4 Ways Dispensary Technology Can Help Your Cannabis Store Succeed

We no longer live in an era where you have to rely on hard physical graft to make a cannabis retail store successful—dispensary technology is now the secret sauce that can enable you to achieve business success effortlessly and swiftly. Dispensary technology has an impact on practically every aspect of business, and the cannabis sector is no exception.

With the cannabis industry's rapid expansion, there is a demand for aid in streamlining corporate operations. That is exactly how dispensary technology has aided operations.

In this article, you will be learning:

• How to make effective use of technology to create awareness
  

• The best technology for your dispensary
  

• Software that can take your dispensary to the next level 
• How to choose the best dispensary technology solution.

1 - Dispensary technology helps you create awareness.

Once you have established a dispensary website, the goal should be to increase traffic and sell more products.  But how you build that online presence in the first place determines the level of awareness you can obtain.

Failure to get your online presence in order will make it difficult to raise awareness and attract new visitors to your dispensary website. 
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Gaining exposure in today's crowded internet culture can be difficult, especially in the face of the following challenges: 

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The challenges: 

Challenges with SEO. 

If you're not familiar with the term SEO, it stands for "search engine optimization” and  refers to the process of ensuring that your website is found online by people searching for the products and services you offer using Google and other search engines.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a way to make use of search engines' marketing potential without having to pay for adverts. If you stop being mindful of SEO, you'll see your site fall in search results rankings. As a result, your site will receive fewer organic visitors and have a lower level of online exposure. Your rankings will continue to fall until you use SEO strategies to boost them.
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This presents a huge challenge because optimization is not a straightforward strategy. SEO strategies are constantly evolving. The procedures utilized last year will not work this year—they will need continuously improving and revamping.

What you learnt about SEO a short while ago may not be the same as what Google is currently using to rank pages. As a result, you'll need to conduct constant research to keep up with Google's ranking criteria so that you can incorporate them into your SEO strategy.

Online platforms blocking paid ads.

Facebook, Google, and Instagram still don't allow paid advertisements. Since these social networks may also be used to spread the word about your services, dispensaries and cannabis companies are losing out on marketing opportunities. As a result, if these platforms allow for such activities on their platforms, they will expand even more.

Industry saturation.

In some sectors, the industry is saturated, and getting your website to the top of search engine listings isn't always easy.

The rapid adoption of the cannabis industry by the general public has made it a business that everyone wants to be a part of. so, to set your dispensary apart from the competition, you'll need to be innovative and adopt skillful marketing techniques. 

Expensive fees to get ahead. 

Many dispensary owners are paying to get listed on website directories, but this can add up in terms of expenses. 

Many dispensary owners are turning to traditional media for advertising such as:

• Billboards and off-site signs
• Television advertisements
• Radio advertising
• Print advertising
• Direct mail advertisements
• Door-to-door sales
• Banner ads
  But those can be difficult to track and to measure success in terms of ROI.

Missing out on revenue opportunities

You will lose business prospects if you do not invest in a strong website. The reason for a website remains to gain more customers, so you could be losing protective customers to your competitors who have a website.

The solutions.

The solution to this problem is to create a website that not only draws visitors to your site but encourages them to take action, such as ordering something online or visiting your dispensary., Here are some savvy solutions to help your site succeed: 
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Be mobile-friendly

A responsive and mobile-friendly website is a must. A responsive website adapts to the device it is being viewed on.t A mobile-friendly website is designed to perform the same way on all devices. On a computer or mobile device, this means that nothing changes or becomes unusable. Navigation drop-downs, for example, are limited since they are difficult to use on mobile.
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SEO/Content focused

If you're going to make any modifications to your website or implement a new strategy, make sure you employ the finest SEO methods possible. There are SEO techniques for producing blog posts and other content that you will be posting to your website. To make sure you are using Google's best keyword and metadata practices, it’s likely you'll need to start writing and updating material about your products right now.

Online menu/ product listings

To speed up sales and to communicate information to visitors on your website, you should consider having a rich online menu and product listing. Customers can see what you offer and how much it costs more easily with a well-designed online menu. Even if your website does not allow customers to place orders online, provide a method for you to list the services or products and their prices.

Strong Imagery

You need to use strong and impactful graphics for your products when creating this online menu. Don’t upload any old phone shots of your products—your website requires high-quality imagery if it’s going to make an impact. 

Establish credibility( tell a story)

You must tell a tale about the services you provide. This is critical because many people still know very little about cannabis. You might begin by telling them about how you got into the sector and how you will best provide your services.

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2 - Technology helps you run a streamlined business.

There are numerous technologies available, but it is critical to understand the ones that are most relevant to your dispensary. When your first choice proves to be the best technology for your dispensary, you save the stress of having to try out a lot of different options before finding the one that works best for you.

But how do you decide what technology or which software is going to be essential for running a dispensary? It’s a challenge, because of the following:

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The challenges: 

It's your first time using software to assist your business 

Perhaps this is your first time running a business and you are unfamiliar with using or purchasing technology for a business platform.

Poor information on which software is ideal for a dispensary 

Being new to the industry, you're unsure about the ideal technologies created specifically for dispensaries and the information is hard to come by. 

There are no guidelines to follow

There are no specific guidelines to help you choose the best technology for your dispensary. This can be attributed to the fact that the cannabis industry is still in its infancy and, as a result, there is no comprehensive playbook outlining the best technology for ensuring your cannabis business's success.

It costs you time and energy

To begin with, if you do not have the technology to automate these operations, manually managing them will take time. It will take more time and effort because one of the main benefits of this technology is to assist with reducing the stress involved in operating a dispensary.

Increased labor expenses

You'll need extra hands if you don't use technology to expedite procedures and handle the difficult work that is in the cannabis industry. You'll need more hands, which will cost you more money. 
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The solutions.

There are several technologies that can help you overcome these challenges, as I’m about to show you.

Familiarize yourself with the types of technology that your dispensary can afford to use and make sure you know their functionalities. This will help you to know which is needed urgently and which you can incorporate as time goes on. Some of the technologies your dispensary might need include:

POS (Cova, FlowHub, Greenline)

If you're in business, you should already have a point-of-sale system. A dispensary POS system, also known as a dispensary point-of-sale system, is software that enables you to make and track legal cannabis sales transactions at your dispensary.
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It enables dispensaries and other cannabis dealers to sell their products while adhering to federal and state regulations. It's also a critical piece of software that customers use when paying for goods and services, as well as to determine whether or not sales taxes are due. Always use POS software that integrates well with other technology and applications to help scale into the future.

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E-commerce ( iFrame vs Native)

Adding e-commerce to your website will attract customers who prefer to make practically all of their purchases online. 

An iFrame is a script you can embed into your website that links to an external e-commerce application,  whereas one that you build manually within your website is described as ‘native’. Both have the same goal in mind: to make sure your products are listed and available for purchase online.

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HR and Payroll (KayaPush)

HR and payroll will assist you in streamlining your employee payments. Payroll, HR scheduling, onboarding, time tracking, and reporting can all be made easier with software like KayaPush.

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Security ( Helix, Cannabis)

You'll need an app to assist you in generating security reports for your dispensary. Your safety must be prioritized. These include things like keeping an eye on the building from the inside and outside, as well as protecting staff. Theft and other undesirable behaviors are discouraged when you have good security in place.

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Accounting (Quick book, Xero)

Accounting is required in every business, and dispensaries are no exception. Accounting software eliminates the need for complicated spreadsheets to handle cash flow, balance sheets, bill payments, and invoices tracking. It can also assist you in maintaining compliance in a highly regulated business like cannabis.

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3 - Technology integrations help you save time and money.

This section covers all you need to know about how best to integrate technology to get the optimum benefits. 

New dispensary technology is regularly being developed, especially since the cannabis sector is still in its infancy. Without support from technology, you may become too focused on the day-to-day operations of your dispensary to devote time to studying long-term strategies. 
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This may result in:

• Loss of competitive advantage
• Increased labor costs

• Loss of revenue
  
  

The challenges: 

We must keep in mind that cannabis and the entire sector are still in their infancy, and new technology and software are being produced daily. I am completely certain that the technology that will revolutionize the cannabis space has yet to be invented. So sometimes if you can't find it doesn't mean it can't be built."

The solutions. 

What software or integration is out there to help dispensaries? There are lots of possible software integrations out there that will be able to take your dispensary to the next level. These include:

Analytics (Headset.io, BDS Analytics)

Many people are unaware that digital data has superseded paper as the world's most important means of organizing information. Data collected from a dispensary's POS system is often obtained promptly. Many analytics businesses, such as headsets and beds analytics will interface directly with your POS, which is critical for anticipating the future and determining who your consumers are. It will show you which things are selling well, when you're busiest, and who your most frequent customers are. You can start creating customer profiles and have a deeper understanding of them.

CRM and Loyalty  (Springbig, Sprout)

It's critical to develop a relationship with your customers—you need to know who they are and how to communicate with them effectively. CRM and loyalty programs can be beneficial to your marketing efforts. You can use this information to construct consumer profiles for each individual so that your marketing efforts are more targeted, Removing the need to send messages to consumers that are unrelated to the services they have received. You can be specific about who gets what information, and CRM and loyalty programs allow you to do this, encouraging people to return regularly.

In-store advertising (Green Screen, Enlighten)

If you've ever been to a dispensary and seen the digital signage or menus that they have up within their store, you've seen what in-store advertising is all about. This provides a better customer experience by showcasing your inventory and featured products, highlighting promotions, increasing brand knowledge, and streamlining the purchasing process from when your consumers walk in and start talking to budtenders because they already know what they want.

Custom software or apps (onSharp)

 it’s possible to sketch up concepts and algorithms for what you want an app to do before having it built. Custom software helps you develop a unique way of operation. Your ideas are developed into technologies that you can use in your dispensary alone.

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4 - How to choose the best cannabis dispensary software.

Research before you buy

It's critical to do some preliminary research on the software and technology you're considering for your company. You can start by assessing the needs and determining whether or not it is worthwhile for customers. Make sure you understand how beneficial it will be to customers and the dispensary as a whole.

Think ahead

Consider where your dispensary will be in the next six months, and perhaps three to five years. You'll want to incorporate technologies that can scale up with your dispensary as it expands.

Be cautious of new companies

Be cautious of new companies that don't have customer reviews yet. You don't have to think you don't need a particular piece of software just because you don't see it on other companies' websites. Some of them are brand new, so you won't need to consider them when choosing technologies you will be needing in your dispensary.

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Prioritize customer support

You must put client support first. It is vital, and you must ensure that there is a support system in place, because complications with these technologies may arise. Make certain you're working with a company that can resolve those concerns quickly.

Conclusion

Dispensary technology will ensure that your dispensary complies with all regulations and will assist in providing a positive consumer experience. You may incorporate several technologies into your cannabis dispensary to improve efficiency and cannabis compliance. Make sure you understand how any technology you're going to use works.

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Catch the webinar replay!

Want the live action replay? Click the button below to watch Trevor live as he shares his expertise on the topic of dispensary technology!

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FAQ

I understand SEO takes time but what are some of the things I can do today to boost my rankings?

You can create a Google My Business page now if you don't already have one. You can start collecting reviews on your Google My Business page, which will draw Google's attention to your page. Another option is to make YouTube material that responds to people's questions about the service you provide.

However, the more you invest in setting up a Google My Business profile and encouraging customers to provide reviews, the more you will reap the benefits. Create content, such as blog posts, and update it regularly.

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Should I integrate my CRM with anything like my website or my POS, is that even possible?

Yes, absolutely. And, as you probably know, it all depends on the CRM and POS system you're utilizing. Because data has become so broad, you are missing out if you aren't watching people and selling to them.

It is advisable to connect all systems, and if you are unsure how to do so, you should get professional advice.

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What are the metrics that the platform's analytics measure?

They track the number of active days and hours in your business, allowing you to see when you need to hire more people and when you can cut back on staffing. This assists you in forecasting things and in avoiding issues such as overstaffing or understaffing.

It is critical to make decisions in your dispensary based on demographic data. The KayaPush application streamlines every aspect of running a dispensary.By combining HR payroll and labor administration, including scheduling and time tracking, into a single, easy-to-use platform, KayaPush aids dispensary owners in developing and managing their business. KayaPush also works with the most popular dispensary point-of-sale systems. As a result, the goal is to make things easier for dispensary owners so that they may succeed at what they do by delivering an end-to-end solution that gives them more control over sales, labor statistics, and customizable reporting.

What is on the horizon for the cannabis industry?

Cannabis is expected to become a major player in agriculture in the future. It will spur urban development across the country. This will lead to the development of software that will allow you to monitor your crops while you are not there in the grow room. States will become involved, as will more people, and there will be significant advancements in cannabis aid software.

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What would you want to see built that doesn't exist or what's the integration that your company has built that was a game-changer?

It's a major thing to have tools that help streamline the entire delivery process. Knowing when and where your orders were placed, as well as when and where your delivery is at any given time.

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What is the difference between building an app for my dispensary vs. just having a mobile-friendly website?

It is not a simple task to create a custom app for your website—it will take time and money. An app can be more user-friendly  than a website—however, you should only consider developing an app if your website receives a high volume of traffic and orders.