each product. You can make your online menu do the hard work by going in-depth for every product –Â including visuals.
- Remembering preferences and suggesting pairings, etc.:Â Returning customers love it when you remember what they like. You can also up your marketing game by suggesting like-products or pairings.
- Pushing reviews, social media, and online content: Having access to the other branches of your digital presence is ideal. Add a thank-you message at the end of purchase with links to your social media, for example.
- On-demand translation: This will depend on your target audience and area of service, but on-demand translation is an excellent way to capture lifelong customers. For example, if your dispensary is located in an area with a large minority population, consider adding your menu in that language too.Â
These features might be an upfront investment for your online website, but they could really boost sales in the long run. In fact, having an up-to-date online menu also goes hand-in-hand with a great website.Â
Your digital presence as a dispensary is more vital than ever. Growing your business often hinges on things that seem small – such as online menus – but really matter to your potential customers. Win over users by keeping your online menu up-to-date. Besides menus, you can boost your digital presence through spot-on web marketing and app offerings.Â
Interested in updating your online ordering system? Contact the Onsharp team for a tech consultation.Â
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