It’s Time to Give Cannabis Consumers the Online Shopping Experience They Want
Art Courtesy of Casey Renteria
Today, cannabis consumers expect more from the brands they shop with. Sometimes, brands going above and beyond can be as simple as offering free swag — but often it’s much more than meets the eye. Customers seek out curated experiences that genuinely touch on what they need. This ranges from creative all-in-one in-app experiences to personalized customer journeys to striking true empathy for the customer’s desires.
Listening to customers is vital across all industries, but is uniquely essential in an ever-changing industry like cannabis. Structuring virtual experiences for consumers on their favorite platforms and offering loyalty programs are becoming increasingly important to boost customer satisfaction. Some brands, like Chicago-based dispensary operator OKAY Cannabis, have pivoted to promoting positive buyer experiences like streamlined online ordering and built-in loyalty rewards programs. If you’re a brand operator itching to scale your customer base and keep your customers happy, it’s high time your brand gives canna-consumers the online shopping experience they want.
It needs to happen on an operational level
Customer satisfaction starts where the customer shops. It’s on the brand to assess what works and where it falls short. Implementing a convenient one-stop platform is one trick operators can use to improve customer satisfaction. “A single all-in-one customer experience platform provides end users with a seamless experience across ordering, payments, and loyalty,” said Jack Blaeser, CEO of online e-commerce platform Mosaic. “It also makes it easier and more cost-effective for dispensaries to manage across eCommerce, loyalty, and payment solutions.”
When brands take these solutions into their own hands, it can demonstrate that customers are being listened to, amplifying their needs and giving them workable user-friendly experiences.
All-inclusive virtual storefronts are a must
When it comes to online shopping, cannabis consumers aren’t settling for less. They expect to be able to reap the benefits found at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, without leaving the comfort of their homes. Transform your virtual storefront to be people-friendly. Operators must enhance product visibility and vividly showcase products by adding detailed descriptions, images, and videos, as well as optional reviews. This bolsters customer trust and increases your customer’s confidence in the product and likelihood of purchase.
But it doesn’t stop there. An all-inclusive visual storefront also affords a healthy dose of data analytics and insights. Virtual storefronts are primed to be data powerhouses, helping to easily identify customer preferences that result in better business decisions and tailored marketing to customers interfacing with the store. The right products are on display and sales trends can be traced, helping customers ensure popular products are available, leaving customers with more positive experiences. It’s true! In fact, a whopping 90% of consumers who believe companies understand their buying preferences will likely purchase more products from them in the future.
These storefronts are also a boon for delivery services, equipping operators with seamless integration with third-party delivery services, so customers can receive their orders at their doorstep when they expect them.
Moreover, operators can plug in various marketing tools and channels to expand online presence, and more effectively integrate SEO with native platforms, so customers can swiftly search for and scoop up available products.
Prioritize loyalty options — seriously!
With staggering statistics suggesting over 83% of consumers note belonging to a loyalty program influences their decision to buy again from that brand, it makes sense for brands to prioritize loyalty options direction on virtual platforms. And cannabis dispensary brands have seen this firsthand.
“Loyalty programs incentivize repeat business, making customers more likely to return and make additional purchases,” said Scott Weiner, co-owner of Illinois-based dispensary brand OKAY Cannabis.
Moreover, it’s critical to offer programs that are easy to use, offer great discounts, and are easy to understand. It can also help to offer unique perks. “Our loyalty rewards program combines over 20 restaurants, so we see our members join at the dispensary and visit our restaurants and bars, and vice versa. Since our rewards program stacks with most discounts, we also see larger spending with loyalty members,” remarked Weiner.
When brands bake these options directly into their e-commerce platforms, customers not only feel heard but they’re also afforded a heightened customer experience.
Nothing beats a personalized experience
Customers are rejecting invasive data practices more than ever before. But according to Zendesk, 75% still say they expect a personalized experience when making purchases. With a virtual storefront, brands can put personalization front and center, so customers can build trust across the customer journey.
“Virtual storefronts leverage customer data to offer personalized product recommendations based on previous purchases or preferences. This can improve customer satisfaction and retention,” says Blaeser. And there’s plenty of opportunity to do it. Brands can enable and analyze purchase history to make personalized recommendations and tailor marketing messages, so relevant content reaches cannabis consumers. Products they’re genuinely interested in, rather than products they don’t care for at all.
Ensure you’re mobile-friendly
Too often, brands sleep on the mobile experience, when in reality delivering seamless in-app experiences is crucial. Over 76% of U.S. adults report purchasing directly from their smartphone and about one-third of U.S. adults use a smartphone to buy things online at least once a week.
Opting for a mobile-first virtual platform accounts for a huge portion of your cannabis brand’s customer base. You know, the people who come to buy your products. When you make the experience easier for them, they’re likely to return (and tell their friends).
Convenience really is everything
In traditional industries, consumers live for convenience. In fact, 68% of customers cite convenient customer experiences alone as a major factor in returning to a brand. And most customers seek out companies that offer quick and easy transactions. Convenience should be on full display, from your cart to your delivery process. This is one of the most important factors in online shopping because the ease of access can encourage customers to purchase more and more frequently.
What’s the Proof?
Since virtual storefronts paint a picture of the customer experience completely digitally, it’s much easier to pull all of that info together to tell a complete story of the customer’s experience from start to finish so operators can curate more satisfactory customer experiences in the future.
“All-inclusive virtual storefronts offer dispensaries the opportunity to scale their business, improve customer experience, and stay competitive in the evolving cannabis industry,” said Blaeser.
And for the customer? They’re more likely to have a positive experience that they can relay back to other cannabis consumers, to create an industry filled with better experiences had by all.
