If you own a cannabis dispensary, you know how important it is to have a website that can attract, engage, and convert your customers. Your website is your online storefront, and it is the first impression that your potential customers will have of your dispensary. You want to make sure that your website is fast, user-friendly, and appealing, and that it can rank well on search engines, and drive more traffic, leads, and sales to your dispensary.

But how can you optimize your cannabis dispensary website for growth in 2024? What are the best practices and strategies that you need to follow to make your website stand out from the crowd, and beat your competitors?

On this page, I will share with you two main aspects of website optimization that you need to focus on: visitor conversion rate optimization (CRO) and search engine optimization (SEO). I will also explain how to implement each aspect, and what benefits you can expect from them.
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Visitor Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Visitor conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the process of improving your website design, layout, content, and functionality, to increase the percentage of your visitors who take a desired action, such as signing up, calling, or buying. CRO is essential for your cannabis dispensary website, because it can help you:

• Increase your customer satisfaction and loyalty, and make your visitors happy and satisfied with your website experience, and make them want to come back and buy from you again.
• Increase your conversion and sales, and make your visitors take action and buy from you, and increase your revenue and profit.
• Increase your competitive advantage, and make your website more attractive and persuasive than your competitors, and make your visitors choose you over them.

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To optimize your visitor conversion rate, you need to implement these best practices:

Have a Website For Your Dispensary

This might seem obvious, but you need to have a website for your dispensary, if you want to grow your business online. A website is the foundation of your online presence, and it is the way that you can showcase your dispensary information, products, and services, and reach more customers who are searching for cannabis online.

If you don’t have a website for your dispensary, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business, and you are losing customers to your competitors who do have a website.

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Have Effective CTAs on Each Landing Page

A CTA, or a call-to-action, is a button, link, or text that prompts your visitors to take a specific action, such as “Shop Now”, “Call Us”, or “Get Directions”.

A CTA is one of the most important elements of your website, because it is the way that you can guide your visitors to the next step of your sales funnel, and convert them into customers. You need to have effective CTAs on each landing page of your website, and make sure that they are clear, compelling, and visible, and that they match the intent and expectation of your visitors.

Have a Prominent CTA on the Header for Each Page

The header is the top part of your website, and it is the first thing that your visitors see when they land on your website. The header is also the place where you can include your logo, your menu, and your contact information, and make a good impression on your visitors.

You need to have a prominent CTA on the header for each page of your website, and make sure that it is easy to find, and that it stands out from the rest of the elements. The CTA on the header should be the most important and urgent action that you want your visitors to take, such as calling your phone number, or ordering online.

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Have Consistent Phone Number & Email Addresses

Your phone number and email address are the ways that your visitors can contact you, and ask you questions, or make inquiries, or place orders. You need to make sure that your phone number and email address are consistent across your website, and that they are accurate and up-to-date.

You also need to make sure that your phone number and email address are clickable, and that they can open the phone app or the email app on your visitors’ devices, and make it easy and convenient for them to contact you.

Authenticity is Important

Have original and authentic photos of your location, products, and your team. Photos are the visual elements that can enhance your website appearance, and that can capture your visitors’ attention, and interest.

Photos are also the way that you can show your visitors what your dispensary looks like, what products you offer, and who your team members are. You need to have original and authentic photos of your location, products, and your team, and make sure that they are high-quality and professional, and that they reflect your brand personality, and that they can build trust and credibility with your visitors.

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Place Logo & Identifying Information at the Top

Have your logo and identifying information present at the top of each page. Your logo and identifying information are the elements that can identify your dispensary, and that can make your website recognizable and memorable.

Your logo and identifying information are also the way that you can communicate your brand identity, and your value proposition, and that you can differentiate yourself from your competitors. You need to have your logo and identifying information present at the top of each page of your website, and make sure that they are clear and consistent, and that they match your brand style and tone.

Make Your Site Easily Crawled

Include your customers’ most visited pages in the menu. The menu is the navigation element that can help your visitors find their way around your website, and that can provide them with the information and content that they are looking for.

The menu is also the way that you can organize and structure your website, and that you can make it easy and user-friendly for your visitors. You need to include your customers’ most visited pages in the menu, and make sure that they are relevant and important, and that they match your customers’ needs and wants. Some examples of the most visited pages are your home page, your about page, your product page, your contact page, and your blog page.

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Clear Service Areas

Make the areas that you serve clear and defined. The areas that you serve are the locations that you deliver to, or that you are available in. The areas that you serve are also the way that you can target and attract local customers, who are looking for cannabis dispensaries near them.

You need to make the areas that you serve clear and defined on your website, and make sure that they are accurate and up-to-date. You also need to create separate pages for each of the areas that you serve, and optimize them for local SEO, by including your name, address, phone number, and keywords for each area.

Testimonials & References

Have testimonials and a gallery page for visitors to reference. Testimonials and a gallery page are the elements that can showcase your customer feedback and your product portfolio, and that can provide social proof and evidence for your visitors.

Testimonials and a gallery page are also the way that you can demonstrate your customer satisfaction and loyalty, and your product quality and variety, and that you can persuade your visitors to buy from you. You need to have testimonials and a gallery page for visitors to reference, and make sure that they are authentic and updated, and that they include photos and videos of your customers and products.

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Don’t Forget Site Speed!

Have a site speed that takes less than 2 seconds to load. Site speed is the time that it takes for your website to load, and it is one of the most important factors that affect your website performance and results. Site speed is also the way that you can improve your user experience and your SEO, and that you can reduce your bounce rate and increase your conversion rate. You need to have a site speed that takes less than 2 seconds to load, and make sure that you use a fast hosting service, compress your images, and minimize your code.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website content, structure, and technical aspects, to increase your ranking, visibility, and relevance on search engines, such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. SEO is essential for your cannabis dispensary website, because it can help you:

• Increase your traffic and leads, and get more visitors who are searching for cannabis-related keywords, and who are interested and qualified for your dispensary and products.
• Increase your authority and trust, and get more recognition and respect from search engines, and from your customers and competitors.
• Increase your organic and long-term growth, and get more sustainable and consistent results, without relying on paid ads or other platforms.

To optimize your search engine optimization, you need to implement these best practices:

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Pages For All Your Target Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases that your customers use to search for your dispensary and products online. You need to do keyword research and find out what your customers are looking for, and what your competitors are ranking for.

You need to include pages for all your target keywords, and make sure that they are relevant and profitable for your dispensary, and that they cover different topics and intents, such as informational, transactional, or navigational.

Service Area Pages

Have dedicated pages for each major location you serve. As I mentioned before, the areas that you serve are the locations that you deliver to, or that you are available in. The areas that you serve are also the way that you can target and attract local customers, who are looking for cannabis dispensaries near them.

You need to have dedicated pages for each major location you serve, and make sure that they are optimized for local SEO, by including your name, address, phone number, and keywords for each location.

>> Get a Free Dispensary Site Audit & Marketing Plan

Optimized Metatags & Structure

Include the keywords in your meta tags, and h1s, and follow a keyword density or semantic SEO strategy. Meta tags are the snippets of text that appear on search engine results pages, and that describe your website and pages. H1s are the headings that appear on your website and pages, and that summarize your content and keywords.

Keyword density or semantic SEO strategy is the way that you use your keywords naturally and strategically in your content, and that you avoid keyword stuffing or over-optimization. You need to include the keywords in your meta tags, and h1s, and follow a keyword density or semantic SEO strategy, and make sure that they are relevant and accurate, and that they match the search intent and expectation of your customers.

Pages For Your Different Products

Have pages for the products that you offer, and also include keywords for them. Products are the items that you sell on your dispensary, and that your customers are looking for. You need to have pages for the products that you offer, and make sure that they are informative and persuasive, and that they include the product name, description, price, image, and reviews.

You also need to include keywords for your products, and make sure that they are specific and descriptive, and that they include the product type, category, strain, or effect, such as “thc gummies,” “cbd oil,” or “indica flower.”

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Dedicated Pages For Multiple Store Locations

Have a page for each of your locations, if you have multiple locations. Locations are the physical places where your dispensary is located, and where your customers can visit you.

You need to have a page for each of your locations, if you have multiple locations, and make sure that they are informative and inviting, and that they include the location name, address, phone number, map, directions, hours, and services. You also need to link your location pages to your main website and your other location pages, and make sure that they are consistent and up-to-date.

Securing Organic Rankings In Your Area

Organic rankings are the positions that your website and pages appear on search engine results pages, without paying for ads or other platforms. Organic rankings are the way that you can get more exposure and traffic from search engines, and that you can show your authority and trust in the cannabis industry.

You need to have any organic rankings in your city, and make sure that they are high and relevant, and that they match the keywords and queries that your customers are using, such as “dispensary in Denver,” “weed delivery Denver,” or “thc gummies Denver.”

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Helpful Content For the HCU & E-E-A-T Standard

Have helpful content that gives value to your readers. Content is the king of online marketing, and it is the way that you can provide value, information, and education to your customers. Content is also the way that you can improve your SEO and ranking, and that you can get more authority and trust from search engines and customers.

For the latest helpful content update (HCU) & E-E-A-T algorithms, you need to focus on providing value. You need to have helpful content that gives value to your readers, and make sure that it is original and quality, and that it covers different topics and formats, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, or ebooks.

Correctly Structuring Your Internal Links

Correctly silo out your content and internally link supporting pages to your top silo pages. Siloing is the way that you organize and structure your website and content, and that you create a logical and user-friendly hierarchy and navigation for your website.

Internal linking is the way that you link your website and content to each other, and that you create connections and relationships between your website and content. You need to correctly silo out your content and internally link supporting pages to your top silo pages, and make sure that they are relevant and consistent, and that they enhance your user experience and your SEO.

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Get Backlinks!

Routinely secure backlinks and sponsored posts on DA sites 40 and up. Backlinks are the links that point to your website from other websites. Sponsored posts are the posts that you pay for or exchange for on other websites, and that promote your dispensary and products.

Backlinks and sponsored posts are the way that you can increase your traffic and referrals, and that you can boost your authority and trust, and that you can improve your SEO and ranking. You need to routinely secure backlinks and sponsored posts on DA sites 40 and up, and make sure that they are from authoritative and relevant websites, and that they are natural and quality, and that they include your keywords and links.

Pump Out Fresh & Relevant Content

Have your team consistently pump out new content, link building, and build content for your site’s blog that will generate more traffic to your site. Content, link building, and blogging are the three main pillars of SEO, and they are the way that you can create and publish valuable and engaging content, that you can get more exposure and recognition from other websites, and that you can update and optimize your website and content.

You need to have your team consistently pump out new content, link building, and build content for your site’s blog that will generate more traffic to your site, and make sure that they are following the best practices and strategies that I mentioned above, and that they are measuring and analyzing their performance and results.

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Implement a Parasite SEO Strategy

Secure a sponsored post and start practicing a parasite SEO strategy to boost your external organic leads. A sponsored post is a post that you pay for or exchange for on another website, and that promotes your dispensary and products.

A parasite SEO strategy is a technique where you use other websites that have high authority and traffic, and that allow you to create and publish content on them, such as blogs, magazines, news outlets, influencers, and organizations, and then use that content to promote your dispensary and products, and to link back to your own website.

ou need to secure a sponsored post and start practicing a parasite SEO strategy to boost your external organic leads, and make sure that you choose a website that is relevant and authoritative, and that has a lot of traffic and engagement, and that you create valuable and shareable content, and that you include your keywords and links.

CRO & SEO Optimization: Important Aspects of an Optimized Dispensary Website

These are the two main aspects of website optimization that you need to focus on: visitor conversion rate optimization (CRO) and search engine optimization (SEO). By implementing these best practices and strategies, you can optimize your cannabis dispensary website for growth in 2024, and you can increase your online visibility and exposure, improve your local SEO and ranking, boost your conversion and sales, build your reputation and credibility, and expand your network and reach.

If you want to learn more about how to apply these best practices and strategies to your dispensary, and how to create a customized and effective marketing plan for your dispensary, I invite you to check out Green Dispensary Marketing, the best cannabis marketing agency in the industry.

>> Get a Free Dispensary Site Audit & Marketing Plan