More smoke shops are popping up all the time. Shops need to invest in branding and marketing to grab market share. One great way to do this is by having a website. When many smoke shops operate using only their Facebook or Instagram pages for their online presence, having a website can help you to stand out.
Through ten key points, we’ll find out how a website can help you and your business:
- Reinforce your brand image
- Showcase your products
- Get found on Google
- Engage with people in ways social platforms don’t allow (email newsletter signup etc.)
So, I can’t tell you how irritating it is to search for local smoke shops on Google and find nothing but lame Facebook pages. Or I’m in a retail dispensary, grabbing some nuggets of herb, and I ask if they have a website. You know, figure I would check in to see if they have new strains, products, or promotions from time to time. Their response? “We’re on Facebook. We have like 4,000 followers. Friend us.” Guess what? I don’t do Facebook, and I’m sure there are others out there that feel the same way. That’s a potential loss of a customer, and that means zero sales from that person!
There are so many website building platforms out there — WordPress and Wix and Weebly, to name a few — that makes the task of creating a website for your business fun, not stressful. If you can create a Facebook page for your business, you can create a sharp, informative website that generates customers — and sales — for your bottom line.
Elevate the industry, build your business, and raise your game. Here are ten reasons why you need a website.
1. Be Found
These days, most consumers start their purchasing trips with online research and recommendations. Studies show that once someone has an inkling of what they want (or need), approximately 72 percent of those consumers start researching online. So, if you haven’t already done so, make a website. Get in front of the customer when they’re looking for you wherever they are. Don’t give potential customers a reason to give a competitor your business.
2. Control The Conversation
Your website, your message. While you can’t necessarily control what others say about you on social media, you can send your specific message to cultivate your public persona, creating a narrative through your branding and messaging on your business website. Keep your content fresh, with occasional blogs and updates to keep your business and your message in front of customers. Then use the power of social media to link your company Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages to build on your website’s content and reach.
3. Double Up As A Staff Resource
Did you know that your business website can serve dual purposes? It’s true! In addition to helping customers, your website can benefit your employees. And it’s not hard. Create what’s known as an “orphan page.” These pages aren’t visible on the public website, so it can’t be found unless someone has a direct link to the page. These orphan pages can host self-service videos, instructional materials, or even internal-use documents and forms to help your employees be their best.
4. Easy To Set up
You don’t need fancy technical skills or a background in coding. A lot of website-building platforms offer online tutorials and community-based support. That means most peeps can get a basic website up and running pretty quick.
5. Your Customers Expect A Website
Think about all the businesses you lookup online. Your customers are doing the same thing. To your industry. In your area. Would you trust a company that didn’t have a website? Better yet; would you do business with a business that didn’t have a website? Today’s consumers are tech-savvy and want information quickly and easily. Don’t take the risk that a potential customer will look somewhere else.
6. Promote Your Brand 24/7
When you have a website, you’re spinning your “OPEN” sign all day, every day. You might not want to be working at 3 a.m., but you can still make sales or generate interest through your eCommerce website. Build on your online presence and expand your geographical restrictions with your website. You can even layer up your marketing tools, say by doing a little email marketing that drives additional consumers to your website, perhaps? These tools help you reach new customers while generating repeat business.
7. Provide Social Proof
Websites provide social proof. Did you know that 90 percent of consumers claim that online reviews influence buying decisions? Ask yourself this: Do you use Yelp? FourSquare? When you create your website, consider including customer testimonials. It’s a simple way to impress potential customers.
8. Showcase Your Products
Take a multi-pronged approach to message delivery. Not only can you show off your products or services with carefully cultivated images, but you can also offer short tutorials or downloadable PDF instructions to give cautious customers yet another reason to do business with you. A perfect example of this is Yo Dabba Dabba, who provide their customers with a comprehensive knowledge base of all things dabbing.
9. Show Up On Google
If you want to show up in Google search results — and let’s face it, you do — you need to have a website. Remember that consumers do some serious online research before buying something. And that usually involves Google and some keywords. So why the delay? Make a website, and let’s pop in some search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the chances of showing up in that all-important Google search (it helps to use a marketing agency that specifically provides cannabis SEO services). This is the most accessible and most affordable way to get in front of future customers. Include long-tail keywords, meta descriptions, and titles to customize your site to up your SEO, yo. See? Now you’re speaking the language.
10. Cost-Effective Marketing
If you use a free website building platform, you not only saved money, you put your company in the position to reach thousands of potential customers for tons less than you would have spent on direct mail or brochures.
