Let’s be blunt: a bad website can kill your business faster than stale weed. Your website is the digital face of your dispensary, and if it’s not pulling its weight, you’re losing customers and cash. Dispensary owners are busy juggling compliance, inventory, and customer service, but neglecting your website is like leaving money on the table.
So, what’s going wrong? Here are the top five website mistakes cannabis dispensaries make—and how to avoid them—with data to back it up.
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re already losing the battle. Over 60% of cannabis customers shop on their phones, according to recent industry reports. Not only that, but mobile users are 5 times more likely to abandon a website if it’s not optimized for mobile devices. If they land on a site that’s slow, clunky, or impossible to navigate on mobile, they’re gone faster than your best-selling gummies.
The Fix:
Make your website mobile-first. This doesn’t just mean it should look good on a phone—it needs to work. Menus should load quickly (since a 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%), buttons should be easy to tap, and checkout should be seamless. Test every feature on mobile before launching anything.
Your customers aren’t here for a scavenger hunt. If your product menu is hard to navigate, they’ll bounce. Data shows that 38% of users will stop engaging with a site if the content or layout is too confusing. Slow-loading images, confusing categories, and lack of filters can frustrate even your most loyal customers.
The Fix:
Streamline your menu. Use clear categories like “Flower,” “Edibles,” “Concentrates,” and allow customers to filter by price, strain type, and THC/CBD content. Add a search bar because users who search are 2-3 times more likely to convert.
In the age of convenience, not offering online ordering is a rookie mistake. Studies show that 80% of customers are more likely to choose a dispensary that offers online ordering. Customers want to browse, order, and pick up (or get delivery) without wasting time. If your competitors have online ordering and you don’t, guess who’s getting the sale?
The Fix:
Invest in an e-commerce platform tailored to cannabis. Tools like Dutchie, Weedmaps, or Jane allow dispensaries to integrate seamless online ordering into their sites. Keep the process simple: add to cart, select pickup or delivery, and check out. Websites that reduce friction in the checkout process can see conversion rates jump by as much as 35%.
If your dispensary isn’t showing up in Google searches, your website might as well not exist. 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search results. Dispensaries face unique challenges due to cannabis-related advertising restrictions, so strong SEO is essential.
The Fix:
Optimize your site with cannabis-friendly keywords like “dispensary near me,” “buy cannabis online,” or “best [city] dispensary.” Local SEO is especially critical, as 46% of all Google searches are for local businesses. Don’t forget the basics: fast page speed, meta descriptions, and regularly updating your Google My Business profile.
A stagnant website screams, “We don’t care.” If your homepage is still advertising a 4/20 sale… from last year, you’re losing credibility. Customers expect fresh deals, new products, and updated info every time they visit. Data shows that up-to-date websites are 40% more likely to convert visitors into customers.
The Fix:
Keep your site fresh. Update your promotions regularly, rotate featured products, and share blog posts or educational content about cannabis. Posting new content doesn’t just impress customers—it also helps with SEO, as Google rewards websites that are regularly updated.